Dear Davis Academy Families,

This fall issue of The Journey magazine celebrates how we are continuing to move forward, as a Davis kehillah (community), with both optimism and strength. Onward Davis Academy!

The collective commitment of our faculty, students and families, who along with medical experts, professional advisors, administrators, staff, Board members and graduates make up this incredible community, enables us to continue to embrace this historic time not only as a challenge but most importantly as an opportunity to evolve, grow, and thrive. Together we carry on through the pandemic, leaning into our timeless values as the foundation upon which we face the great challenge of our time, while ensuring hope for and confidence in our children and their future.

Throughout most of the summer it appeared that we would begin this year without needing to implement extensive COVID-19 protocols. However unfortunately the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant, along with the absence of vaccine eligibility for children under 12, required that we begin the year being more mindful than originally anticipated. And yet even with many important mitigation strategies in place, we have recalibrated our approach from last year to include many aspects of a “typical” school year, balancing the academic, physical and social-emotional needs of our children, and ensuring a fantastic learning experience infused with great Davis ruach (spirit).

The Journey highlights just some of the many amazing experiences happening all around our two campuses. Each day there are students coding in our Innovation and Design Studio and praying in our chapel, running laps on the indoor track and performing improv on our stage. They are learning Spanish and Hebrew and collecting leaves in our Nature Sanctuary; playing drums, analyzing parts of speech, singing Hatikvah, glazing pottery and factoring trinomials, even while thinking about the next MAAC league volleyball game! Not even a pandemic can stand in the way of our enthusiastic, curious and optimistic children! And so, we embrace them, and their future, as our mandate to evolve and thrive.

We haven’t compromised on learning, laughing, praying, dancing, playing, collaborating, and growing together and there is no doubt that we have what it takes to carry onward and upward with strength and commitment and plenty of Davis L.O.V.E! We hope you can feel the L.O.V.E in the pages ahead as we truly Live Our Values Every day.

Amy Shafron Lisa Freedman Head of School President, Board of Trustees

2021–2022

President

Lisa Freedman

Vice Presidents

Mark Edelstein

Micah Goldstein

Brian Mand

Secretary Lisa Haynor

Treasurer Kevin Levingston

Immediate Past President

Evan Toporek