Sinai Akiba Academy Director of Advancement

Sinai akiba academyLoS angeLeS, caLifornia

director of advancementJuLy 2016

sinaiakiba.org

1The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Mission StatementSinai Akiba Academy offers an outstanding general and Judaic education that develops the mind, heart and soul. We engage students in the joy and discipline of learning, introducing students to a life of personal growth, sensitivity, responsibility and intellectual inquiry, shaped by Jewish practices and informed by a respect for diversity of thought.

Beliefs

• We believe that children who are empowered to fail will take the risks that change the world.

• We believe in nourishing students’ hearts, minds and souls.

• We believe that learning should be joyful.• We believe in introducing students to a lifetime

of personal growth, sensitivity, responsibility and intellectual inquiry shaped by Jewish practices and thought.

• We believe that tikkun olam and ruach are central to education.

• We believe in a rich and rigorous integrated curriculum.

the PoSitionAt Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles, a team of dedicated faculty and staff strives to reach, stretch, and ignite students’ minds, hearts, and souls. Through a curriculum that blends rigorous academics with thoughtful Judaic studies, Sinai Akiba nurtures passionate learners who will lead the way in the Jewish community and in the world. Students from preschool through eighth grade learn to love learning and school, and they demonstrate a constant sense of wonder as they learn to take their part in making the world a better place.

At this time, the school is creating a new senior administrative position—Director of Advancement—to oversee its entire development, admissions, and communications functions and help steer Sinai Akiba to new and exciting places. Head of School Dr. Sarah Shulkind, who is in her fourth year as Head, is an exciting and committed leader dedicated to fostering the sustained growth of the school. Dr. Shulkind, together with the Board of Trustees, is prepared to give her full support to the Director of Advancement in order to maximize the appeal of Sinai Akiba to prospective families and to make a compelling case to its current stakeholders for their ongoing voluntary support.

The next Director of Advancement will embrace the school’s unique program and mission. S/he will be a collaborative, creative, and strategic leader who is eager to join this a community committed to raising intellectually curious, ethically responsible, joyful, confident learners.

the SchooLEstablished in 1968, Sinai Akiba Academy draws on the rich traditions of Jewish heritage while offering a powerful academic environment. The school inspires students within a warm, culturally rich community that offers an exceptional educational and spiritual journey. The school community, diverse in national origin, religious observance, and economic status, is guided by the common goal of fostering respect and responsibility for one another. Sinai Akiba is a values-

Fast Facts

• 625 students• 340 families• 24 countries represented by parents• 32% of students receive tuition assistance• 90% of students accepted at first-choice high

school


based environment, and students are given the opportunity to grow both as Jews and as citizens of the world. This warm and caring community is part of the greater synagogue community of Sinai Temple. Its exceptional academic program distinguishes Sinai Akiba from other Jewish day schools in Los Angeles.

academicS

The foundation of the school’s academic program is built in the Douglas Family Early Childhood Center, which for five decades has offered a warm, ruach-filled environment that nurtures the youngest Jewish hearts and minds. The ECC was moved to the oversight of Sinai Akiba Academy from the Temple last year and is constantly evolving to offer the most ambitious, child-friendly, spirit-rich, joyful Jewish environment in which to foster curiosity and grow happy kids. At this level, children receive a gentle introduction to lessons that take a lifetime to learn. Dedicated teachers encourage and cultivate each child’s emerging personality, natural curiosity, and unique potential. Children learn to understand the world through play, and their celebration of holiday events provide preschoolers with a sense of tradition and joyfulness that helps create a sense of the larger world around them, while community service projects teach them about helping others.

In the lower school, students engage deeply in learning and develop meaningful relationships with fellow students and teachers. Teachers take a workshop approach to teaching reading and writing, helping students become independent learners who make deep connections to new material and gain an emerging understanding of their surrounding world. Students develop critical thinking skills in Jewish text study and learn Hebrew beginning in kindergarten; the Judaic studies aspect of the curriculum provides a strong undercurrent that complements

the traditional academic program. The curriculum fosters computational literacy and a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, reasoning, and observational/interpretive skills. Through focused and ongoing projects with local, national, and international organizations, students focus on helping to repair the world and to be a help to others. The school day begins with Morning Meeting, during which classroom communities come to life through teacher-guided,


student-directed exercises. Children experience a daily sense of meaning and belonging in their classrooms, which extend beyond the walls of the school. Sinai Akiba students connect with working artists, scientists, and politicians at the school and on frequent field trips to local campsites, and Sacramento.

In middle school, faculty embrace the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in this stage of life. Students are embraced and celebrated for their individual gifts, and teachers provide an environment that helps them transition from childhood to adolescence while preparing for the challenges of high school. In middle school, students learn to set priorities, develop decision-making skills, and build the habits of mind that lead to lifelong learning. The academic program is rigorous, relevant, and engaging, with a curriculum that features exciting electives in addition to a solid foundation in all academic areas. Through its J-STEAM program, the school focuses on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) practices for even the youngest of learners through a distinctly Jewish lens. Through a J-STEAM elective rotation, sixth grade students are exposed to different forms of creativity and design, including visual art, music, technology, and robotics. In seventh grade, students take a public speaking course to prepare for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs as well as filmmaking, VEX IQ robotics, and Mathcounts. The school’s Jewish studies curriculum continues in the middle school, where students have immersive instruction in Hebrew, daily t’fillot, holiday rituals, critical analysis of Torah, and Jewish history. In eighth grade, students embark on a transformative two-week trip to Israel.

Student Life Life at Sinai Akiba is rich and vibrant. Holidays are celebrated school-wide, and faculty and students alike are constantly applying the principles they learn in temple and in their Judaic studies courses to their lives. Tikkun Olam, or social action and the repair of the world, is a foundational element of the school’s culture. Through acts of loving kindness and charitable giving, students from preschool through eighth grade take on a lifelong responsibility to local and global communities. In the lower school, students engage in service learning that allows them to learn and apply academic, social, and personal


skills to help improve the community and its individual members. In middle school, each student is responsible for community service and school service hours during the year.

Outside the classroom, Sinai Akiba offers students myriad opportunities to explore their individual interests. The physical education program stresses the importance of sportsmanship and fair play. Though competitive effort is encouraged, respect, adherence to rules, and the basic joy of play and participation are emphasized. Beginning in fifth grade, students can join in intramural basketball, soccer, volleyball, and flag football teams, putting into practice the rules of sportsmanship they have learned in P.E.

Each student at Sinai Akiba learns to play an instrument, and more than 70 students participate in the school’s orchestra. The orchestra features wind, string, and percussion instruments and embodies the inner connection that exists between music and spirit.

In addition to athletic and musical pursuits, students can join student council or participate in the CHOICES (Challenging, Hip, Original, Innovative, Creative, Educational, Satisfying) after school classes program. These classes may include karate, drama, music, cooking, arts and crafts, multimedia, and ceramics, providing an outlet for each and every interest.

PhySicaL camPuS

Sinai Akiba’s well-appointed campus features a ground floor ECC and kindergarten with two outdoor play yard, three child-friendly classrooms per grade level, art studios, an inovation lab, a music studio, a science lab, and a magnificent gymnasium. Both the classrooms and outdoor spaces were renovated in 2013. Recent renovation of the third and fourth floors of the original school building containing the middle school classrooms created the new Lainer Learning Center, which houses the library. The project has transformed two floors into a spectacular educational environment with the library at the center and classrooms and tutorial

rooms arranged around the perimeter. The library has expanded to properly house its premier collection of Judaic literature. The layout also allows for smaller work spaces for group and individual study as well as a classroom/study area used for lower school library lessons and for special presentations. All 20 classrooms


were designed to have a light, open atmosphere, featuring overhead clerestory windows and high ceilings. Interactive smartboards, digital projectors, and computer stations bring technology into the classroom and beyond the school’s state-of-the-art computer lab.

Athletic facilities include the recently rebuilt Rickles Gym, which includes a basketball court, expanded play areas, a retractable wall, and mobile seating. Glass doors along the north wall allow more natural light and open access to outdoor play space. The school also houses the two-story Weinberg Gym with a basketball court and viewing rafters, and an outdoor rooftop gym.

LoS angeLeS, caLiforniaLocated at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains at the western edge of Los Angeles, the community of Westwood lies between Beverly Hills to the East and Santa Monica to the West. Sinai Akiba is on Wilshire Boulevard, a primary east-west thoroughfare connecting downtown Los Angeles with Santa Monica. The vibrant area is a mixture of residential neighborhoods, towering business complexes, and apartment buildings. Westwood boasts excellent international restaurants, renowned theaters and the small shopping district of Westwood Village, dating back to the 1920s. The UCLA campus, several blocks west of the campus, brings all of the events and opportunities of a major university.

Diverse, vibrant, and expansive, Los Angeles is an attractive destination for tourists each year. The city offers robust opportunities in business, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research, and has been ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index. Los Angeles is world-renowned for its television, movie and music industries and is home to some of the most famous cultural icons in the country. Known as the “Creative Capital of the World,” LA is well-defined by its performing arts culture. The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs in the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Hall, one of the finest concert halls in the country.

Dry and sunny, LA is warm year-round; outdoor enthusiasts enjoy easy access to the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu and abundant recreational opportunities in the Pacific Ocean and in the surrounding mountains and desert. Sports lovers cheer on several major athletic teams, including the Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Lakers, Galaxy, Kings, Ducks, and soon, the LA Rams.

Cultural attractions dot the city, including more than 800 museums and art galleries. The Getty Museum & Villa and the LA County Museum of Art together house one of the finest art collections in the world.


Education is a top priority for residents, and the city features numerous public and private universities, including the University of Southern California (USC), UCLA, the American Film Institute (AFI), Occidental College, and California State University, among many others.

chaLLengeS and oPPortunitieSThe creation of a senior administrative position at Sinai Akiba to oversee all initiatives related to fundraising, constituent relations, marketing and communications, and admissions and enrollment management comes at a time when the school is seeking to state its case to all stakeholders in a comprehensive, articulate, and strategic fashion. The new Director of Advancement (DOA) at Sinai Akiba will be tasked with taking the school to an altogether higher level of engagement with students, current and past parents, prospective families, faculty and staff, alumni, grandparents, and surrounding communities. Most importantly, the position is being established with the unbridled support of the Board of Trustees, the Head of School, and senior administrators who believe the school has yet to maximize its appeal to prospective families and to make a compelling case to its current stakeholders for their voluntary support.

The new DOA will build upon a strong foundation. In 2014-15, SAA raised a record $1.7 million. The Annual Giving Fund raised $365,482 and enjoyed 92% participation from parents; the annual event and auction netted $286,376; and the balance came in the form of endowment contributions and restricted gifts. Sinai Akiba’s endowment is now approximately $12 million, with a stated ambition to grow the endowment to $40 million in the very near future. SAA also enjoys strong support and hard work from its volunteers.

This new position is an opportunity for a creative, strategic leader to make his or her mark at an educational institution that is primed for strategic direction and determined to vault itself to the “next level” in all realms. The pieces for success – a strong, energetic Head of School, a committed and talented Board, and the conviction for change that is borne out of financial strength – make this an attractive opportunity for the right individual who can “connect all the dots,” provide clarity to the school’s mission, and project a calm and confident aura.

key reSPonSibiLitieS of the director of advancementThe next Director of Advancement will assume the following key responsibilities:

• Oversee all development, constituent relations, admissions, communications, and marketing activities at the school.

• Audit efficiencies of current admissions, development, communications and marketing policies, procedures, and activities.

• Provide strategic direction for all external relations programs; serve as a “thought partner” and sounding board to the Head of School.

• Serve as an active member of the Administrative Leadership Team. • Integrate all external activities at the school into a coordinated initiative. • Lead the development of the institution’s core messages, including their delivery. • Furnish support and direction to the Head of School, Board members, and volunteers for all outreach

activities, especially in the cultivation and solicitation of major gifts, including support for the endowment, planned gifts, and future capital campaign initiatives.

to aPPLyInterested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email to Gary Dicovitsky and John Clark of Carney, Sandoe & Associates:

• Cover letter addressed to the Search Consultants expressing interest that details reasons for perceived fit; • Current résumé with Education, Experience, and Related Professional Experience including dates;• List of five references with names, phone numbers, and email addresses for each -- references will be

contacted only with the candidate’s permission.

Gary Dicovitsky | John [email protected] | [email protected]

Senior Search Consultantscarney, Sandoe & aSSociateS

44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02138www.carneysandoe.com

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com7

• Sustain and enhance Annual Fund participation and amounts, as well as efforts in prospect research, stewardship, and planned giving.

• Meaningfully engage alumni with today’s school; strengthen and renew relationships with past parents. • Manage future capital campaigns. • Form deep working relationships with the CFO, Director of Admissions, Director of Development, and

marketing and communications staff.• Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School.

QuaLificationS and QuaLitieS• Strong Sense of Jewish identity.• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) with at least seven years of increased and varied experience in

development, admissions, marketing, or communications (including experience at for-profit companies). • Familiarity with independent schools preferred. • Experience and comfort working with governance Boards and standing committees.• Demonstrated leadership.• Ability to manage people and programs, working effectively as a member of a team.• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make effective presentations

to groups of people.• Big-picture thinker and strategist. • Excellent organizational skills; able to set priorities and achieve goals. • Enthusiastic, energetic, creative “can-do” personal style. • Collaborative and collegial manner.

Documents

Sinai Akiba Academy Director of Advancement