TEMPLE BETH EL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 5777 B raysheet, 1 st, 2 nd grade & Confirmation Sunday mornings 9:15-11:45 a.m. 3 rd grade (Aleph) - 7 th grade (Hai) Sunday mornings 9:15-11:45 a.m. Tuesday afternoons 4:45-6:30 p.m. (On Sundays doors open 15 minutes before school starts) Religious School Administrator Andrea Finestrauss afinestrauss@tbede.org Temple Beth El Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein rabbimicah@tbede.org 302-366-8330 www.tbede.org
TEMPLE BETH EL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Religious School of Temple Beth El, a Reconstructionist synagogue, is to give our children a positive Jewish identity based on a knowledge of Jewish culture and religion including values and concepts, texts, history, Hebrew, and prayer. Our vision is... * To stimulate our children s sense of community with a responsibility toward fellow Jews, as well as all people of the world, and for the State of Israel. * To encourage the practice of Judaism in the home in addition to their experiences in the school and synagogue including spirituality, rituals, and ethics. * To provide a sufficient Hebrew language background so that a student can actively participate in Jewish prayer services and have a basis for further study in modern Hebrew. Sundays All grades- 9:15-11:45 AM Tuesdays Third (Aleph) through Seventh (Hai) 4:45 to 6:30 PM
CLASS SERVICE REQUIREMENTS This is the minimum number of services students in these classes should attend, to reinforce what they learn in class and to increase their familiarity with services: a vital part of preparing to become b nai mitzvah. Aleph & Bet - 10 Friday or Saturday Shabbat services or Junior Congregation Gimmel - 10 Friday, 5 Saturday Shabbat services or Junior Congregation Dalet - 10 Friday, 10 Saturday Shabbat services or Junior Congregation Hai - 15 Friday, 15 Saturday Shabbat services (per Bar/Bat Mitzvah requirements) We will be reminding the children often and updating them on their progress. JR. CONGREGATION A monthly Saturday morning service geared to the learning needs of 2 nd 5 th graders, but also appropriate for younger children. 10:30 11:45 a.m. Dates for 2016-17 January 7 February 11 March 18 April 22 May 20 November 5 December 3 Jr. Congregation may be used to fulfill class service requirements. SHABBAT CLUB Shabbat Club students will be acknowledged at the end of the year for meeting the service requirements for their class. CLASS SHABBAT. ה נ ה מ ה- ט וב, ומ ה-נ ע ים-- ש ב ת א ח ים ג ם- י ח ד How good and how pleasant it is when we dwell together. (Psalm 133:1) There will be one Family Service per year for each class, B raysheet through Confirmation. Students will help to lead this special service. Friday night services are preceded by a family Shabbat dinner; Saturday morning services are followed by an extended Kiddush (light lunch). These services are a special family time. They provide a fun and important learning experience and give you the opportunity to meet and connect with your child s classmates and their families. It is very important for each family to participate in this annual event. The whole congregation is invited and students in all grades are encouraged to attend. Dates & class services are listed below: Sat., Nov. 4 Consecration Family Service Sat., Nov. 19 - Hai Shabbat & extended Kiddush Sat., Dec. 10 - Dalet Shabbat & extended Kiddush Sat., Dec. 17 - Confirm. Shabbat & extended Kiddush Fri., Jan. 20 - Aleph Shabbat & Dinner Sat., Jan. 28 - Gimmel Shabbat & extended Kiddush Fri., Feb. 24 - Bet Shabbat & Dinner Fri., Mar. 3 - K-2 Shabbat & Dinner SHAVUOT / CONFIRMATION GRADUATION June 11 at 7:30 P.M. CLASS PARENT MEETINGS Dates of Class Parent Meetings are listed below: B raysheet, 1 st & 2 nd Sun., Nov. 6 - Aleph, Bet - Sun. Oct. 9 Gimmel, Dalet - Sun., Oct. 9 Hai - Tues. Nov. 1-6:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6: 30 p.m.
FAMILY EDUCATION Class Parents: Each class should have one or two parents who will serve as point-people for the class Seder family service, etc. If they choose to take on other responsibilities, they are welcome to do so! Curriculum Implementation Process: We are currently reviewing our curriculum. We welcome your feedback! You can share your thoughts with Rabbi Micah, Andrea Finestrauss or any member of our education committee (their contact information is listed at the end of this handbook) and we will keep you posted about other ways of supporting this process. Gimmel (5th) Jewish Life content: Jewish history before WWII and Israel Dalet (6th) Jewish Life content: Holocaust, American Jewish history, Reconstructionism, Jewish ethics Hai (7th) Jewish Life content: Becoming b nai mitzvah, mitzvah/values, community, theology, Torah--Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim Confirmation Instruction forthcoming Here s an overview of the Jewish Life component of the new curriculum. B raysheet (Pre-K, K)--2 years Jewish Life content: holidays 1st grade Jewish life content: Jewish community and values, theology and spirituality 2nd grade Jewish Life content: Jews around the world--multiculturalism (not geography), Jewish life cycle (things to act out, see, live) Aleph (3rd grade) Jewish Life content: Torah--Bereishit and Shemot, tefilah Bet (4th) Jewish Life content: Jewish beliefs (theology, holiness, good and evil inclinations, tradition, ritual, peoplehood, kashrut)
School Policies TZEDAKAH.ואמר רב אסי: שקולה צדקה כנגד כל המצות Rav Assi said, Tzedakah is as important as all the other mitzvot put together. (Babylonian Talmud) In keeping with Jewish tradition and to encourage our children to give to those less fortunate, our classes collect tzedakah charitable donations - every Sun. morning. Please remind your children to bring some change. It is especially meaningful if this can come from a small part of their allowance. Allocation of funds raised happens at the end of the school year. School Communications: In order for students families to be partners in their children s religious school education there must be strong communication between the school and families. Families will receive substantive updates from each student s class at least every month. Families will receive individualized progress reports in the winter and at the end of the school year Occasional school updates will be sent to all families We always welcome your feedback. HOMEWORK (3 rd 7 th Grade) Homework assignments will not be given between Sun. and Tues. Teachers will assign homework as needed and give students ample time to complete. ABSENTEEISM & TARDINESS It is important that families make every effort for students to attend every class meeting and arrive on time. This is necessary for students to master the content, which is cumulative, and also to create a positive community in the classroom. If a student has 25% or more unexcused absences during a semester, parents will be contacted and asked to come into the office to address the issue. It could result in failing the class or having to be tutored at the family s expense if it continues throughout the year. We will close the classroom doors after the bell rings. If a student is consistently late, they may have to spend their break time making up missed work. APPROPRIATE DRESS AND ITEMS This is a Jewish learning environment and we expect students to dress appropriately, similar to secular school dress code. Also, children are requested not to bring sports equipment or valuables to religious school, unless asked to do so by their teachers. Examples of items that should be left at home are cell phones, electronic games, hockey sticks, footballs, etc. If they are brought to religious school, they will need to be left in the office for pick up after religious school is over. The synagogue is not responsible if these items are lost. UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR The Religious School aims to provide a comfortable and safe space for all students and staff. If a child exhibits aggressive behavior, consistently disrupts the class or makes disparaging remarks towards staff or other students, the teacher and/or Principal will (A) reprimand the student and inform the parents. If this behavior continues, we will (B) Call the parents immediately, (C) Have a parent conference, and/or (D) Request parent intervention to end the behavior. Physical violence will not be tolerated. Students may not be outside the building without an adult. If your child leaves the synagogue campus without permission we will contact the parents, emergency contacts, and then the police. ARRIVAL / DISMISSAL : ו ע נםא צ ו ר ם א צ ר םי ם ום ועעחם י ו י חםע ולם לם ול םי י ח Guard our going out and coming in, for peace and for life, now and forever (evening prayers) Arrival to religious school will be through the front doors to the main lobby. Lower level doors will be locked. To create a safe environment for all of the community, parents / carpooling adults are asked to park and come in to the lobby to pick up children for dismissal. Students arriving early will go to a designated area with adult supervision until teachers arrive. EARLY DISMISSAL & GUESTS If it is necessary for a student to be dismissed early, he/she is required to bring a note from a parent or guardian. Students may only be picked up from the office. If a student wishes to bring a
guest to class, teacher approval is necessary and a parental note is required. SCHOOL CLOSINGS For inclement weather closings please call the office, check our facebook page, check the Temple Beth El website (www.tbede.org), or listen to the snow watch announcements on the radio: WILM, WDEL, WJBR. CATERING REQUIREMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL PARENTS For information on catering and parent volunteer commitments contact the TBE office. SNACKS Snacks are provided during class for B raysheet (pre-k and K), 1 st & 2 nd grade. Kosher snacks are available for students in 3 rd 7 th grade. Snacks are $.50 each or a snack card can be purchased which gives you 40 snacks for $20.00. All outside food must follow synagogue kashrut policy. Please only bring kosher snacks and food into the synagogue. (All items should be marked Parve, OU or OUD). Education Committee 2016-2017 Lori Gandy, chairperson, lrg811@yahoo.com Cailah Ogden clogden@comcast.net Marika Block marika@udel.edu Nina Licht lichthouse@verizon.net Jessica Seitzman jseitzman@gmail.com Jennifer Barnett Jennifer.Barnett@appo.k12.de.us Stacey Younger syounger1171@gmail.com Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein Andrea Finestrauss, School Administrator Temple Beth El Religious School COVENANT OF CONDUCT At the beginning of the year students in all grades studied this covenant. On three things the world rests: on study, prayer, & acts of caring. Treat others kindly. Rabbi Shammai said: Receive all people with a cheerful face. Pay close attention to one another s words and feelings. Rabbi Hillel said: What you don t like, don t do to your neighbor. Respect the property of others. Rabbi Yossi said: Let the property of your neighbor be as precious as your own. Be responsible for your behavior. Rabbi said: Which is the right path to choose? One that is honorable in itself and also wins honor for others. Make a positive effort. Ben Hei Hei said: According to the labor is the reward. Honor the ways we are different from one another. Rabbi Sandy Sasso* says: God gave each of us a special gift that makes us different from anyone else, and when we share that gift God is happy. Attend Religious School consistently. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan** said: Belonging is more important than believing.