Kehilat Shalom Hebrew School Prayer Curriculum
Please be mindful that all students are responsible for all prayers learned in all grades up to their current grade.
Mastery will be demonstrated at class services.

Kindergarten

Sh ma

Ha Motzi

Bracha for Shabbat candles

Bracha for wine

First

Bracha for Chanukah candles

Barchu

Mi Chamocha

Second

Chorus of Adon Olam

Chorus of L cha Dodi

Shabbat Shalom

Third

V shamru

V anachnu Korim line from Aleinu

Fourth

Reconstructionist Aleinu

Ayn Kelohenu

Birkat Hamazon

V Ahavta

Fifth

All of Adon Olam

Hatikva

Baruch Sheamar

Sixth

Amidah

Kedusha

Nishmat Kol Chai

Seventh

Blessing before the Torah Reading

Blessing After the Torah Reading

Blessing before the Haftarah

Reading Blessing after the Haftarah Reading

Please feel free to download the registration documents at the following addresses. You will need to fill out all of the documents and pay the registration fee in order for your children to be fully registered. All tuition is due before the beginning of the school year.

Looking forward to learning with you.


registration%20packet.doc

Principal: Ms. Dori Daus
Principal Assistant: Ms. Anna Aggabao

Rabbi: Susan Falk

Arrival and Dismissal

School will be held in one three hour session for Kindergarten through Seventh grades on Sunday mornings from 9AM to 12 PM.

All students are expected to arrive on time for all class sessions and special programs, and to remain for the full three-hour class session. Late arrivals and early dismissals are very disruptive to the learning process, and are strongly discouraged. If you need to pick up your child before class ends, a note to the teacher and Ms. Daus is requested at the start of class, to minimize disruptions. Please come in to the Hebrew School office located in the back right corner of the sanctuary to sign your child out if your child must take your child out leave early.

Parents are expected to arrive on time for dismissal. Please come inside the synagogue building and walk to their classrooms to meet your children. Parents and/or emergency contact people will be called if a child does not get picked up in a timely manner.

Emergency Procedures

In the event of a medical emergency involving your child, the following procedures will be followed:
1. If an ambulance is required, 911 will be contacted.
2. The parent/guardian will be notified.
3. The emergency contact people listed on your registration forms will be contacted if the parent/guardian cannot be reached.

School Closings

In the event of an emergency school closing for snow or other reasons, please listen to WCTC (1450 AM), WMGQ (98.3 FM), New Jersey (101.5 FM), WBUD (1260 AM), or WBSS (97.3 FM). An announcement will also be on the taped message at the Temple, (908) 359-0420 Ext. 3. If Montgomery Township schools are closed, then Hebrew School will also be closed. You can also check the internet at www.weatherclosings.com . Ms. Daus will also send an email to the entire school community at 7 AM on a Sunday morning or 2PM on a Wednesday afternoon in the event of a school closing.


Supplies

Your child will receive Hebrew School textbooks on the first day of school. The books are yours to keep. PLEASE CLEARLY INDICATE YOUR CHILD'S NAME HAVE IDENTIFICATION ON EACH BOOK.

Each week, please be sure that your child brings to Hebrew School has several pencils or pens, a notebook, money for tzedakah, and all class books. It is expected that the children keep their Hebrew School textbooks and supplies in a separate Hebrew School book bag. When your child first attends Kehillat Shalom's Hebrew School, they will be provided with a book bag. In the event you need to replace your child's Hebrew School book bag, additional book bags will be sold in the Hebrew School office for $10. Gently used text books will be collected at year-end for re-use. You may keep any books you'd like to retain.

Announcements and Flyers

Much goes on in the Kellihat Shalom Hebrew School is a very active organization!. To keep current, please check your email, the synagogue weekly and monthly bulletins, and notices posted on the front door and our bulletin board.

Kindly advise us in the Hebrew School office if you do not have email or would prefer paper copies of announcements. In an effort to improve communication and reduce our use of paper, we will send most messages via email.

Scheduled events are listed in the back of this handbook, and in the monthly temple synagogue bulletin. IN CASES OF DISCREPANCY, THE SYNAGOGUE BULLETIN SUPERSEDES THE HANDBOOK. There will be a separate section of the synagogue bulletin entitled "Hebrew School News." The bulletin also highlights Shabbat and holiday services of special interest to Hebrew School students. All families are encouraged to attend the first and third Shabbatot of the month as well as all class services. We believe that regular attendance at our Shabbat services is an important complement to the Hebrew language and prayers being taught in our Hebrew School.

Homework

Each teacher will give children homework to be completed before the next class. If your child must be absent, please call another student in the class (using the class list). We encourage parents to work with their children to complete homework assignments. The books are wonderful resources, and we think you may be surprised at how much you learn as you work with your children.

Students are to call or email several other classmates on a regular basis to practice skills and get missed assignments. In the event that a student has called classmates and still does not understand a concept or feel that they have completed all assignments, then that student should email the teacher. Teachers have provided email addresses during class and are listed on the bulletin board in the hall where assignments are posted weekly. If there is still concern, please contact Dori via email or leave a message on the phone mail at the Hebrew School office.


If you are interested in a Crash Course in Hebrew reading, please contact Ms. Daus by the email at Dori@ksnj.org or leave her a note in the Hebrew School Office.

Reports and Parent Conferences

Individual report cards are issued two times per school year. Back-to-School Night and Orientation for parents of children in grades K-6 will be held on Sunday,
September 9, 2007 at 10 a.m.Am and 12 :15 P.Mp.m.. Parent -Teacher conferences are held on request. Please read the Hebrew School Article in the monthly synagogue bulletin and check the bulletin boards in the hall in the synagogue building to learn more about find out what your children are studying.


Extended Absences

In the event of an extended absence, please telephone the Hebrew school office. If your child is seriously ill, please let Ms. Daus know. The Synagogue's Life Cycle committee is always ready to help in cases of serious family illness. Call us so we can help you!


Grade Skipping Policy

It is the policy of the Congregation Kehillat Shalom that no student will be permitted to skip grades under any circumstances. It is important that our children complete the entire Hebrew school curriculum in order so that the proper educational foundations can be laid.

Attendance Requirements
All B'nai Mitzvah candidates must be registered for and attend 7th grade in the Hebrew School as part of their preparation for becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Students who celebrate their Bar or Bat Mitzvah during their 7th grade year may choose to attend Hebrew High School at semester break in February or remain with their 7th grade class for the remainder of the year.

Tidiness of the Synagogue Building/Clean-up

Students are expected to clean up after themselves during Hebrew school to maintain the tidiness of our synagogue building. If the classroom is not clean by the end of class, children will may be asked to stay until they have completed clean up.


Lost and Found

The lost and found box will be placed in the synagogue lobby during Hebrew school hours. Please label all outer clothing, books, etc. to facilitate the return of misplaced items. Anything not claimed by the end of the school year will be donated to Tzedakah.

September/ Elul

Dear Parents:

Welcome to the 2008-2009 (5769) school year for Kehillat Shalom Hebrew School! Included in this handbook are our school policies and the school calendar. In addition to indicating the dates that we will be closed, the calendar lists all fun and exciting activities we have planned for this school year, including music, cooking, and crafts. Parents are encouraged to participate in school life at Kehillat Shalom's Hebrew School whenever they can. We have impressive lineup of knowledgeable teachers and stimulating activities for the coming year and are looking forward to an enriching year of learning together.

Students in Kindergarten through Seventh grade are expected to attend Sunday mornings for between 9AM and 12 PM. All B'nai Mitzvah candidates must be registered for and attend 7th grade in the Hebrew School as part of their preparation for becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah regardless of when during the year their B'nai Mitzvah is occuring.

Hebrew High meets Wednesdays from 5PM to 7PM for 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders or Thursdays from 5PM to 7PM for 11th, and 12th graders. Hebrew High is for students who have already completed their bar/bat mitzvah. Class time is spent engaged in discussions of key religious, historical, ethical and other issues. Modeled after adult-education classes, Hebrew High School features a wide array of subjects for discussion. Sample discussion topics include: Jews in the news, current events, Israel, ethics, stereotyping, and social issues. The congenial two-hour class is a blend of discussion, socializing, learning about Judaism and our community, eating, and working on tzedekah projects. There are guest speakers, movies, community events, and lively debates. The goal is continue the post b'nai mitzvah child's Jewish education in a conversational and social learning environment. There is no homework and the group eats dinner together during the class.

Parent Volunteer Bond: All parents are asked to contribute $50/child as a volunteer bond. We encourage all parents to complete a brief volunteering assignment (typically in the classroom) in order to earn back their bond. No specific experience is required and anyone can help. Parents who cannot make the commitment due to time pressure or other obligations can forfeit their bonds.

Contacts: The class lists will be available via email during the second week of Hebrew school. This list will include the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of the students in all our classes. You will also receive a letter from your classroom teacher with their email contact information. If you fail to receive these documents, please send me an email at Dori@ksnj.org so that I can make sure that I have a correct listing for your family.

I look forward to learning and working with you and your children all year. I hope that you recognize your suggestions in some of the changes we have made this year in our school. Please contact me at Dori@ksnj.org at anytime with any suggestions or questions you may have or to let me know what you are thinking about the school. I can also be reached at the school's voice mail; (908) 359-0420 and then press 4 for the Hebrew School office.


Dori Daus
DEHD/NDS

Procedures for the our parking lot are outlined below. We ask for your cooperation with these safety policies to insure the safety of all of our children. The procedures are being implemented due to the large number of children enrolled in our Hebrew School.

****CARS MAY NOT PARK IN THE CIRCLE****
* USE THE CIRCLE MAY BE USED ONLY TO DROP OFF YOUR CHILD AND THEN YOU MUST PROCEED TO THE EXIT.
* DO NOT PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN IN THE CIRCLE.
* TO PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN, YOU MUST COME INSIDE THE SYNAGOGUE BUILDING. PARK IN THE LOT AND THEN COME INSIDE UNTIL CLASSES ARE AT DISMISSAL TIME.
Please do not block traffic on Griggstown Road. If there is a long line of cars going into the street, come into the parking lot before going around our circle to drop off your children.

Parents are encouraged to come into the temple, meet with others, and schmooze on Sunday mornings. When you come in, please do not park in the parking space closest to the Temple door, which is reserved for handicapped members.

Gender Equality
A basic value of Reconstructionism is that men and women, boys and girls, are ritually completely equal. (In fact, the first Bat Mitzvah was Judith Kaplan, the daughter of Mordechai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionism. Her ceremony was in 1922!). Our textbooks tell women's stories as well as men's. Our expectations of what each child will learn has to do with that child's individual capabilities, rather than with his or her gender.

Respect for Tradition
Reconstructionism has a specific process for making changes in the tradition. Our procedure is to study a traditional practice, learn what it meant to the people who engaged in it, "try it out" if possible, and work toward a practice that recreates the same meaning for us. As we do that, we blend our own sensibilities about our culture, both Jewish and general, with the messages from the past that have brought us here.

Children (male and female) are encouraged to wear a Kippah during class and services. While wearing a kippah is not required, we do not permit baseball hats or other secular head coverings to be worn during class or services instead of a kippah.

Pluralism
Reconstructionism understands that Judaism has always evolved. At any given moment, there have been a number of different ways of performing rituals, observing Jewish holidays, and celebrating the Jewish life cycle. There is no one right way to be Jewish. In class, we will periodically look at the many different ways people celebrate their Jewishness.

Cooperation, Tolerance, Support
An important by-product of pluralism is tolerance and support. As much as we can, we will promote cooperation rather than competition. We also have a very important rule at Congregation Kehillat Shalom's Hebrew School: NO PUT-DOWNS! The Talmud says that the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed because of unnecessary meanness. Twenty centuries later, meanness can also destroy the fabric of our own community, indeed of our society. We must resist it whenever we can.

Judaism stresses the importance of sharing our bounty with those who have less. Tzedakah means more than charity; literally, it means justice. Contributions to Tzedakah are collected at each class session, and it is expected that students contribute regularly, in any amount. Tzedakah is a wonderful mitzvah in which to participate, and students will help to determine which worthwhile charities receive the proceeds over the course of the Hebrew school year. We encourage you to talk to your children about whether and to what extent they can contribute their weekly Tzedakah amount from money they earn doing chores around the house or in other ways.

D'vash (which means "Honey") is a large stuffed bear who comes home periodically with our Hebrew School children to enjoy Shabbat dinner one Friday night in your home. D'vash wears a backpack that contains everything you need for the Shabbat celebration: candlesticks, candles, a challah cover and tray, a kiddush cup, and instructions on how to recite the blessings to introduce your family's Shabbat dinner. To invite D'vash for dinner on a Friday night, speak to your child's teacher or Dori -- and please remember that D'vash must return to the Temple the following Sunday! Shabbat Shalom!

Our rabbis taught: parents are obligated to teach their child Torah and a craft . Some say: To also teach their child how to swim. Some say: Also to teach him how to swim. The reason? The child's life may depend on it. Rabbi [Judah I, the Patriarch] said: Parents are also required to teach their children civic obligations.

Whatever parents are required to do for their child, should they fail to do it, the child must do it on his own.
Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 29a, 30b; Mekhilta, Bo, Pis'ha, 18.


Our tradition teaches us that it is the responsibility of Jewish parents to provide their children with a Jewish education. Parents may choose to make the congregation's school their agents in this vitally important work. In so doing they commit themselves to supporting the authority of the teachers and administration, and to follow the policies laid out for the smooth running of the school.


With these teachings at in mind, Congregation Kehillat Shalomhas adopted the following discipline policy. In order that learning at the Hebrew School can continue without disruption and distraction, this discipline policy will be strictly enforced.


In the event of inappropriate classroom behavior, which may include being
(1) off task, (2) disrespectful to peers or teachers,(3) being out of a designated area, or ( 4) failing to follow directions, the following consequences will apply:
Part 1 - Classroom teacher's actions (each student is given a s starts fresh start each every class period):
1. First time warning
2. 30 seconds out in the hall (time out)
3. 60 seconds out in the hall (time out)
4. Phone call home by teacher
5. Student sent to Principal's office
Any behavior that includes the destruction of property or interferes with personal or emotional safety will result in immediate removal from class.

Part 2 - Principal's actions (these responses are cumulative over the course of the school year):
1. Principal warns student
2. Parent phone call home from Principal communicates situation to parent in a phone call
3. Parent has to come in to class with student at the next class session
4. One week suspension from Hebrew School to be ended with a reentry meeting including the parents, the Principal, the Rabbi and a member of the Education Committee.
5. One month suspension from Hebrew School. This suspension to be must be ended with a reentry meeting including the parents, the Principal, the Rabbi and a member of the Education Committee.
6. Suspension for the remainder of the School Year. Reentry to the regular program in the fall of the subsequent school year will be determined at a reentry meeting in the first week of June with the parents, the Principal, the Rabbi and a member of the Education Committee.

In the event of suspension, parents are responsible for keeping their child up to date with the curriculum of the school. The Kehilat Shalom Hebrew school will maintain a list of possible tutors to help parents fulfill their obligation to teach Torah to their children.

B. Complaint procedure:
1. Parent(s) set an appointment and meets with the teacher.
2. Parent(s) set an appointment and meet with the Principal
3. Parent(s) set an appointment and meet with the Education Committee.
4. Parent(s) set an appointment and meet with the Principal, a member of the Education Committee and the Rabbi.

We are committed as a community to working with all our children and addressing each individual as unique, while taking into account the needs of the Hebrew School community. Children with special needs are those classified by the State of New Jersey, including those with a medical diagnosis, or who receive special services in and or outside of their secular schools. Sometimes it is necessary for additional conferences to take place among parents, teachers, rabbis, the Education Committee, and the Principal to resolve classroom and/or behavioral issues involving a student with special needs.

A number of possible options will be explored at these conferences to address these situations. The evaluative team may recommend various options including, a special schedule that allows for the child's day to be shorter; encouragement of an evaluation for the child; or the provision of additional services by the parents at the parent's expense such as a classroom aide, or a tutor outside the Hebrew School program. This policy provides all the children in our synagogue community access to a Jewish education.

One of the goals of all Jewish education is to allow children to feel comfortable in a Jewish context, particularly in services. The best way to accomplish that goal is for children to come to services regularly. Services are held weekly on Friday nights, and often on Saturday mornings. Check the monthly newsletter for the exact schedule.

Please be sure your child signs in when you come to services, so we have a record of his or her attendance. This request has two purposes: to make it easier to learn the service, and, more importantly, to give both you and your child a context for the service. Without familiarity with the service, the Bar or Bat Mitzvah becomes a rote performance of a mysterious rite. Seeing the service a number of times means that the Bar or Bat Mitzvah really has a sense of ownership and belonging.

This year, there will be special family Shabbat dinners and brunches followed by services for children in each grade of the Hebrew School. This will be an opportunity for parents to get to know each other as well as for children to take part in leading the service. You will be notified when these services will occur fo your child's class. In addition, please look at the yearly calendar at the back of this handbook, and make a note of the night or day each of your children's classes are scheduled to enjoy Shabbat with us. Please make a note of the date in your family calendar so you won't miss out on this special opportunity.

As Reconstructionists are fond of saying, Judaism is an entire civilization, with foods, art, music, language, and customs of its own. We encourage you as parents to participate with your children. Join us for cooking and crafts. Please let us know if you have special skills or hobbies that we can call upon in scheduling special events at the Hebrew School.

It is also very important for parents to keep in touch with the school. If you have questions about any part of our program, or if there is anything you would like to discuss, you should not hesitate to call the Teacher, Principal, Rabbi, or Education Committee. We are available to answer parents' questions and open to feedback concerning Kehillat Shalom's Hebrew School.

We look forward to a great year. Our joint efforts will guarantee a successful Hebrew school year working in partnership with you, your children and our talented school staff.