It is with great pleasure that I announce the hiring of a new principal K-8 for our academy. Following a process that saw many qualified candidates, the advisory committee, consisting of parents, teachers and administrators interviewed six wonderful candidates. Two candidates were then brought in for second interviews with students, administrators and teachers. We were indeed fortunate to have had choices to make amongst candidates who were excellent and I am grateful for the work of our search firm, the Education Group, as well as the efforts of those who participated in this exciting opportunity. It is with pleasure that I announce the hiring of Mrs. Kathleen Swafford.
 

Kathleen Swafford arrives at Levine Academy with over 20 years of experience in the independent school environment. She brings an array of rich and broad educational accomplishments to the table with a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Private School Leadership from Teachers College Columbia University and a M. Ed. in Elementary Education from Texas A&M University. Ms. Swafford also received an endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education from Southern Methodist University and a B.S. in Special Ed / Psychology from UT Dallas.
 

Ms. Swafford began her career at St. John's Episcopal School and the Episcopal School of Dallas, respectively, spending close to 10 years honing her classroom skills and experience. In 2000, she joined Holy Trinity Episcopal School in Heath, Texas as their Head of School; beginning her career in educational leadership. She continued to expand her knowledge in this area by attending Columbia University as a Klingenstein Fellow and working as an Adjunct Professor in Developmental Reading for Mountain View Community College, before accepting the Lower School Principal position at Canterbury School of Florida in St. Petersburg. She currently works as the Director of Communications for The Canterbury Episcopal School in DeSoto, Texas.
 

Kathleen Swafford would like you to know that she "leads with heart, integrity, focus, commitment, transparency, and a readiness to listen and learn." I know that you will join us all in welcoming Ms. Swafford to Ann and Nate Levine Academy as our new K-8 Principal.

I for an I: Taking the Commandments Personally

Treat others as you wish to be treated. It's the golden rule and something we strive to teach our children to live by. As part of our pledge to be a "No Place for Hate" school, we believe every person is created equal and in God's image. We remind our students about good manners and how to work together as a team. We remind them of the 10 Commandments, which we read in last week's Torah portion. It's the 10 ways in which we aim to create a society balanced between our relationship with God and our relationship with others. This list of commandments is the central 10; however, the Torah is made up of 603 other mitzvot that we are to follow.

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You can review all of Rabbi Posen's weekly Parshah teachings by going to the Levine Academy website. Go to News & Events and click Publications or Click Here.
 

1. How many times a year were the Israelites supposed to travel to God?
2. How many years are the Israelites allowed to use their land before letting it rest? 

Parshat Yitro:

1. How did Yitro react when Moshe told him all that God had done for the Israelites? He praised God
2. Who is Gershom?  Moshe's son
3. BONUS: What does Gershom Mean?  Stranger there (because I was a stranger in a strange land)

Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Levine Academy has already received over $260,000 in gifts and pledges to the Annual Fund. But we need everyone's participation to reach our $300,000 goal! If you haven't already done so, please make your tax deductible donation now. Your gift, of any amount, matters - the only gift too small is none at all.

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