Faculty Award Recipient

Since the creation of the 1A transitional class over two decades ago, Laya Levine has dedicated herself to forming and shaping an incredible program built around nurturing the success of each child. Her passionate energy, devotion to her students and wonderful creativity motivate the students and give them opportunities to grow. With her abundant energy she uses the multisensory approach in every area of learning, bringing her classroom to life and helping each child learn. Her room is filled with joyous songs and hands on materials, engaging the students and reinforcing all of their learning.

Laya will go to any length to create unforgettable experiences for her students that stay with them for life. Her yearly Harvest Festival sees the room transformed into a Native American Teepee and a great celebration ensues. The KIBO Robotics program, which she creatively integrated into the curriculum, gives each child opportunities for creating and programming. Laya even presented her robotics innovations at the International Society for Technology in Education Convention.

She has also helped bring the Global Read Aloud and Dot Day programs to Yavneh, connecting our students with others all over the country.  Laya is a proud mother of 4 children, two Yavneh graduates, and a grandmother to 9 wonderful grandchildren, six of whom attend Yavneh. A seventh is a Yavneh graduate. Laya is a teacher’s teacher, whose classroom is a true model of “Chanoch l’naar al pi darko.”