We should all be very proud of this accomplishment. The BJE will be providing seed money to us for a variety of programs that will enhance our school in the coming year. Yasher Koach to all of us for a job well done!

This past year our school participated in numerous field trips, to places such as the Skirball Cultural Center, Museum of Tolerance, and Malinow and Silverman Mortuary.

Our students celebrated Jewish Holidays, and enjoyed a wonderful retreat at Camp Ramah in Ojai, CA. Our school choir sang in a number of venues including the 3rd Street Promenade and the Religious School Zimriyah Festival.

We have laughed, studied, and challenged ourselves to increase our knowledge and commitment to Judaism.

Our family learning programs have never been better, and this has been in no small part to the accomplishments of Nava Levee.

Nava has created quite a number of special programs for our school, and enhanced many other staple programs in our school. I am certain you will with me in wishing Nava well as she departs KM for a wonderful opportunity to direct the Religious School of Congregation Or-Ami, in Calabasas, CA. Mazal Tov, Nava, on your new position.

Several other teachers will also be departing to pursue other exciting opportunities.

Beryl Padorr-Kaufmann will be studying in Israel next year as part of her rabbinical program, and Noah Farkas will be moving to New York as he embarks upon his rabbinical school career at the Jewish Theological Seminary. We wish both of them well for their years of service to KM. We will miss you, both! We also wish B'hatzlacha to Lisa Howard as she continues to pursue her studies at the UJ, and Ahova Pozniak, who leaves us for other opportunities.

I am delighted to report that we have a number of new staff members already in place for next year, with several more on the way.

Sara Freeman Scharff has worked at Kehillat Ma'arav leading our Shabbat Club program, and will now work with us as our new Family Education Director. Sara comes to us from Valley Beth Shalom where she served as Asst. Director of Education.

Sara received her Master's Degree in Jewish Education from the University of Judaism several years ago, and I know you will join with me in welcoming Sara back to KM. Our family education program will not miss a beat!

Also joining our teaching staff is Scott Perlo, an incoming rabbinical student at the UJ.

Scott brings both a devotion to Judaism and an intense commitment to learning to our school. I hope you will have an opportunity to welcome Scott to KM when he returns from his summer at Camp Ramah Darom, in Atlanta.

Returning teachers Allison Smith, Vanessa Duncan and Minoo Cohanzadeh will be returning next year, something I am both personally and professionally delighted with.

Our school, like every school, has three communities which must work together to make the program a success.

Our parent community, represented by the Education Committee, has helped the school, and me in particular, so much this year. Thank you to all of education committee members. I would like to single out our Education Committee chair, Marcia Greenberg, for her dedicated and capable leadership this past year. Thank you, Marcia, for all of your help and support.

To all of our wonderful students and parents, thank you for entrusting our school with the holy and important work of giving you a Jewish foundation, which God-willing will be built upon throughout your lives.

We take our jobs seriously, and look forward to continued successes in the years to come.