Inspiring Bnei & Bnot Torah to thrive in the modern world.
REFLECTIONS FROM 2016-17
If last year was the year of newness, transition, and potential, this year was the year of actualization – as our new building in Skokie truly became home for students and staff alike.
It was a full year of learning where students and faculty maximized the potential of our new space, with learning happening all day long in classrooms, the commons area and throughout the hallways. Teachers, who once had no meeting space or personal desks, this year experienced an academic year where colleagues sat next to one another in teacher workrooms. Collaboration became as simple as a swivel of a chair in their shared offices.
As always, this year included tremendous growth for our students on individual levels and our school on a communal level. This report highlights many of the most noteworthy accomplishments over this past school year, including students’ accomplishments that rival or exceed those of any top-tier college-preparatory school in the nation:
5% of seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program
33% of seniors were Illinois State Scholars
55% of seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society, Torah Chapter
21% of seniors devoted over 250 hours of chesed to be inducted into the Deborah Katzin z”l Chesed Society
80% of seniors are spending a gap year in Israel
Top 8 Out of nearly 400 schools, Charlotte’s Web, ICJA’s Literary Magazine was recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English as one of the top high school literary magazines
14 juniors were either finalists or semifinalists in the state-wide writing contest, Letters About Literature, sponsored by The Library of Congress Center for the Book
Our seniors were accomplished in Torah learning, derech eretz, in acts of chesed and academics. We wish our graduates mazal and hatzlacha as they head to Israel and to university.
This year, as every year, our students left their mark locally and nationally in academics, athletics, advocacy and student clubs. Faced with a year of reports of terror in Israel, our students responded in the only way they know how–with love, chesed, tzedakah, tefillah and learning.
In addition, students learned crucial Israel advocacy and leadership skills both in and out of the classroom, joining national programs like AIPAC and Yeshiva University National Model UN program. Teachers incorporated more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) into the classroom experience, and four courses were devoted to STEM.
In their quest to give back to the community, our students dedicated countless hours to chesed by raising tzedakah, working with Keshet peer buddies during school hours, peer tutoring and even tutoring at the nearby elementary school.
In athletics, our teams excelled locally and nationally as formidable competitors. Most importantly, whether in a local or national interscholastic program, our students were recognized for their talent, character and commitment to the community.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
This past November, my classmates and I celebrated our 40th ICJA Reunion at a Shabbaton in Israel, only to be followed by another reunion a few months later in Chicago. Both were wonderful events, opportunities to reconnect with people and reflect on the amazing impact the four years we spent together in the Academy had on our lives. After teaching at the Academy for 36 years, it’s an impact that I sometimes take for granted. And yet, at those events I was able to see the Academy from a new perspective and appreciate all over again how our school has shaped the lives of thousands of young men and women who have passed through its doors.
Seventy-five years ago a group of men and women had a dream, to create a new kind of Jewish educational institution that would combine the finest Jewish education with the finest general education. Under the auspices of both the Associated Talmud Torahs and the Hebrew Theological College, they created what was then called the Chicago Jewish Academy and what, since 1968, we have called Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
But most importantly, they created a place where students have thrived socially, academically and religiously. With your support, we continue that tradition and work to find new ways to engage our students intellectually, emotionally and communally. Whether through partnerships with youth groups such as NCSY, Bnei Akiva or CTeen, our work with Northwestern University’s Office of STEM Education, or our award-winning advocacy work via AIPAC – Ida Crown Jewish Academy continues to lead the way toward preparing students for lives of commitment and engagement.
Please take a few moments to read our accomplishments of the past year, and then commit to helping us make a difference in the lives of some of the best and brightest young men and women in America. No doubt, in 40 years from now, your efforts and the talents of our educational staff may be the subject of fond memories of alumni as they look back and appreciate all the Academy has done for them!
With G-d’s help, may we together, inspire bnei and bnot Torah to thrive in the modern world!
B’vracha,
Rabbi Dr. Leonard A. Matanky
EPIC OPEN HOUSE FOR A LEGENDARY GAME
When the Cubs were set to make history on the same night as Ida Crown Jewish Academy’s biggest recruitment event, rather than cancel the program, staff scrambled to put together an amazing World Series Open House.
Last year when ICJA staff planned the date for the launch of the recruitment season on November 2, 2016, no one would have guessed that the day would coincide with the Cubs’ World Series Game 7. Even just prior to the annual open house when the Cubs clinched the National League pennant, the admissions team hoped for a Championship win before game 7.
But, once the Cubs opened game 6 with a solo home run, followed by a two-run double, the ICJA staff huddled together to put “Plan B” into action. Emails went out to prospective parents and students the minute the Cubs won game 6, inviting everyone to watch the game from ICJA’s bleachers on one of the largest screens in town.
By the morning of the World Series game, the ICJA staff had no idea if they should order 25 hot dogs or 250. They decided to plan big and then were blown away by the over 200 people who joined what turned out to be an incredible World Series party. Prospective students were greeted at the door with a Cubs National League Championship hat, custom embroidered for the event. The mood was festive, as senior leaders served as vendors, passing out ball game food in the gym bleachers. For the pre-game show, the students and parents heard from the ICJA Dean
Rabbi Dr. Leonard Matanky, and then the group cheered for the Cubs from opening pitch and on. During every commercial, the volume was muted, and students and staff presented their own “commercials” marketing ICJA to the crowd.
CLASS OF 2017 SENIOR SALUTE
OUR SENIORS WERE ACCEPTED TO THE NATION'S FINEST UNIVERSITIES
80% OF OUR GRADUATING CLASS IS SPENDING A GAP YEAR IN ISRAEL
GIRLS’ ISRAEL PROGRAMS: Darchei Binah • Machon Maayan • Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalyim • Midreshet Amit • Midreshet Ein HaNatziv • Midreshet Harova • Midreshet Lindenbaum • Midreshet Moriah • Midreshet Torah V’Avodah • Midreshet Torat Chesed • Tiferet
BOYS’ ISRAEL PROGRAMS: Gesher Aish HaTorah • Mechinat Keshet Yehuda • Orayta • Or Sameach • Torat Shraga • Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi • Yeshivat HaKotel • Yeshivat Har Etzion • Yeshivat Lev HaTorah • Yeshivat Shaarei Mevaseret Tzion
GENERAL ISRAEL PROGRAMS: Bar Ilan Israel Experience • IDF
32 seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society, Torah Chapter. The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership and character.
ANOTHER YEAR OF STRONG AP RESULTS
Academy students took 149 Advanced Placement tests in 12 different subjects this past spring. Their results were on par with the top high schools in the nation. A score of 3 is passing and is the average score in all tests. Our students most commonly scored above a 3.
22 students were named AP Scholars, with a 4.28 average score.
A 1:1 TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL
Technology and specifically, iPads, have become so ubiquitous in the ICJA classroom that it’s hard to imagine the school day without them. Since 2015 when ICJA became a 1:1 school, where every student receives a tablet beginning in ninth grade, students and teachers have adapted academically in ways big and small.
On any given day this past year, students and teachers use technology for:
- Assignments
- Assessments
- Text books
- Communication between students and staff
- Video creation
- Computer programming and more
Next year, 2017-18, will be the first year that all four high school grades will have a device, thanks to Natalie Schleifer, president and director of the Jack P. Schleifer Foundation, who has underwritten the iPads. The Foundation was set up by Natalie’s father, who was committed to Jewish education and Religious Zionism.
Technology in the classroom, from iPads to SmartBoards, can be a tool or just a digital substitute for teaching in the same traditional way. At ICJA, the goal is for technology to enhance the curriculum and classroom experience—keeping students more engaged, providing them with the 21st Century STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) they need for the future and meeting them in the native space where this generation of students is most comfortable. To achieve that goal requires constant learning, evaluating and adjusting.
This past school year, early technology adopters from every department met weekly to assess our technology goals and create a vision of where we are headed in technology and STEM. These groups are headed by chairs Mrs. Olivia Friedman and Rabbi Binyomin Segal. Members have focuses on three goals:
- Digital Citizenship: Developing robust curriculum training for staff to support International Society for Technology in Education student standards and digital age learning. These skills are embedded in the classroom throughout the four-year curriculum.
- Embedded Technology Skills: Identify which skills—everything from how to use Google Drive on an iPad to how to make a movie—should be taught within the regular ICJA curriculum and then determine which courses and instructors should cover them.
- New STEM Courses: Develop one additional STEM class
Members of this group attend ISTE conferences, reach out to other Jewish schools around the country and visit local schools using technology well—including Lane Tech, with one of the best MakerLabs in Chicago.
Teaching technology and STEM skills is a challenge because it is so fluid, says Olivia Friedman. “Research shows we want students with more flexibility of thought and creativity and yet, we still need to make sure students are meeting all the standard college requirements.”
As we rise to the challenge of meeting our students’ needs in the dynamic digital age, we are grateful to have the support of our board and donors like the Natalie Schleifer and Jack P. Schleifer Foundation’s philanthropy to ensure our school is a model of teaching STEM both among Jewish day schools and college preparatory high schools.
STEM COURSES AT ICJA
Now in our third year of offering courses exclusively devoted to teaching 21st Century STEM skills, we continue to plan additional courses to meet our students’ interests and needs. Courses are under the auspices of Dr. Rochelle Green, director of 21st Century teaching and learning.
Following are the courses offered in the 2016-17 year:
• Computational Thinking: a senior elective course where students learn computer coding and programming in Python. Python is among the most popular languages for teaching introductory computer science courses at top-ranked U.S. universities.
• Electronics & Communication
• STEM Research & Design
• AP Computer Science
Next year our digital committee is creating the first ICJA MakerSpace lab, which will include opportunities for students to use digital creativity to teach skills, including: 3D printing, digital artwork and design. We are also offering our first STEM course for freshmen with a strong engineering focus.
Fine Arts at the Academy
The arts program at ICJA has grown and thrived since moving into our Skokie building. Both the art and music rooms’ central location in the building (as opposed to the basement!) means that art and music students spend free periods perfecting art projects or practicing instruments. During any given period throughout the afternoon, students and staff can hear piano or guitar in the lunchroom or nearby.
The school band, led by professional musicians, performed numerous times this year, including at the scholarship dinner and the pep rally.
Math science mosaic mural project
ICJA geometry and art students completed an incredible mosaic first semester that is now displayed permanently in the math and science commons area. The project is the first of its kind for our school, reflecting our educational push to work more collaboratively between subjects and incorporate project based learning (PBL) into the curriculum. Sophomores in Mrs. Pederson’s, Mr. Keller’s and Ms. Kelly’s classes worked collaboratively throughout the first semester with Chicago mosaic artist Chris Zonta to create the school’s first work of art to be hung at the new campus.
ICJA parents of alumni, Barbara Geller, Debbi Geller and Phyllis Muller, were so excited about the project that they actively participated with the students throughout the semester. Often, they stayed with Chris Zonta to work the whole afternoon at ICJA on Tuesdays. ICJA faculty were excited to take the opportunity to glue a piece of tile in the mural as well.
Prestigious AIPAC Award
On March 26 at the opening of the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., AIPAC recognized one high school – ICJA – for its students’ and advisor’s dedication to Israel advocacy. We are so proud to have been selected as AIPAC’s high school of the year, chosen out of all high schools across the U.S.
Congrats to all our student Israel advocates, our alumni–who in their day helped make our Israel advocacy program so strong–and to Ms. Susan Sennett, who has led dozens of students to AIPAC conferences for many years. We are so proud!
Eight of our students attended the policy conference with Ms. Sennett and Rabbi Matanky as part of our school’s official delegation. Other students attended the conference with their families as well. We are especially grateful to the Gorenstein family, who support our Israel advocacy efforts in memory of their father and grandfather, Sam Gorenstein, a”h. Teaching our students to be passionate and educated Israel advocates is fundamental to our mission.
ICJA Honors Holocaust Victims with Terezin Tree
WE SURPASSED OUR GOAL!
The development team and lay leadership set out to achieve an unprecedented campaign goal in the same year as our capital campaign dedication. Thanks to a dedicated group effort, we are thrilled to have surpassed that goal, just prior to the annual campaign close on June 30. In total, the Academy family raised $1,187,356 for the ICJA Scholarship Fund – the second time the campaign has ever topped $1 million.
Scholarship Funds assist more than 66 percent of our student body, ensuring the continuation of our founders’ mission that no Jewish child should be denied a Jewish education. As we work tirelessly to prepare our students to thrive in the modern world, both as Jews and as contributing members of society, we are so grateful to the many donors who enable us to accomplish that mission.
The highlight of our fundraising efforts was, of course, our annual dinner in March, where nearly 400 Academy supporters joined us to pay tribute to our esteemed honorees.
We depend on the participation and support of parents, alumni and friends in our effort to provide the best possible opportunities for our students. We thank all those contributors who helped us reach our annual campaign goal.
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS
Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund
Thank you to the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the generous donors to the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund. Gifts to the Trust Fund are considered commitments to the Federation’s Centennial Campaign and are over and above the donors’ annual gifts to the Jewish United Fund and to the individual day schools they may support. For more details on the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund program, contact the Jewish Federation’s Legacies and Endowments Department at 312.357.4853 or email Deborah Silverman at deborahsilverman@juf.org.
HEEREY SCHOLARSHIPS
Middle class families with multiple children in day school in some ways feel the “financial squeeze” of day school tuition more than any other group. These families often do not qualify for tuition scholarships yet struggle to meet their financial obligation. The Bernard Heerey Family Foundation Scholarship was established to meet the needs of these middle income families. Scholarships can finance as much as full tuition for families who meet these requirements.
The Heerey Foundation helped 42 students attend the Academy. We gratefully acknowledge the Heerey Family for their generosity and their commitment to day school education.
Financial Summary
Grandparents Giving Circle
There is no doubt that the lessons our grandparents teach their children and grandchildren form the foundation of their lives as Jewish teenagers. It is thanks to their dedication to their families that our students are able to thrive as committed Jewish young adults. We pay tribute to our grandparents annually at our Grandparents Day, when we invite them to join us at the Academy for one morning that includes a student and staff presentation, a panel discussion, a tour and refreshments. We are so grateful to the grandparents who joined us for this year’s event and are especially grateful to those who contributed to our Grandparents Giving Circle by making a gift to our annual campaign.