When Anat Dahan took the helm as principal of the Sinai elementary school in Rishon LeZion a decade ago, she had a dream: To foster a lifelong love of reading among the students.
At the time, Sinai School was an underperforming religious elementary school. Some 40% of the children hailed from immigrant families, mainly from the Ethiopian-Israeli community, and didn’t speak Hebrew at home. Academic performance at the school was very low, with many children lacking even basic literacy skills.
In Dahan’s second year as principal, Sinai School joined ICEI’s It’s Elementary!Whole School Improvement Program. She began working with Liora Eldar, one of ICEI’s Principal Mentors, herself a former award-winning school principal, and with ICEI’s full-time, on-site Literacy Coach, who helped the teachers improve their classroom instruction through innovative and data-driven pedagogical strategies, hands-on coaching, and ongoing feedback.
Since then, Sinai School has undergone a remarkable transformation. In recognition of its outstanding achievements, it received the Ministry of Education’s prestigious National Education Prize in 2022.
So how did the struggling Sinai School evolve to become a beacon of academic excellence?
“ICEI really propelled the school forward” according to Dahan. “The school building might be sixty years old and not in the best condition, but what really matters is the pedagogical foundation and the positive schoolwide culture you create.”
ICEI invests in the professional development of teachers and principals, empowering them while improving the quality of instruction and school leadership. When you walk into the classrooms of Sinai School, you immediately notice bright posters hanging on the walls with inspirational quotes such as “Reading is dreaming with your eyes open.”
To complement these efforts, ICEI’s Atzmaut Plus program brought Ethiopian-Israeli parents on board as active partners in their children’s learning.
ICEI’s Parent & Community Coordinator, David Armias, works to strengthen mutual understanding between the Ethiopian-Israeli community and the school faculty. Armias helps parents understand their role in making sure their children arrive at school on time, with the right books and study supplies and their completed assignments. “We’ve cultivated a sense of belonging within the community,” Armias says. “This prize is everyone’s reward and shows what happens when we all work together.”
Dahan attributes much of their success to the shared vision and values that foster a spirit of partnership among staff, children, and parents. “Teachers were given a clear but flexible pedagogical framework,” she noted. “As a result, we saw a dramatic improvement in the children’s literacy skills.” Sinai students developed their vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence. They discovered the joy of reading and writing. Motivation and morale among the staff also skyrocketed. The teachers’ satisfaction rate at Sinai School currently stands at 97%, with many teachers coming from outside of Rishon LeZion to teach there.
“Our model is based on the premise that real change happens when the whole school community works together,” explains Eldar, the Principal Mentor, “and that’s exactly what happened at the Sinai School.”
ICEI worked closely with Dahan and her team to create a motivating learning environment where each child can thrive.
“As part of the ICEI program, we placed more than 600 books in every classroom organized according to reading level,” added Meyrav Rotem, ICEI Pedagogical Supervisor and former ICEI Literacy Coach at the Sinai School. “The children are regularly assessed and encouraged to advance to the next reading level once they’re ready. When a child progresses a level, the whole class celebrates with them.”
Over time, ICEI’s innovative instructional strategies were integrated into all subject areas and incorporated into the school’s special education program.
“We are absolutely thrilled that the Ministry of Education recognized Anat Dahan’s remarkable leadership, and the transformation she has led at the Sinai School over the past nine years,” said Don Futterman, Executive Director of ICEI. “She has been an exemplary partner, and we are proud to have played a central role in supporting this school turnaround.”
