Rochelle Zell Jewish High School
Opportunity Statement for Academic Dean October 2017
ROCHELLE ZELL JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL Our Mission
Our mission is to create a culture of academic excellence that inspires our students to think critically and achieve their full potential, while preparing them to live Judaism as responsible and involved citizens in the modern world.
History
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School began with a dream: a new high school that would combine the very best of the humanities, sciences, fine arts and Jewish studies, enabling students to continue their Jewish education during the years that have the greatest impact on Jewish identity. In 2001—with spiritual and philanthropic support from the Chicago Jewish community, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education and other prominent institutions—that dream became a reality and Chicagoland Jewish High School, as we were then known, was born. Chicagoland Jewish High School was so successful in attracting students that it quickly outgrew its original quarters in Morton Grove, IL. In September 2007, the school moved into its permanent home—a 72,000-square-foot state-of-the-art campus located on a 7.3-acre site in Deerfield. Our facility can comfortably accommodate 200 students with room for expansion in the future.
Today Rochelle Zell students benefit from an outstanding faculty that includes seasoned professionals as well as promising young educators. Small class sizes ensure personal attention. Teachers at Rochelle Zell come to know their students as multi-dimensional human beings. The close and meaningful relationships that form between them contribute to students’ confidence in their abilities to advocate for themselves and for others, in college and beyond, and achieve their full potential. Today our total enrollment is 175 students drawn from Jewish day schools and public and private schools in 22 communities throughout the greater metropolitan area of Chicago and beyond. Rochelle Zell students represent every stream of Judaism and are affiliated with synagogues throughout the Chicagoland area. On November 18, 2015, our school began a new chapter in the school’s 15-year history, when it was renamed Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. In her lifetime, Mrs. Zell advocated for excellence in education and for sustaining Jewish values, consistent with our mission.
1095 Lake Cook Road • Deerfield, IL 60015 • www.rzjhs.org
The Opportunity Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is looking for an experienced and knowledgeable high school administrator – with the passion and energy of a first-year teacher – to become our next Academic Dean. Rochelle Zell offers a college preparatory program that combines a rigorous general studies education with a comprehensive Jewish studies education. Our academic program is supplemented by strong athletic and fine arts programs and numerous extracurricular and leadership opportunities. Small classes and differentiated instruction help each student find his or her own voice, solve problems creatively, cultivate respect for individual differences, and develop a deep dedication to learning. As Academic Dean: • You will have the opportunity to help shape a young, vibrant and growing Jewish high school where creativity, innovation and out-of-the-box thinking are valued. • You will be a role model of our commitment to academic excellence, personal growth, continuous learning, and critical thinking. You will help students navigate their way to academic success, guided by our school’s mission to help students achieve their full potential and prepare them to live Judaism as responsible and involved citizens in the modern world. • You will participate in a community of professionals who are passionate about our school and who enjoy the professional collaboration of colleagues. Together, you will create opportunities and programs for students to grow – emotionally, academically and spiritually. • You will be an integral part of the leadership team at Rochelle Zell, reporting to the Head of School and also working closely with the Dean of Faculty. You will supervise and work closely with department chairs, the student services team, the college counseling team, and the athletic director to ensure that all aspects of the student’s social and academic paths are being monitored and geared toward success. • You will support the creation and implementation of programming both in and outside of the classroom in order to preserve and enhance our reputation for excellence in academics as well as in athletics and the arts. • You will form and nurture strong relationships with the students, parents, faculty and staff of Rochelle Zell. You will guide students through the high school landscape, help them find their paths, build on their strengths and face their challenges. Together, you will continue to move the school forward to maintain its status as the #1 Jewish High School in America. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact our search consultant at Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, Melanie Eisen (melaniee@prizmah.org), to confidentially discuss the opportunity and the process. Candidates who are ready to apply should submit a cover letter indicating why they are particularly interested in serving as Academic Dean at RZJHS as well as a current resume to Melanie Eisen. These materials should be transmitted as PDFs via email attachment.
Student Body Current student body Freshmen: 42 Sophomore: 47 Junior: 47 Senior: 39
Elementary Feeder Schools* Day Schools: 5 Public Schools: 18 Private Schools: 6
Our students come from 23 different cities and towns
Students and their families represent a wide spectrum of Jewish observance, attending 34 different synagogues.
• • • • • • • •
Aurora Buffalo Grove Chicago Deerfield Evanston Glencoe Glenview Hawthorn Woods • Highland Park • Inverness
* 21 currently enrolled students transferred from other high schools.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Lincolnshire Lincolnwood Mundelein Northbrook Northfield Riverwoods Skokie Vernon Hills Wheeling Wilmette Winnetka
Unaffiliated 11% Reform 10% Traditional 5%
Orthodox 26%
Conservative 48%
Academic Excellence The school year consists of two semesters. Some classes are taught in modified block scheduling. Some laboratory science and math courses meet at additional times each week. Most academic classes earn one credit per semester. Rochelle Zell Jewish High School does not compute class rank or weighted grade-point averages. A cumulative GPA is computed each semester and includes all credit courses taken at or approved by Rochelle Zell. Minimum graduation requirements are as follows:
Subject Semester Credits English.................................................... 8 Mathematics.......................................... 6 Social Sciences . ..................................... 8 Science................................................... 6 Hebrew................................................... 8 Bible....................................................... 7 Jewish Thought....................................... 3 Talmud.................................................... 7 Fine/Performing/Literary Arts................ 3 Physical Education/Health...................... 4 Total Credits for Graduation................. 60*
Advanced Placement Program In May 2017, 54 students took 107 Advanced Placement exams. 15% of the scores were 5, 26% of the scores were 4, and 85.2% of the scores were 3 or higher. Six students were named National AP Scholars, six students earned the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, seven students earned the AP Scholar with honors award. National Merit Program One of the 39 members of the Class of 2017 has been named a finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, while two have been named finalist commended students. Five of the 39 members of the Class of 2018 were named National Merit Program Commended Scholars. Illinois State Scholars Sixteen of the 39 members of the Class of 2017 were designated as 2016–2017 Illinois State Scholars. Model United Nations The team won first place for the third consecutive year at the International Model UN Conference where 3800 high school students were in attendance from 150 schools representing 27 different countries. Niche Ranking Rochelle Zell Jewish High School ranked as the #1 Best Jewish School in America for 2018 by Niche, the largest website for researching K-12 schools! We additionally received an A+ Overall Niche Grade which recognizes the overall quality of the school. Chicago Magazine Ranking Chicago Magazine selected Rochelle Zell as one of its top 10 private high schools out of 95 schools in the area.
Student Life Student life at Rochelle Zell is full of spirit and a tremendous sense of community. There are numerous opportunities for students to get involved socially through extracurricular activities, clubs, athletics, and leadership programs both in school and in the Jewish community. Our students participate in youth groups of every affiliation. Our calendar is built around the rhythm of Jewish life and the school year revolves around the Jewish calendar. Throughout the course of the year, students and faculty observe religious celebrations as a community so that students learn to approach life with a love and reverence for shabbat and the Jewish holidays. Kashrut is observed throughout the school and at all school events so that students may observe Jewish law and life fully. Athletic programs and extra-curricular activities never conflict with shabbat or Jewish holidays. Our students become confident navigating the complexity of what it means to be Jewish in the modern world. We provide students with the knowledge, skills and leadership opportunities they need to participate fully in Jewish life as observant, passionately committed Jews. Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is committed to preserving God’s world and making it a more just and peaceful place through individual and collective commitment to programs of social justice and public policy. The school and its students strive to be a positive force in the Chicagoland area and beyond. Students and their families are actively encouraged to undertake the responsibilities of leadership and service to others. Numerous social action programs and tzedakah activities are developed and delivered by student clubs throughout the school year.
College and Beyond We offer a comprehensive and systematic approach to post-secondary planning, beginning early in the high school years, and culminating with a thoughtful, well-chosen plan for college and other post-high school experiences, such as gap year programs or military service in the U.S. or Israel. A primary goal at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is to enable students to develop the attitudes, skills and work habits necessary to excel in college and beyond. The college counselors are committed to working with all students according to their unique differences as each student develops a post-high school plan that is the best possible fit. Rochelle Zell graduates are bright and articulate young men and women who often become leaders at the nation’s leading colleges and universities. They are well-rounded and confident and possess a strong sense of values and a commitment to tikkun olam. They also have a profound sense of their identity as American Jews.
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School College Acceptances Allegheny College American Jewish University American University Amherst College Arizona State University Art Institute of Boston at New Brunswick Baldwin-Wallace University Bard College Bar-Ilan University Barnard College Binghamton University Bryn Mawr College Boston University Bradley University Brandeis University Brown University Bucknell University Butler University Carroll College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University City Colleges of Chicago Clark University Colby College Colgate University College of Charleston College of Lake County College of the Atlantic College of Wooster Colorado College Colorado State University Columbia College Columbia University Corcoran College of Art and Design Cornell University Creighton University Dartmouth University DePaul University DePauw University Dickinson College DigiPen Institute of Technology Drake University Drexel University Duke University Eastern Illinois University Eastern Michigan University Elmhurst College Elon University Emerson College Emory University Florida Atlantic University Florida State University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology
Goucher College Grinnell College Hampshire College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hebrew Theological College Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hofstra University Hunter College of the CUNY Illinois Institute of Art Illinois State University Illinois Wesleyan University Indiana University Iowa State University Ithaca College Jewish Theological Seminary Johns Hopkins University Kansas State University Kendall College Kent State University Kenyon College Kivunim Knox College Lake Forest College Landmark College Lawrence University Lehigh University Lesley University Lewis and Clark College Longy School of Music Louisiana State University Loyola University Chicago Lynn University Macalester College Machon Maayan Manhattanville College Marquette University Massachusetts College of Art Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University McHenry County College Miami University of Ohio Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Middlebury College Midreshet Ein Hanatziv Midreshet Lindenbaum Midreshet Moriah MIT Muhlenberg College Nativ New School University New York University Northeastern Illinois University Northern Arizona University Northern Illinois University Northern Michigan University
Northeastern University Northwestern University Nova Southeastern University Oakton Community College Oberlin College Oregon State University Parsons School of Design Pomona College Pratt Institute Princeton University Purchase College Purdue University Queens College of the CUNY Quinnipiac University Radford University Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology Roosevelt University Rothberg International School at Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Saint Johns University Saint Xavier University Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design School of Visual Arts Seton Hall University Simpson College Skidmore College Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Southern Methodist University Stanford University Stern College for Women Stetson University Stony Brook University Suffolk University Swarthmore College Syracuse University Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Tel Aviv University The Ohio State University Towson University Tufts University Tulane University Tzahal University of Alabama University of Arizona University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles University of California at San Diego University of California at Santa Cruz University of Central Florida University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Hartford University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Springfield University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Indianapolis University of Iowa University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Louisville University of Maine University of Maryland, University College University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Missouri, Columbia University of Montana, Missoula University of Nebraska University of New Hampshire University of New Orleans University of Northern Iowa University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Puget Sound University of Rochester University of South Florida, Tampa University of Southern California University of St. Andrews (Scotland) University of Tampa University of Tennessee-Knoxville University of Texas University of Vermont University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University Western Illinois University Western Michigan University West Virginia University William Rainey Harper College Wittenberg University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University Yeshiva University Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi Yeshivat HaKotel Yeshivat Maale Gilboa Young Judaea Year Course
BE A TIGER!Join The Team!
WWW.RZJHS.ORG A partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community. Affiliated with Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. Accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and The Independent Schools Association of the Central States.