Goals  

Our goals are that our students:

1. Feel good about being Jewish.
2. Acquire knowledge and appreciation of Torah.
3. Participate to be familiar with Jewish holidays and customs.
4. Be acquainted with Jewish history, both personalities and events that influence who we are today.
5. Be aware of past and present events in the Middle East and our ties to modern Israel.
6. Understand options open to modern Jews in matters of Jewish laws, ethics and practices.

Registration

Registration can occur anytime over the summer preceding the first day of class, which is September 7, 2003.
Final registration will be held that morning, September 7, 2003 from 9:30 - 10:00 AM.

* You can ask that your bill to be spread out over the year rather than pay all at one time, and
* You can ask for scholarship dollars, all or partial, at the time of registration.
  Request should be made in writing to the Religious School Attention Donald W. Ross.

The first day of class will be Sunday September,7 2003. Class hours for the school year will be 9:30-11:30 AM for all Preschool - 6th grade as well as B’nei Mitzvah trope class. B’Nei Mitzvah discussion seminars will resume when Rabbi Amy returns from maternity leave. Date and time will be in the February bulletin. Chai Program and Confirmation Class schedules are on pages 10 - 11.

We ask that all children arrive in their classrooms five minutes PRIOR to the start of class
in order that students may have time to settle before class begins.

2003 - 2004 School Calendar

2003 - 2004 Jewish Holidays
5764

Discipline   

In order to promote an environment conducive to learning, respectful of all students' right to learn and respectful of the material being taught, teachers are encouraged to keep order in their classes. They will gradually move from the least intrusive actions to more severe in dealing with disruptive behavior. At the end of this continuum, the student is sent to the office. The parents will be called immediately and notified that the child was removed from the classroom and informed if the parents need to pick the child up immediately. It is the parents' responsibility to talk to the teacher about this incident. If the student needs to be removed from the classroom frequently, the coordinator, teacher, and parent will meet to discuss further action.

Special Projects 

Tzedakah

All classes will be actively involved in collecting funds for Tzedakah projects of their choice.
Tzedakah will be collected each week in the classroom.

Food Shelf

Students are urged to bring a can or box of food to each Religious School session.
The food is given to our local Food Shelf.

Parent Involvement and Responsibilities

We feel that parents are a valuable resource. We would like to involve as many of you as possible.
We are creating a parent resource pool for individual classes as well as the entire school.
Each of you has special talents that will add much to our program.
We hope that you will be able to volunteer in some of the following areas:

Room Person
Help on special occasions such as class projects, field trips, Oneg Shabbats, Model Seder.
Make phone calls to organize parents in class.

Substitute Teacher;
Teach class when teacher is unable to be present.

Share Experiences: Talk to class and/or school about travel, work or personal experiences.
Drive a group of children to events outside the Temple.

Parents are responsible: For getting their children to school prior to class time
in order that students may have time to settle before class begins.

Parents should communicate:
To the teacher any situation or problem that might affect the student's work or behavior in class.

Parents are encouraged to participate in all family-oriented activities and services.

Consecration

All children, age 5, will be consecrated of the Simchat Torah, 2003. Any other children who have not yet been consecrated and wish to do so would be consecrated on that same evening. Parents will participate with their children in an evening of preparation prior to Consecration.

Library

The library is open each Sunday morning for you and your children’s use. Please take advantage of this resource. Our Librarian is available each Sunday to help you and your child. There are books, periodicals, and videotapes available for checkout.

Guidelines for B'nei Mitzvah

Guidelines have been developed over the last years. Handbooks for parents and B'nei Mitzvah students are available in the Religious School office, the Temple office, or from the rabbi.

Chai Program Calendar

The class will meet as a group once a Month, the days and times are listed below.
Group meetings are for the students to share their individual projects with each other, turn in journal entries, and discuss any concerns or difficulties they may have encountered in their workbooks or their volunteer projects.

Chai Seminars With Rabbi

Rabbi seminar topics (days & times to be announced) Living and coping with terrorism:
How am I really affected by materialism: Keeping up appearances, “the real costs.”

People to Contact

Religious School Director

Donald W. Ross

Teachers
Linda Glaser Preschool: Kindergarten
Jenny Baddin:         Grade One &Two
Heather Grisham:      Grade Three
Susan Rees:           Grade Four
Mila Bystrom:         Grade Five
Mike Rosenzweig:      Grade Six
Rabbi Amy:           Bernstein B'nei Mitzvah Seminars
Ana Grossman:        Torah and Haftorah Trope
Deb Scott-Kovacovic:   Grade Eight & Nine
Rabbi Amy Bernstein:   Grade Ten

Advisory Committee
Deborah Petersen-Perlman; Board Liaison
Susan Ginsburg; Chair
Deb Carroll
Andy Niemyer
Michelle Baddin
Tom Buck

Updated September 6, 2006