Opportunity Statement
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MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH 2022-23 OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT MAY 2021 “AT MAIMONIDES, WE ARE TAUGHT THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, COMMUNITY, AND RESPECT. THESE VALUES ARE NOT JUST ABSTRACTLY SPOKEN ABOUT; THESE VALUES ARE UNDOUBTEDLY DISPLAYED BY TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND ADMINISTRATION.” MAIMONIDES STUDENT We are thrilled to share the Maimonides School Head of School Opportunity Statement with you! Over the last few months, we have engaged extensively with our school community through surveys and numerous focus groups to best determine our aspirations for the future leader of Maimonides School. The information we have gathered from students, faculty and staff, current parents, the Board of Directors, community rabbis, alumni, and community members at large has vitalized us with a sense of great enthusiasm and optimism about the future of our school. We have composed this Opportunity Statement together with our dedicated and talented Search Committee and Faculty Advisory Committee, and we believe that it is reflective of both the current state of our school and our community’s hopes, desires, and excitement for our future and our next leader. We hope you will enjoy learning more about our amazing school and the unique and incredible opportunities that lie ahead for our new Head of School! Sincerely, Amy Goldman and Cheryl Levin Maimonides Head of School Search Co-Chairs MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Our School Maimonides School is proud to be the beacon of Modern Orthodox co-education in New England and welcomes and זצ״ל students from Early Childhood through 12th Grade. Established in 1937 by Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik his supporters, Maimonides School was where the Rav turned theory into practice. Maimonides School strives to empower and inspire religiously observant, educated Jews within whom Judaic and general education, devotion to Torah values, strong support of Medinat Yisrael, and the desire to contribute to society are organically linked. Maimonides School comprises four divisions with approximately 400 students and 120 employees. The Elementary School, Middle School, and Upper School are located in Brookline, MA on the Saval Campus. The Early Childhood Center is currently located in Newton, five miles from the main campus, with the goal of moving back to the Brookline campus by the start of the 2022-23 school year. Building on the legacy of the Rav, a hallmark of Maimonides School’s philosophy has always been to provide the same opportunities to both girls and boys, all learning in classes together. Both the All-School Administrative Team (ASAT) and the Maimonides faculty are talented, dedicated, and collaborative, and are exceptional at creating a warm and inclusive environment. Throughout their Maimonides experience, students are immersed in Limudei Kodesh and General Studies with passionate educators who have the opportunity to watch them grow from toddlers to high school graduates. Our faculty report that one of the highlights of working at Maimonides School is the students, who behave with profound integrity and respect, have beautiful middot, and are true mensches. Maimonides students report that some of the most unique and special aspects of attending Maimonides are the lifelong friendships that are formed. MAIMO FUN FACT: 238,680 hours of Torah are learned each year at Maimonides School! MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Our School Maimonides School embarked on its Plan for Sustainable Excellence in July 2019 with the overarching goal of driving continued excellence while ensuring long-term financial health, thereby increasing the value proposition of a Maimonides education. The Strategic Plan identified four pillars for focused efforts: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Culture, and Finance. Our Strategic Plan has been our guidepost over the past two years as we continue to successfully execute its goals and priorities. Maimonides has been at the forefront of Jewish day schools in addressing affordability. A recent highly valued, innovative initiative, MAI Way, sets a unique tuition obligation for each family, based on income and the number of children enrolled in the school, and offers a streamlined and efficient application process. Maimonides School is committed to continuously exploring new avenues to make Jewish education affordable in the Greater Boston area. MAIMO FUN FACT: 330 Maimo graduates have made Aliyah and over 40 have served in the Israel Defense Forces or in Israel’s National Service “WE LOVE MAIMONIDES AND CONSIDER IT TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTION TO OUR FAMILY AND OUR COMMUNITY. IT EMBODIES AND REFLECTS THE VALUES WE HOPE TO CONVEY TO OUR CHILDREN - BEING PROUD TO BE ORTHODOX JEWS AND PART OF AN INTELLECTUAL, SPIRITUAL, RELIGIOUS TRADITION, HIGHLY LITERATE IN JUDAIC AND SECULAR STUDIES, AND ROOTED IN TORAH, MITZVOT, AND DERECH ERETZ.” MAIMONIDES PARENT “MAIMONIDES SCHOOL HAS BEEN A GIFT TO OUR FAMILY. MAIMONIDES HAS RISEN TO BE TOP-NOTCH IN JEWISH EDUCATION, AND SPECIFICALLY IN EDUCATING AND CARING FOR OUR CHILDREN’S GROWTH ON ALL LEVELS.” MAIMONIDES PARENT MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Our Early Childhood Center (21 months - 5 years old) The preschool is a nurturing, joyful, Reggio-inspired program within a Modern Orthodox environment. The Early Childhood Center celebrates the emerging potential and natural curiosity of each child, along with a love of Torah, mitzvot, and Israel. It also provides a multi-sensory approach to Torah along with math, science, and literacy, and sets the stage for a life-long passion for learning and discovery. Robin Meyerowitz, Early Childhood Director, explains: “Nurturing all our students is at the core of our mission. From our youngest to our oldest students, we partner with parents, teachers, and specialists in our shared commitment to ensure that every student thrives, and that each student’s emotional, social, and learning needs are met.” Our curriculum is student- centered and the thematic inquiries we engage in are unique to each group of students. MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Our Elementary School (Kindergarten - 5th grade) In the Elementary School, Limudei Kodesh and General Studies are equally emphasized, cultivating a love for Torah and mitzvot as well as literature, science, mathematics, and joyful learning. In the words of Principal Michal Bessler, the Elementary School’s focus is to “nourish, support, and cherish our students. Here at Maimonides School we live our Judaism and are committed to the values of caring for others, doing acts of kindness, respecting ourselves and those around us, accepting our personal responsibilities, and growing into our best selves.” Instruction is integrated across the curriculum and through varied informal educational experiences to make learning come alive so the students are engaged and excited about their connection to Torah, Klal Yisrael, and Medinat Yisrael. There is a strong emphasis on the whole child which is reflected in our social-emotional curriculum, including units on developing empathy, emotion management, friendship skills, and problem-solving. Some favorite Elementary School highlights include focusing each year on a middah and weaving it throughout the curriculum, the Chagigat HaSiddur and Chagigat HaChumash, the third grade Purim play (performed entirely in Hebrew), older students serving as reading buddies for the kindergarten class, our fifth grade leadership curriculum, and the Maccabiah. MAIMONIDES HEAD OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Our Middle School (6th grade - 8th grade) Led by a strong Middle School team – including Principal Rabbi Dov Huff, 6th Grade Dean Stephanie Samuels, and Dean of Students Sarah Cheses – Maimonides teachers and staff help each child thrive academically, socially, religiously, and emotionally to reach their fullest potential. In the Maimonides Middle School we aim to meet the needs of children where they are while carefully nurturing their growth as thoughtful, caring, spiritual human beings, paying close attention to their changing needs, and structuring their overall development. Alongside the core subjects of Talmud, science, English, Hebrew language, math, Tanach, and history, we consciously foster and teach compassion and empathy to build a positive, inclusive learning environment, collaborative and group- building skills, note-taking skills, organizational skills, and critical-thinking skills. Maimonides Middle School students participate in multiple opportunities for spiritual growth and experiential learning, such as field trips, opportunities to join various sports teams,Shabbatonim , and sharing in each other’s smachot. X-block is a special program integrated into the weekly curriculum that provides students with an opportunity to meet with their teachers during the school day to work on their academic skills, share social and emotional challenges, and participate in conflict resolution. Maimonides Middle School students engage in a variety of girls’ and boys’ competitive sports teams including basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer. There are also weekly chugim built into the schedule where students can select from a wide variety of activities including robotics, cooking, art, and sports. SELAH, which stands for Social-Emotional Learning and Hashkafa, is a new program in the Maimonides Middle and Upper School curriculum. Through weekly lessons, students explore topics such as emotional awareness, self-esteem, healthy decision-making,