Annual Report 2017

NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Message from President Sean Shore It is hard to believe that I am wrapping up my first term as President of the WBJE. I am looking forward to another two years supporting this amazing organization, our senior leadership, our teachers, and of course our children and families.

“Thank you for your ongoing support and for the trust you have placed in the WBJE and Gray Academy by allowing us to educate your children�

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It has been a busy year. We have continued to carefully review our operations to ensure that we are deploying the precious support that we receive from all of our stakeholders, including our parents, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba.

At the same time, we have engaged in a reflective process – looking into the proverbial crystal ball some might say – to evaluate not only what Jewish day school looks like now, but importantly, what it will look like in the future. We have embarked on a process to gain a better understanding of how we can ensure that the Jewish day school that we presently operate is fully sustainable and scalable in the future.

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math

In order to do this, we have sought collaboration and partnership with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba through a strategic review process.

Having observed other communities’ loss of their own Jewish day schools, we know the importance of the issue of affordability and sustainability and that it is a community issue at that.

That said, I am thrilled with our current enrollment and overall composition of our school community. We have recently graduated our largest graduating class—ever—and, we have also enjoyed a tripling of our Junior Kindergarten program. This went along with piloting of JK bursary assistance for the first time.

These are all amazing feats which have been accomplished under the careful stewardship of Lori Binder, our fearless Head of School and CEO. Along with looking into the sustainability issue, we are also exploring how we as a school can enhance and further support the lives of our families. Whether this is with early drop-off and late pick-up support or other value added holiday programming, we are finding that there is an appetite for this and I can assure you we are exploring every suggestion and opportunity that we are presented with.

Thank you all for your ongoing support and for the trust you have placed in the WBJE and Gray Academy by allowing us to educate your children.

Message from Lori Binder, Head of School and CEO The 2016-17 school year marked Gray Academy of Jewish Education’s 20th year. This is a time to celebrate the learning and growth of our students and school community. Looking back on 20 years reminds us of our commitment to continuous school improvement and the unique student experiences that set Gray Academy apart.

For the 2016-17 school year, computer class was replaced with STEAM. STEAM is an approach to learning that emphasizes the integration of various disciplines. It encourages students to use these different approaches to problem solve. The course is a collaborative and innovative way of teaching traditional subjects. The course utilizes different tools such as hammers and nails, as well as more advanced instruments such as robots and programming. These tools enable students to think creatively about solving a problem.

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

The class of 2017, with 47 students, was the largest graduating class in our school’s history. We are proud of each student’s accomplishments as they embark on the next stage of their educational journey in universities locally, across Canada and in Israel. While we said goodbye to the class of ’17, we welcomed our Junior Kindergarten students to a program that tripled in size. The Gray Academy journey for these students has just begun, as they move through our early childhood program to elementary and beyond to high school.

Many parents joined us to share their thoughts and have their voices heard. Whether it was at one of our WBJE cafes, focus groups, or parent parties, your investment of time for your children's education is greatly appreciated. We work together with you as parents, to shape the future of our school and to strengthen the impact on every child and, ultimately, our entire community. This has been an important goal of the Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education's strategic plan.

The WBJE conducted a feasibility study in the fall of 2016 with the help of Strategic Philanthropy Inc. (with the support of a JFM grant). The study revealed “overwhelming support for a Jewish day school” and recognition of “Gray’s importance to Winnipeg’s Jewish community”. The WBJE has reviewed the findings and have begun the next step of putting together a strategic review committee co-chaired by Harvey Secter and WBJE Vice President, Evan Roitenberg. This review is critical for Gray Academy’s “image, financial strength, relationships and sustainability”.

As we look to the next 20 years, I know we are heading in the right direction. Our school community is stronger than ever, and I can’t wait to see what our students and graduates achieve.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF WINNIPEG

Gray Academy is grateful to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg for their continued support of Jewish day school education in Winnipeg. With this substantial support, the WBJE is able to offer a needs-based bursary assistance program. This ensures that a Gray Academy education is accessible to all.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

WBJE Finance Committee Report Submitted by Diane Shindleman, Treasurer During the 2016-17 school year, the Finance Committee of the WBJE continued to work on the Strategic Financial Plan and towards financial sustainability for Gray Academy of Jewish Education.

Changes were made to the re-enrollment forms and bursary forms. These included more robust reporting for bursary eligibility and some clarification on re-enrollment forms. In an effort to work towards financial sustainability, we reduced credit card fees by using a Revenues credit card payment service Jewish Foundation (plastiq.com), and we removed the Other Revenue 2% Grant, Endowment Fund 1% prepayment discount for parental Parental Jewish Federation Contributions 43% contributions.

Allocation 16%

A challenge facing the WBJE finance committee this year was the expiration of the Licence Agreement with the Asper Jewish Community Campus. A number of meetings were held to discuss terms for the renewal.

The Licence Agreement expired in

Provincial Funding 38%

August 2017 and terms for the new agreement are still under review.

We are pleased that the Gray Academy Endowment Fund at the the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba met the first level in the Bervin/ Fund Match Initiative. By reaching $54,000 in new contributions to the endowment fund, we received a match of $18,000.

The WBJE financial statements are audited by Booke and Partners and are enclosed.

Expenses Other Expenses 3%

IT Services and Support 2%

Kaufman Silverberg Resource Centre 2%

Membership.

Accredidation, and Professional Development 1%

Asper Campus License Fees 12%

Salaries and Benefits 80%

The Statement of Financial Activities The School’s revenue was about on par with 2016, with the main sources of revenue being parental contributions, provincial funding, and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg allocation.

Balance Sheet Net assets for the year were $48,820 representing the balances in the reserve fund and the equipment fund.

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

500 - Five Donald Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2T4 Tel: (204) 284-7060 Fax: (204) 284-7105 www.bookeandpartners.ca

Report of the Independent Auditors on the Summarized Financial Statements To the Directors of Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. The accompanying summarized financial statements, which comprise the statement of financial position as at June 30, 2017, and the statements of financial activities and changes in fund balances for the year then ended, are derived from the audited financial statements of Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. for the year ended June 30, 2017. We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the audited financial statements in our report dated October 23, 2017.

The summarized financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required by Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. Reading the summarized financial statements, therefore, is not a substitute for reading the audited financial statements of the organization.

Management's Responsibility for the Summarized Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation of the summarized financial statements on the following basis: The summarized financial statements include the major totals and subtotals from the related complete financial statements dealing with matters having a pervasive or otherwise significant effect on the summarized financial statements.

Auditors' Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the summarized financial statements based on our procedures, which were conducted in accordance with Canadian Auditing Standard (CAS) 810, "Engagements to Report on Summary of Financial Statements".

Opinion In our opinion, the summarized financial statements derived from the audited financial statements of Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. for the year ended June 30, 2017 are a fair summary of the audited financial statements, on the basis described above.

Winnipeg, Canada October 23, 2017

Chartered Professional Accountants

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. Statement of Financial Activities Year Ended June 30 Secular Revenues Parental contributions Junior Kindergarten program

$

204,240

(Deficiency) excess of revenues over expenses

$

2017 Combined

2016 Combined

$ 2,673,331 -

$ 2,673,331 204,240

$ 2,780,073 78,402

-

2,401,008 101,757 25,740

2,461,859 96,350 27,420

-

951,000 90,000 59,042

930,000 90,000 56,000

-

85,475 79,120

17,431 117,801

-

12,919 25,155 111,425

51,659 37,122 103,748

4,146,881

2,673,331

6,820,212

6,847,865

3,063,155 797,875 46,705

2,266,829 746,180 64,498

5,329,984 1,544,055 111,203

5,042,968 1,499,452 103,748

3,907,735

3,077,507

6,985,242

6,646,168

Grants Province of Manitoba - instruction 2,401,008 - special education 101,757 - curricular materials 25,740 Jewish Federation of Winnipeg - regular 951,000 - administrative 90,000 - resource centre 59,042 Jewish Foundation of Manitoba 85,475 Contributions and other 79,120 International student program - net 12,919 Interest & miscellaneous 25,155 Gray Academy 111,425 Expenses Education Office Gray Academy

Religious

239,146

$ (404,176)

$ (165,030) $

201,697

The complete financial statements, including notes to the financial statements and the independent auditors' report, are available upon request by contacting the organization's office.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. Statement of Changes in Fund Balances Year Ended June 30 Equipment Fund Balance, beginning of year

$

(Deficiency) excess of revenues over expenses Interfund transfers Balance, end of year

43,623

Operating Fund $

(5,160) 930 $

39,393

-

Reserve Fund $ 170,227

(159,870) 159,870 $

-

2017 Total $ 213,850

(160,800) $

9,427

(165,030) $

48,820

2016 Total $

12,153 201,697 -

$ 213,850

The complete financial statements, including notes to the financial statements and the independent auditors' report, are available upon request by contacting the organization's office.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education Inc. Statement of Financial Position June 30

2017

Assets Current Cash Receivables Prepaids

$

170,653 574,136 17,999

2016

$

762,788 25,284 13,878

Long-term investment Property and equipment

Liabilities Current Payables and accruals Deferred revenue Deferred contributions

198,569 628,294 5,579 832,442 25,515 18,108

$

801,950

$

876,065

$

389,491 272,155 91,484

$

361,046 268,736 32,433

Fund Balances Equipment Reserve

$

753,130

662,215

39,393 9,427

43,623 170,227

48,820

213,850

801,950

$

876,065

Approved by the Board Director

Director

The complete financial statements, including notes to the financial statements and the independent auditors' report, are available upon request by contacting the organization's office.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

2016-17 WBJE Board Members (Attendance at board meetings in parenthesis) Executive: Sean Shore, President (7/10) Sean is currently a lawyer at Canadian Compliance & Regulatory Law. He holds law degrees from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law (LL.B., 1993) and the London School of Economics (LL.M., 1994) and has been practicing law in Winnipeg since 1995. He has two daughters that attend Gray Academy in Grades 6 and 9.

Evan Roitenberg (’84), Vice President ( 7/10) Evan is a Trial and Appellate lawyer and practices with Gindin, Wolson, Simmonds, Roitenberg. He is a proud alum (class of '84) of Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, a founding school of Gray Academy of Jewish Education. He has two children at Gray Academy in Grades 8 and 10.

Bruce Caplan, Secretary (8/10) Bruce Caplan is a partner with BDO Canada LLP and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Licensed Insolvency Trustee. Bruce is a past president of Jewish Child & Family Service. He is married to Sheri and they have two daughters attending Gray Academy in Grades 6 and 8.

Diane Shindleman, Treasurer (10/10) Diane Shindleman is a CPA, CGA and is a manager of Corporate Finance. Diane has been a volunteer on the finance committee and a board member since 2011. Diane and her husband, Sandy, have one daughter, Annie, who is in Grade 8 at Gray Academy.

Board Members: Viviana Goldenberg (8/10) Viviana graduated as B.Sc. in Information Systems Engineering and B.Sc. in System Analysis and has a Social Psychology Diploma. She received a Certificate in Project Management in 2008. Viviana and her husband Marcelo came to Canada from Argentina in 2003 and have 2 daughters, one who graduated from Gray Academy in 2015, and who graduating as part of the class of 2017.

Evgeny Gotfrid (’13) ( 7/10) Evgeny is an entrepreneur and a student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the I.H. Asper

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

School of Business, with the intent to major in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He is an active member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization at the U of M. Born in Ukraine and raised in Israel, Evgeny came to Canada in Grade 4, where he attended Gray Academy until graduation.

Tara Kozlowich (’94) (7/10) Tara earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a double major in Marketing and Management from the U of M, Asper Business School. After living in Toronto, Tara and her husband, Paul, returned to Winnipeg. Their two daughters are in Grade 4 and Grade 1 at Gray Academy.

Cindy Lazar (’87) (9/10) Cindy has been a labour lawyer for over 20 years, currently serves on many boards and committees and is heavily involved in volunteerism for the Jewish community. Cindy and her husband, Joel, have two children attending Gray Academy, one in Grade 5, and one in Grade 2.

Marla Levene (’93) (7/10) Marla received her Law degree from the U of M in 1998, and is now a partner at MLT Aikins LLP. Marla has been a member of the board since 2011. She is married to Adam and they have two children attending Gray Academy in Grades 4 and 7.

Tracy Kasner-Greaves (’94), Past President Lori Binder (’91), Head of School of CEO Carlos Benesdra, CPA, CMA, Chief Financial Officer Ron van der Hooft, WJSTA Vice President During the 2016-17 school year, the WBJE welcomed new board members.

Jen Dimerman, Gray Academy Parent Association (GAPA) Rep (3/3) Jennifer received her Bachelor of Social Work from University of Manitoba in 1997. For the past two years she has co-coordinated the PAC elementary hot lunch program. Jennifer is married to Ian ('88) and they have two sons attending Gray Academy in Grades 4 and 7.

Richard Hechter (2/3) Richard Hechter is an Associate Professor of Science Education and Acting Department Head in the Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at the University of Manitoba. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota where he studied the science teaching self-efficacy of preservice elementary science teachers. Before joining the academy, Richard was a high school physics and science teacher for 11 years at the U of W Collegiate.

Matthew Leibl (’03) COR Rep (2/4) Matthew Leibl is a proud graduate of the Gray Academy. He's been involved in synagogue life since he was 19 years old, when he started working at Congregation Shaarey Zedek as a Torah reader and Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor. He studied journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax and worked for six years as a radio host with TSN 1290 before deciding to become a rabbi. His passions in life are sports (especially baseball), music (especially live music), travel, Seinfeld, and, of course, his wife, Heather Wadsworth.

Thank you to Brenda Tessler-Donen for her six years of dedication and service to the WBJE. 2016-17 was her final year on the board. Welcome to Laura Chisick (’99) to the board for the 2017-18 school year. !1 0

NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Strategic Plan Report Card Measuring the Progress of our Strategic Plan 2016-17 was the second year of Gray Academy’s 2015-19 Strategic Plan, “A Time To EnGAJE.” The plan was formulated after extensive consultation with various stakeholders, such as parents, students, alumni, and staff as well as recommendations from CAIS. Below are some of the milestones that were met in our second year.

Create a Culture of Innovation and Enhanced 21st Century Learning Advancing educational innovation on the strong foundation of Gray Academy’s Mission and Vision ensures that every student is prepared to excel in our rapidly changing global society.

Ensure and maintain innovative administrative leadership team fluent in 21st century educational practice.

Map the curriculum to highlight our value added curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular programs to allow for future development in the areas of innovation and enhanced 21st century learning and the strengthening of cross-curricular connections.

Curriculum mapping in use by all teachers focusing on learning outcomes and innovations All teachers in JK through to Grade 12 immersed in curriculum development and instructional improvement Ensure a cutting edge approach to technology integration throughout JK-12.

New technology infrastructure plan launching in September 2017 Moving technology tools from computer labs to the classroom for the 2017-2018 school year to ensure their integration with teaching and learning Improved Internet infrastructure in place to support moving to cloud-based technology Support the creation of a new Professional Growth Model for teachers that helps to inspire innovation and furthers 21st century teaching.

Advisory committee of WBJE (board members, teachers and administration) explored various models to inspire the new Professional Growth Model that will be launched for all staff in September 2017 Support further professional development in the areas of 21st century competencies and learning strategies as well as assessment and evaluation.

Professional development focused on student assessment for learning to ensure a growth mindset for students New elementary report card aligned with new provincial expectations ready for the fall of 2017 Explore innovative approaches to Jewish learning that insures relevancy, inspiration and engagement for all students within the context of the Judaic Studies program.

Development of educational standards and outcomes for Judaic studies and Hebrew language instruction Networking with other Jewish day schools to discover best practices in the field Celebrations: Technology Infrastructure – The new technology infrastructure is now able to support the full integration of technology in teaching and learning. Gray Academy is now participating in MERLIN (Manitoba Education Research and Learning Information Network), which provides bundled IT services for communications, software, Internet and security.

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Changes: New courses/programs 2016-2017: STEAM: Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math (JK-Gr. 6); Advisory Program (Gr. 7 & 8); Futures in Business and Starting Your Own Business (Gr. 9 & 10); History through Cinema (Gr. 11 & 12); A World of Religion (Gr. 11 & 12); increased involvement with Junior Achievement New courses/programs added for 2017-2018: Expanded Advisory Program; Mentorship & Career Exploration (Gr. 10); Economics (Gr. 11 & 12); and Statistics (Gr. 11 & 12) Challenges: Technology Costs – Technology costs have increased. Priorities were made for 2017-2018 to ensure students have access to the tools needed. The next phase of the technology plan will be the replacement of computers for teachers and staff.

Strengthening Community Perception Encouraging the greater community of students, parents and community members to closely engage with the inner workings of the school, enabling them to fully recognize the long reaching and continuing impact of a Gray Academy education on the future of our community and its individual members.

Develop relationships with major organizations and synagogues to positively position Gray Academy and its role in the continued growth of our community.

Organizations and synagogues invited to learn more about Gray Academy and to explore connections New representative from the COR (Council of Rabbis) joined the WBJE Enhance the ambassadorship role of the WBJE and the capacity of GAPA. Ongoing professional development in the area of governance for board leadership Reconstituting the Parent Advisory Committee to the Gray Academy Parent Association Instituting a functioning board structure for GAPA Engage our stakeholders by fostering a climate of inclusion, transparency and input.

WBJE café program expanded, giving parents an opportunity to learn more about the work of the WBJE, provide input and share their vision for the school Focus groups held to support the development of a new marketing and communications strategy Maximize the effect of our marketing and communication strategies to highlight the positive impact of Gray Academy on individual students and alumni. Ensure that the academic program in both General Studies and Judaic Studies is highlighted.

Increased social media presence on a variety of platforms New internal newsletter created to support strategies for parent communication Building connections with communications professionals in other Jewish agencies Celebrate the presence and participation of our students in community organizations, community programs, which highlights the Jewish values inherent in a student’s experience at Gray Academy.

Gray Academy’s Jewish Community Internship Course (Grade 11 & 12) has students being mentored by over a dozen Jewish communal professionals from a variety of organizations Create opportunities to engage families in our programming during the school day.

Increased presence of parents and grandparents in programs during the day continues to provide an opportunity for families to experience the value of a Gray Academy education

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Celebrations: Director of Marketing and Communications – This position was added to the leadership team infrastructure in September 2016, following the absence of this position for over two years. This position is integral in supporting the strategic direction of the school.

Changes: Positive Word-of-Mouth – Positive word-of-mouth reaching external constituents and evidenced by feedback received.

Challenges: Reaching the Wider Community – Initial focus of new marketing and communications strategy directed to internal constituents. The next stage will include plans to reach beyond our walls. This will include the production of an inaugural school magazine funded by a JFM grant.

Admissions and Retention Building a comprehensive Admissions program that focuses both on retention and recruitment ensures the continued growth of a vibrant and diverse school community. Gray Academy is a pluralistic Jewish Community Day School that celebrates the diversity of its student population. The school strives to be an inclusive community and values the opportunity to help develop and educate children from JK to Grade 12.

Create a “Director of Admissions” position with the support of professional development through PEJE’s “ATIDEINU” 18-month program.

Develop an Admissions Strategy that tracks enrollment data, focuses on new families, retention, and handles exits with care.

Enrollment data tracking helps to inform admissions strategies Tracking of families from exploratory visit to landing enhanced Strategic approach to “open houses” developed including niche approaches to early years, elementary and high school recruitment (every day is considered an “open house” day) Extensive admission strategy in development Create a culture of student retention amongst staff.

Build strong ambassador programs (parent, alumni & student).

Parent Ambassador Program and Student Ambassador Program part of the admissions strategy and in continued development Family buddy program in place to match new families with a “seasoned” Gray Academy family to welcome them into the community Community partnerships developed with programs such as PJ Library to expand the reach of the admission program Communicate the value for parental contribution.

Communicating the value proposition of Gray Academy essential to all exploratory visits and admissions inquiries Foster a sense of Gray Academy school pride and school spirit amongst staff, students, parents, and alumni.

Increased interest from parents for the grade-level “party” program, which helps to expand and foster community amongst families Increased participation in social media from parents wanting to share Gray Academy news Celebrations: Junior Kindergarten Program Tripled in Size – With the piloting of bursary assistance in JK (first time in WBJE history), the program tripled in size.

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Changes: Marketing and Communications Support of Admissions – The Admissions office can now collaborate with Marketing and Communications to support retention and recruitment efforts.

Challenges: Increased Relocation – Over the past two years there has been an increased number of happy Gray Academy families who are moving out of Winnipeg to larger cities in Canada for jobs or are returning back to their home country. This year, Gray Academy graduates the largest class in history (47 students).

Financial Sustainability and Community Support Securing the financial stability of Gray Academy safeguards its perpetual longevity as a bedrock institution founded on over a century of community supported Jewish education in Winnipeg.

Create a 4-5 year financial strategic plan that includes the growth of a healthy reserve fund and the strengthening of the Gray Academy endowment fund.

Development of financial strategic plan in process (3-5 year forward plan) Dialogue with the leadership from the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba re: financial sustainability and the future of the Jewish Day School in our community.

Feasibility study concluded by Strategic Philanthropy Inc. supported by a grant obtained from the JFM The infrastructure for a strategic review, looking at the future of Gray Academy, has been created Seek out alternative revenue streams.

Expanded endowment planning Continued exploration of grant opportunities beyond Winnipeg Evaluate all aspects of the current parental contribution model including the assessment process.

Bursary assistance application process professionalized to ensure the proper allocation of dollars based on need Terms and conditions of bursary application vetted by legal counsel Educate parents about the comprehensive expenses that determine the cost of a Gray Academy education to ensure transparency.

Review the campus license fee agreement prior to the 2017 expiry date with an eye to financial sustainability.

Finance committee reviewed AJCC license agreement to support ongoing discussions towards the new license agreement Celebrations: Successful implementation of new bursary assistance process Changes: No Credit Card – Credit cards are no longer accepted as a direct method of payment towards the parental contribution. A third party provider (plastiq.com) is available for parents wishing to pay by credit card. This has resulted in a continued savings to the budget and was positively accepted by the parent community.

Challenges: Increased Costs – The cost of providing a 21st century education continues to grow. In addition to cost of living increases, additional resources would enable new programs to be initiated in the school that will have direct impact on students. This cannot solely be done by increasing the Parental Contribution as we must be mindful of the capacity of our parents.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Our Grads: Where are they Now? 2016-17 saw the largest graduating class in Gray Academy’s history. Many students received scholarships to the universities of their choice and have gone on to interesting programs. Others have moved to Israel in preparation for making Aliyah. Below is where they all are this year.

University of Manitoba: 26 26 grads enrolled at the University of Manitoba in programs such as the Asper School of Business, Agriculture, Science, and U1. Dov Rafael Spivak Corne received the award for the Manitoba high school student entering U of M with the highest high school marks in the province.

University of Winnipeg: 7 Seven students are studying at the University of Winnipeg in Computer Science, Science, Arts, and Linguistics Carleton University: 1 One student enrolled in Journalism Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 2 Two students are currently living in Jerusalem attending the freshman program at the Rothberg International School Israel Defense Forces: 1 One student will enter the IDF in the coming months

JEWISH FOUNDATION OF MANITOBA

Gray Academy received a number of grants from the Jewish

Foundation of Manitoba (JFM) in 2016-17. The grants have

enormous impact on the school and we appreciate the support

of our many new initiatives and needs. Some of the projects funded

by the JFM:

New Gray Academy magazine

New furniture for the student lounge

New technology for the whole school

STEAM robotics

Funding to address the needs of our community’s EAL learners

Innovation in teaching and learning project

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WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Ryerson University: 1 One student in Journalism Queens University: 1 Micah Grubert Van Iderstine received the Chancellor’s Scholarship to attend Queens. The full fouryear scholarship is only given to 50 students per year.

University of Toronto: 2 Two grads are living in Toronto attending U of T in Life Science and Mathematical & Computational Sciences Ulpan on Kibbutz Magan Michael: 1 One student is at Ulpan in preparation for making Aliyah

I Choose Gray: the 2016-17 Ad Campaign For the 2016-17 school year, Gray Academy unveiled a new ad campaign targeting Grade 7-11 students. The goal was to showcase the benefits of a Gray Academy high school education through the words of the 2017 graduating class. The ads were placed on “main street” of the AJCC and on social media. They met with much positive feedback and sentiment.

IT’S EASY TO MAKE FRIENDS “It’s a really warm place.

Everyone treats each other with respect— there’s no drama.

I can be myself.”

MAYA MILLER (CLASS OF ’17)

I CHOSE GRAY BECAUSE

MY EDUCATION. MY CHOICE. | GRAYACADEMY.CA facebook.com/grayacademy |

@grayacademy |

@mygrayacademy

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I CHOSE GRAY BECAUSE

I CHOSE GRAY BECAUSE

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

I HAVE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY TEACHERS “The teachers are always there for me. They go out of their way to help me succeed in what I want to succeed in.”

SAM KROFT (CLASS OF ’17)

MY EDUCATION. MY CHOICE. | GRAYACADEMY.CA facebook.com/grayacademy |

@grayacademy |

@mygrayacademy

I CAN DO MORE “I’m on the basketball team.

I’m on the debate team.

At Gray, I don’t have to choose between one or the other.”

STEPHANIE KALO (CLASS OF ’17)

MY EDUCATION. MY CHOICE. | GRAYACADEMY.CA facebook.com/grayacademy |

@grayacademy |

@mygrayacademy

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

2016-17: The Year of the Scholarship This year, a number of new scholarships for our graduating students were established.

The Kravetsky Family Peer Nominated Award This peer-nominated award is given to the the student that encourages others, is authentic and actively engages in school extra- curricular programming, and positively enhances the school community.

The Carol Leszcz (z”l) Learning & Giving award This award was named in honour and memory of longtime Junior Kindergarten teacher Carol Leszcz. It is given to a student who has attended Gray Academy since JK and demonstrates a commitment to Jewish education, a passion for working with children, and who leads a life with Menshlechkeit and creativity.

The Dora and Albert Diamond Memorial Scholarship This is awarded to one student with high academic achievement in both math and science to support the continued study of math and/or science in university.

Esther Robinson Scholarship This Scholarship is awarded to a student for high academic achievement in English language arts and involvement in fine arts, theatre arts, or music from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

MAZEL TOV

TO THE LARGEST GRADUATING CLASS IN OUR OVER 100-YEAR HISTORY Our community is committed to Jewish education.

So are we.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT CLASS OF ’17

facebook.com/grayacademy |

@grayacademy |

@mygrayacademy

Harry & Jennie Shlain Memorial Scholarship This is awarded to a student for high academic achievement and continued post-secondary education from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

Morris B. & Rose Morantz Scholarship This award is given to a student for high academic achievement and continued post-secondary education from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

Top Marks Canada Scholarship for School Pride Given to a student for exhibiting school pride, through involvement in the school’s extracurricular and co-curricular programs, and high academic achievement.

Top Marks Canada Scholarship for Citizenship Awarded to a student who exhibits positive citizenship at school through involvement in the school’s extra- and co-curricular activities.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Athletics: Gray Academy Gets in the Game 2016-17 saw elementary join the Pembina Trails Athletic Association for the first time and the expansion of our athletic offerings. The Pembina Trails School Division invited our school to compete at their biggest elementary competitions of the year.

The track and field meet was held at the University of Manitoba’s Varsity Stadium in May. Gray Academy sent over 60 students to compete in a events such as running, and long jump. Our Grade 4-6 students also competed in PTAA cross country running and basketball.

2016-17 was also a banner year for the junior varsity boys basketball team.

After finishing the regular season undefeated, the Raiders beat the Linden Christian Wings in the Zone 12 championship to gain a birth in the provincial championship tournament.

The team entered the competition in the number one seed and didn’t disappoint. After defeating Morden by a healthy margin, they won the next round in overtime by three points against Ste. Anne. The championship game was a hard-fought battle with the Raiders pulling out the come-frombehind victory against Louis Riel. The final score in the championship game was 65-63. This was the first provincial title since the Joseph Wolinsky Raiders won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995.

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Thank You for Your Support Thank you to the individuals and organizations who have helped support Gray Academy in the 2016-17 school year in addition to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s annual allocation as well as grants and funds from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

Asper Foundation Funds to support the Gray Academy Debating program Funds to support the 2017 Grade 9 Washington trip Combined Jewish Appeal Designated Gifts Gail Asper Richard Morantz Donations Dora & Albert Diamond Scholarship Fund towards establishing an annual Grade 12 scholarship Fred Switzer: funds towards the Gray Academy Yiddish program PAC (now called GAPA): support for new technology infrastructure Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Top Marks: funds towards two Grade 12 scholarships Jewish Foundation of Manitoba The Israel & Babs Asper Charitable Fund - Gail Asper: support for additional 2016-17 bursary assistance (through JFM Immediate Needs Process) Grosberg Family Fund: towards new technology infrastructure and programming to support mental health initiatives New Funds Established in 2016-17 Class of ’87 — in memory of Elena Dil Class of ’17 Carol Leszcz Learning and Giving Award The Winograd Family Gray Academy Endowment Fund

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NOVEMBER 2017

WBJE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

Gray Academy Mission and Vision Mission Statement To graduate informed and educated individuals comfortable with all of the various expressions of Jewish Life, enabling and inspiring them to become empowered participants in the Jewish community and global society.

Vision Statement To provide an education environment of academic excellence, strong Jewish values, spiritual and physical wellness, and proud global citizenship.

Our Beliefs and Values • Respect • Tolerance/Compassion • Diversity • Leadership • Community

Our Commitments • Academic Excellence • A Community School • Jewish Identity • Future Leadership • Healthy Living • Israel

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