2013

Annual Report

Our commitment
At Yeshivat HeAtid we are committed to academic excellence in Judaic and secular studies. We are committed to serving as a premier model for innovative and economically sustainable 21st century Jewish education. We are committed to fostering meaningful relationships between teachers and students. We are committed to using cutting edge technology to differentiate and support a variety of learning styles and learning levels. We are committed to fostering condent, mindful, active learners and analytical thinkers. We are committed to instilling a true passion for Torah and mitzvot, a deep connection to Klal Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael, and a dedication to chessed and derech eretz. At Yeshivat HeAtid we are committed to the success and happiness of every child.  Our goal is to provide a personalized learning experience for each and every child
Rabbi Netanel Gralla, head of school

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 The minute you walk into school, kids and parents are surrounded by happiness and excitement. The teachers love their jobs and the kids can feel that.
Lev & Maria Rozentul, Yeshivat HeAtid parents

Dear Friends, This rst Annual Report reects the eorts of everyone here at Yeshivat HeAtid who has contributed to the school since its inception to help make our inaugural year such a success. First and foremost, we would like to thank our incredible faculty, sta, board members, and volunteers at Yeshivat HeAtid for all of their hard work in making this vision a reality. We also want to express our sincerest gratitude to the national organizations and the 85 individuals and families who were eager and willing to contribute nancially to get this school up and running. Finally, we would like to recognize our passionate and caring parent body, who entrusted us with their 116 children in our historic rst year. The Board of Directors and our sta are committed to transparency. Thus, this report will show how dollars are allocated, as well as expected trends in our nances as we move toward self-sustainability. This year we proved that a high quality, aordable yeshiva education can be a reality. We are extremely proud of the standard we have set for communities across the United States. But this is only the beginning, and we welcome your open and honest feedback as we continue to grow and improve. Kol Tuv,

Rabbi Netanel Gralla Head of School

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 The staff at HeAtid couldnt be a more positive group of people. They are gentle, structured, energetic and caring with all the children. We look forward to many more years with HeAtid.
Rizi Harris, rst grade parent

Our unique community

Our faculty of rst-rate educators make up a handselected group of experienced teaching professionals who are committed to developing every childs learning potential and fostering a life-long love of learning. Our models focus on small group instruction blended with technology allows children to foster meaningful relationships with their teachers and subjects. The result is Yeshivat HeAtids team of well-trained professionals working to provide a happy, safe and nurturing environment, cultivating self-esteem, independence, and essential 21st century skills.

Our parents play an integral role in our community.

Our teachers and sta are passionate about forming a strong, open partnership with parents to ensure the best possible experience for each child. Teachers provide open and continuous communication with families and are receptive to the unique needs of each family.

Our students play an active and integral role in the

learning process through engaging modes of study and varied learning experiences including: 4interactive project-based learning 4inquiry-based collaborative work 4independent research These dierent learning experiences allow each student opportunities to contribute to their learning community and to become active participants in the learning process.

Our school community is a supportive and inclusive learning environment that allows students, teachers, and parents to grow together and thrive. Our personalized education model and warm environment ensure that students feel comfortable among their teachers and classmates. This supportive atmosphere encourages students to feel condent contributing to the class both socially and academically, regardless of their individual strengths and abilities.

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 I am incredibly impressed at how thoughtfully Yeshivat HeAtid is approaching blended and personalized learning. They are one of the best examples Ive seen of a school that brings together its core values with modern technology to further their mission and service their community.
Chris Liang-Vergara, Director of Instructional Technology for Personalized Learning, FirstLine Schools

Students retain of what they hear and of what they experience. In the Yeshivat HeAtid model, students are active producers of knowledge as opposed to passive consumers of knowledge.

20%

80%

IN CLASS LEARNING LAB PRoJECT-BASED LEARNING

optional small group work practice, enrichment, and remediation

CoMMUNITY SpACE class instruction, discussions and activities TEACHER lED INSTRUCTIoN
small group instruction

INSTRUCTIoNAl AIDE LED INSTRUCTIoN

small group instruction

INDEpENDENT LEARNING
independent study, reading, kinesthetic learning

student

classroom teacher

asstistant teacher

Our instructional model includes a proven

educational approach that personalizes the learning experience for each child by blending traditional instruction with the best that interactive technology has to oer. By complementing individual and small-group instruction with modern approaches to learning, teachers can customize lesson plans to each individual student. This approach:

Our classroom incorporates a variety of learning

environments that enable students to ow seamlessly from whole group, small group, and individual instruction, to small group project-based learning, to independent study and practice. During classroom rotations, students alternate between working in small clusters on group projects, engaging in computer-based learning in the Learning Lab, and working independently or with the guidance of a teacher in learning spaces. There is one Lead Teacher Station, where small groups of students can gather to reinforce skills or concepts. This model has proven successful in schools such as Rocketship and KIPP Empower. We spend time at the beginning of each year teaching our students how to problem solve, brainstorm, and work independently and collaboratively so they become accustomed to the model and in-class rotations. Throughout the year, our students grow in these skills, thus strengthening their 21st century skill set each year at Yeshivat HeAtid.
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Our customized instruction

Our curriculum is aligned with the National Common
Core State Standards for 21st century readiness. With a focus on TEAMS subjects (Technology, English, Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies), students gain essential skills needed to succeed such as critical-thinking, problem-solving, communications, and collaboration. Each student is encouraged to produce highquality work and strive for success. We provide our teachers with intensive professional development, curricular advisement, and the latest technology to implement the curriculum most eectively.
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4 Enhances a students experience in the classroom. 4 Enables teachers to monitor students progress in real-time and hone in on areas of diculty in small, rotating groups. 4 Allows for a more ecient utilization of class time, with a better student-teacher ratio, regardless of class size. 4 Enables students to learn at their own pace with lessons customized to their unique learning styles, strengths, and academic needs. 4 Allows teachers to work in small rotational groups, giving teachers more direct instructional time with their students. 4 Fosters meaningful relationships between teachers and their students

 We read the detailed emails about the class and what is accomplished every week. We so appreciate the time the teachers spend to keep us in the loop and the individual attention they give to our daughter.
Yocheved Wiesel, kindergarten parent

Average Breakdown of Rotation Model*

digital learning lab

20%

50%
Our innovative approach
Our digital tools engage students, allow teachers to
create powerful and eective lessons, and also oer parents accessibility to the classroom like never before. The i-Ready program weve adopted is a proven and exemplary digital content and assessment provider that is mapped to the Common Core State Standards and is used by nearly 1 million students nationwide. whole group instruction, collaborative learning & special activities

30%

individual & small group instruction

Our blended learning model allows me to know my students social and academic personalities in detail
 Mrs. Amanda Pransky rst grade general studies teacher

Beginning in Pre-K, teachers use the i-Ready curriculum to create fun and engaging animated lessons for language arts, science, social studies, and math skills. This curriculum spirals with each grade to support continued mastery in literacy and math, as well as Hebrew language skills. Simultaneously, the i-Ready program allows teachers to monitor students progress and understanding every day and assess students knowledge and skills to further dierentiate direct instruction. With the i-Ready program, we can also allow parents to log in from their own computer or smartphone, to see which activities and topics students are working on in school in order to facilitate the ability to provide additional support at home, if necessary.

Our differentiated blended learning model

gives teachers a collection of progress-monitoring and informal assessment data for each individual student that enables teachers to dierentiate, adapt, and tailor their instruction to target students needs. The result is that when our students learn a lesson, they learn it in a way that accommodates their individual learning style and level, and they are working harder and pushing themselves to further their personal success every day.

* Rotations constitute approximately 50% of in-class instructional time

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 My child is really beneting from having Hebrew spoken in the classroom and it is becoming natural for her to hear Hebrew conversation. I love that!
Elissa Siev, pre-k parent

Our passion for Torah

Yahadut and Medinat Yisrael
One of the primary goals of Yeshivat HeAtid is to encourage our students to feel a connection to and love for their Yahadut and Eretz Yisrael. We instill within our students a true passion for Torah and mitzvot, a deep connection to Klal Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael, a dedication to chessed and derech eretz and a sense of responsibility to the welfare of the people and institutions of the State of Israel. At Yeshivat HeAtid our dedication to active student engagement and development of 21st century skills is as critical to our Judaic Studies program as it is to our General Studies program. Through project based learning, our students have the opportunity to learn about parshat hashavuah, chagim, tellah, chumash (starting in 2nd grade), and Jewish traditions in an exciting and interactive way. By playing an active role in the Judaic learning process, each child feels a strong passion for their learning which translates into a deep and prideful connection to Torah, mizvot, chessed and derech eretz.

Our co-curricular activities

Yeshivat HeAtid provides a variety of programs that allow our students to learn and explore beyond the primary classroom. Regularly scheduled weekly specials include: Physical Education (twice weekly) students engage in fun physical activity and movement exercises, rene motor skills, and learn the importance of tness, sportsmanship, teamwork and self-discipline. Music (once weekly) students delve into the many fundamental areas of music, such as: melody, use of instruments, harmonies, tone, rhythm, recognizing sounds and group/individual singing. Fine Arts (once weekly) students are free to explore creativity, ingenuity, and inspiration while being exposed to the masters of art and the many dierent movements, mediums and styles they have created throughout history. We have in-school programs that are featured throughout the year as well as after-school clubs including karate, ballet, and science.

Ivrit bIvrit Learning

Our Hebrew immersion program ensures that there is a Hebrew-speaking teacher in each class with grammatical and written uency in Hebrew. Beginning in Grade 1, the Tal Am curriculum is utilized to teach students the fundamentals of letter and sound recognition in Hebrew. Having Hebrew-speaking teachers in the classroom as students advance fosters a growth and understanding of the Hebrew language in an organic way. Our Ivrit learning method will enable students to graduate with the ability to read, write, and speak Hebrew with uency.

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Financial Summary 2012 2013

Actual and Projected Enrollment through 2017 300

200

Tuition Revenue: Donations: Other Income:

$ 995,000 $ 354,000 $ 16,000 $ 1,365,000

100

0 20122013 20132014 20142015 20152016 20162017

Total Income:

Enrollment and Class Size

Yeshivat HeAtid had 116 students enrolled in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade during the 2012-13 school year. There were six classes total with an average of 19.3 students per class. Each class had two teachers allowing for a better than 10:1 student-toteacher ratio in the classroom. Over 160students are enrolled in Pre-K through 2nd Grade for the 2013-14 school year. Yeshivat HeAtid will continue to add one grade per year and looks forward to graduating its rst 8th grade class in 2020.

Revenues
As with the majority of Jewish day schools, Yeshivat HeAtids primary source of revenue is tuition. Tuition revenue including nancial aid (gross tuition) in 2012-13 was $995,000, an average of $8,600 per student. Tuition was not raised for the 2013-14 academic year and remained at $7,990 for Pre-K and $8,990 for all other students. For the 2014-15 school year, tuition will be raised in line with ination. In addition to tuition, Yeshivat HeAtid was fortunate to receive generous nancial support from organizations and individuals that accounted for the remaining operating budget. Contributions from national organizations totaling approximately $270,000 were made by The AVI CHAI Foundation, Aordable Jewish Education Project (AJE), and the Orthodox Union (OU). HeAtid also received modest funding as part of its participation in JEFGs NNJKIDS program with all other Bergen County elementary schools. An additional $79,000 was received from individual donors, which does not include donations directed to nancial aid. Donations totaled $386,000 amounting to $3,300 per student. These funds and contributions account for all donations for this past academic year, with no additional facility or capital commitments.

Financial Aid
Yeshivat HeAtid is committed to providing need-based nancial aid to all families who cannot aord to pay full tuition. Total nancial aid needs for the 2012-13 school year based on community-wide nancial aid standards totaled $19,000. Financial aid as a percentage of tuition revenue (2%) was signicantly lower than in other schools, primarily because of the already reduced tuition levels at HeAtid. As promised, all of Yeshivat HeAtids scholarship needs were covered outside the operating budget using private fundraising dollars, and our goal is to continue to fund nancial aid separately from the schools operating budget going forward.

Start-Up Costs
Start-up costs represent one-time costs that were incurred by Yeshivat HeAtid in order to take the school from concept to reality. These costs include: blended learning consulting fees (The Alvo Institute), pre-opening rent and renovation costs, pre-opening salaries & benets for administrators, and legal fees. These costs totaled approximately $600,000 and were not included in rst-year operating costs. All of the start-up costs were paid for using donations from national organizations such as Aordable Jewish Education Project and The AVI CHAI Foundation as well as from over 85 private donors. We are deeply indebted to all those in our community who contributed and are thrilled with the number of people, those from both inside and outside the HeAtid family, who helped make this idea a reality.

Financial Aid: Donations to Financial Aid:

$19,000 $19,000

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Salaries & Benets

Facilities Costs

Cost Summary

Classroom Teachers

Rent

59%

77%
Administration Security

Salaries & Benets Facilities

70%

36%

2% 4%

17%
Utilities

Repairs & Maintenance

9%

Specialty Teachers

3%

Substitute Teachers

3%

Janitorial Services

8%

Education & Misc.

13%
Cost Per Student

Professional Compensation
The teachers and administration of Yeshivat HeAtid are the engine that powers the school. Their pride in their work and consistent excellence in providing personalized educational experiences to each of our children were what made Yeshivat HeAtids rst year a success. In order to properly and competitively compensate the faculty at Yeshivat HeAtid, we devote the largest portion of our resources to the teachers and administration of our school. For the 2012-13 school year, 70% of Yeshivat HeAtids costs were spent on salaries and benets. This number is expected to rise moving forward as additional teachers are hired for new classes, while xed costs such as administration and facilities remain relatively constant. Our administration consisted of 3 full-time employees, including a Head of School, Director of Business Operations, and Nurse/Secretary. No new administrators were hired for the 2013-14 school year. There were a total of 12 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers for our six classes in the 2012-13 school year (1 lead and 1 assistant per classroom). Four new full-time-equivalent teachers were hired to teach an additional two classes for the 2013-14 school year. Specialty teachers (compensated as part-time employees because of the size of the school) were responsible for Physical Education, Music, and Art. Yeshivat HeAtid is proud to provide a full range of activities for students in every grade and are excited to continue providing a well-rounded school experience moving forward.

Facilities & Education Costs

The total cost of facilities, including rent and all maintenance, was approximately $234,000, representing less than 17% of the total budget for the year. The percentage of spending dedicated to facilities costs is expected to decrease next year as enrollment and stang are increased and facilities expenses stay relatively constant. Expenses for education & miscellaneous costs totaled approximately 13% of the total budget for 2012-13. Included in this category are education costs such as computers, supplies, textbooks, as well as miscellaneous costs such as insurance and consulting.

Looking Forward
For the 2013-14 year we have increased from six classes to eight classes: one in 2nd Grade, two in 1st Grade, three in Kindergarten, and two in Pre-K. Our projected operating budget for 2013-14 is approximately $1.75 million, which represents a cost per student of less than $10,800. Average tuition increased to approximately $8,800 as a result of having a larger percentage of students paying higher tuition for Kindergarten and above. We therefore anticipate a perstudent gap of below $2,000, which is a 35% reduction from the 2012-13 school year. Over the next several years we will continue to work tirelessly to maintain an excellent quality of education and grow the school through increased enrollment while keeping our xed costs and cost per student as low as possible. We will also continue to be transparent with our nances in future reports. We are thrilled with the success of our rst year of operation and look forward to continuing to oer families in our community a high-quality, aordable Jewish education for many years to come.

Total spending per student during the 2012-13 school year was $11,900. With tuition averaging $8,600 per student, there was a gap of $3,300 per student that was made possible through fundraising. We anticipate cost per student and the gap being reduced for the 2013-14 school year, with the gap ultimately being eliminated over the next several years such that tuition reects the actual cost per student. It is important to note that despite being a relatively small school, our per-student cost is already among the lowest in Bergen County. Our cost per student is also at least 10% lower than the average cost per student in Bergen County Public Schools (source: NJ Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending).

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Operating Income & Expenses Yeshivat HeAtid, Inc.

12 Month Operating Income and Expenses for the School Year Ending June 30th, 2013 Accrual Basis of Accounting Operating Revenue: Tuition Obligations $995,186 Less: Financial Aid Scholarships Net Tuition Income Non-Refundable Deposits Amazon Commissions Total Other Income Annual Fundraising and Grants: Aordable Jewish Education Project, AviChai Foundation and OU General Contributions Total Annual Fundraising Total Annual Operating Revenues Operating Expenses: Salaries, Benets, and Payroll Taxes Other Expenses: Rent and Utilities $201,397 Education Materials, Supplies and Infrastructure $89,289 Consulting Fees $51,001 Building Maintenance and Security $32,451 Insurance $28,033 Promotional and Advertising $7,932 Admissions/Registration System (TADS) $7,281 Sta Professional Development $1,984 Total Other Expenses Total Annnual Operating Expenses Net Operating Revenue and Expenses $419,368 $1,388,161 $(22,709) $968,793 $270,000 $78,748 $354,093 $1,365,452 $(19,050) $995,186 $15,735 $438 $16,173 Add: Commitments to Fund Financial Aid $19,050

Balance Sheet as of June 30th, 2013 Accrual Basis of Accounting

Assets: Cash in Bank Prepaid Expenses Total Assets Liabilities: Accrued Expenses Payable $144,853 Deferred 2013/2014 Tuition Revenue $260,261 Payroll Tax Payable Total Liabilities Net Assets $18,007 $423,121 $57,638 $360,937 $8,537 $480,759 Tuition Receivable $20,235 Certicate of Deposit on Building Lease $91,050

 Josh is continually engaged throughout the day working in small groups. At the same time, he is enabled to progress at his own pace and move through the material as quickly or slowly as he needs to, with a goal of mastery before moving on to new material.
Kate Davis, rst grade parent

Our donors
Thank you to the following list of founding supporters, as well as the many others who chose to remain anonymous, for believing in and investing in Yeshivat HeAtid. Your passion and generosity are vital to the continuing success of our school and have truly made a dierence in the lives and triumphs of our students. We look forward to an enduring partnership with all of you as we continue to realize our collective dreams together. Ahavas Torah Discretionary AXA Advisors Freda & Yoni Bak Meira & Sander Bak Shoshana & Daniel Balsam Yael Bloom & Daniel Barenholtz Justin Charles Brasch Esther & Myron Chaitovsky Tamar & Avi-Gil Chaitovsky Chesed Avraham Sheila Dardik Naomi & Boris Davidson Rachel & Akiva Distenfeld Dr. Aviva & Gershon Distenfeld Lisa & Doni Farkovits Meryl & Eli Feldblum Andrea & Ian Fields Beatrice & Jack Fine Abby & David Flamholz Ellen & Alex Flamholz Talia & Yitzi Flynn Leah & Avi Greengart Lenny Grunstein Anna & Boris Gulko Chani & Daniel Hermann Tamar & Dr. David Hochstein Elisheva & Ariel Jasie Andrea & Steven Jutkowitz Tamar & Rony Kalina Micah Kaufman Michelle Kaufman & David Gulko Ruth & Jerry Kestenbaum Matthew Klein Ariella & Daniel Kramarz Yael & Jacob Kramer Adina & Aaron Lefkowitz Jessica & David Lefkowitz Lori & Kevin Lemmer Rebecca & Benjamin Lopkin Adam Loskove Gregory Manto Atara & Eric Mauskopf Naomi & Isaac Mezei Davida & Josh Menasha Sherrie & Joshua Miller Dina & Judah Miller Valerie & Seth Miller Rachel & Aaron Neufeld Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Ronit & Scott Orlanski OU Grant Daniela & Daniel Pomerantz Zach Prensky Michal & Jason Pruzansky Rachel & Judah Rabinowitz Shani & David Ratzker Sharon & Michael Rifkind Shuli & Ben Sandler Marcia & Bob Sandler Mrs. Gerson Schenker Devorah & Jonathan Schloss Lori & Eric Schwartz Susan & Ira S chwartz Michelle & Dov Schwartz Avril & Clive Shefts Gabrielle & Avi Silverberg Shira Silverberg & Joseph Wagh Rebecca & William Wiener Dina Pruzansky & Hillel Weingarten Lea & Yitz Weinreb Rachel & Aaron Wertentheil Ruth & David Wertentheil Shanna & David Wolf Shmuel Yahalom Day & Yonatan Yahalom Debbie & Dimitriy Yuster Sara & Sammy Zoldan
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NNJKids $5,345

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139 South Washington Ave Bergeneld NJ, 07621 Telephone: (201)374-2272 www. yeshivatheatid.org