Who's Who in the Temple Beth David Hebrew School

2010– 2011

Teachers and Staff

Kindergarten, Grade 1 & Grade 2: Gail Vail

Grade 3: Ann Anderson

Grade 4: Sharyl Cooper

Grade 5: Eileen Goudes

Grade 6 and Grade 7:Moshe Lewis

Teen Coordinator: Shelli Asher

Principal: Marcy Berger

V.P. Education : Joan Papkin

Address and Phone numbers

TBD School Office: 467-7820

Temple Beth David Office: 266-3223

3200 St. Paul Blvd.

Rochester, NY14617

A Message from Rabbi Aviva Berg, Temple Beth David

We have a wonderful opportunity this year to connect our children to Judaism through both personal attention and stimulating, interactive learning experiences. At Temple Beth David our goal is to help our kids begin to fall in love with Judaism, and wrestle with God, while they figure out who they are. Exploring innovative new paths to God, Torah, and a Jewish life of purpose and meaning, our Religious School overturns the preconception that Hebrew school is boring and irrelevant.

Our educational programs are designed to cultivate literate, knowledgeable and committed Jews who will embody a sense of commitment, obligation, and responsibility to the Jewish people, as well as to the larger world. Our experiential programs seek to instill a connection between Judaism and our everyday lives, with Jewish values as a lens through which to explore and understand the world. Our connection to Modi’in fosters an understanding of, love for, and a commitment to the People of Israel.

Each child, each parent, and each teacher are precious to us.

School Policies and Procedures

Attendance

TBD Hebrew School is a one or two-day a week program. School is in session Tuesdays 4:15 pm - 5:45 pm (grades 3-7) and Sundays 9:30 am - 12:00 am (grades K-7, Hineni). The curriculum has been developed to provide comprehensive Hebrew and Jewish studies for students, based on their full participation in the program.

Four hours of instruction per week is a short time to accomplish all that must be done. It is expected that all students will attend all class sessions, except in cases of illness. These levels of attendance are required to successfully complete a grade level.

Drop-off, Pick-Up, and Carpools

In order to insure the safety of our students, all students (except teens) will be dismissed from the classroom to the adult who is driving them home. Please let us know who is authorized to take your child and update this list as it changes. If someone not listed is picking up your child, please call the school at 467-7820 during school hours.

Early Arrivals

The half hour before class is a time when teachers collaborate, prepare their room and organize their lessons for the day. Please wait with your child outside the classroom until the teacher tells you to come in. Unaccompanied children who arrive early will be asked to sit quietly at a table in the common area until five minutes before class time.

EmergencySchool Closing

If the Irondequoit public schools are closed on a Tuesday, then Hebrew school will also be closed that afternoon. If the weather turns bad during the day, an email will be sent out by 2:00 in the afternoon.

If Hebrew school classes are to be canceled on a Sunday morning, you will receive an email by 7:30 in the morning.

No email means that we are open.

Room Parents:

Aside from initiating the phone tree, room parents are the liaison between the teacher and the parents when it comes to classroom activities. They may make reminder phone calls, coordinate transportation for a field trip, andfind classroom helpers for a special occasion or class celebration. Please volunteer to be a room parent!

Kippot

All boys are expected to wear a kippah while in the building. (Girls have the option of wearing a kippah). We recommend that the kippah be kept in school. Extra kippot are kept in a container outside the school office.

Tzedakah - giving is the right thing to do

Tzedakah is collected on both Tuesdays and Sundays. Each class decides where its money should be sent at the end of the year. Please help develop this habit by making sure that your child has some change to put into the Tzedakkah box - the amount is less important than the deed.

Kashrut

The Temple Beth David facility observes a strict level of kashrut. All food that is brought into the building must be kosher and in an unopened package. The package must have a hechsher (kosher certification). Please note that the marking “K” is not sufficient for Temple Beth David. Copies of Temple Beth David's kashrut regulations are available upon request, and a list of commonly seen hekshers is available on the downstairs kitchen door.

All fresh undamaged fruits and vegetables that have not been cut or prepared at home are kosher.

Products from the following local bakeries ARE KOSHER for Temple Beth David

  • Maleks Monroe Avenue in Brighton
  • Brownstein's Deli Twelve Corners in Brighton

Products from the following locations ARE NOT KOSHER for Temple Beth David

  • Wegman's Bakeries
  • Tops Friendly Market bakery goods
  • Bagel Bin bagels, Bagel City Bagels, Manhattan Bagels, Bruegger's Bagels or any bagel store that also sells non-kosher items.
  • Please note that Dunkin’ Donuts on Monroe Ave in Brighton is no longer supervised, so they are no longer kosher.

If a snack is accidentally sent in that is not kosher, we will substitute a snack from our closet for the day and ask you to replace it.

A word about juice: many juices and juice drinks are not labeled kosher because they contain certain grape products. Please check carefully for an O-U or other acceptable certification.

If you have any questions, please check with Rabbi Berg.

No Nuts

It is our policy not to serve foods that contain nuts or nut products in order to protect the health of our children who have food allergies. Please check the ingredients to make sure that there are not even any TRACES of nuts in the cookies or cake.

Illness

Please do not send to school a child who is running a fever. Consider your secular school guidelines when deciding whether a child is well enough to attend school.

Medication

Students who are on medication during public school hours are expected to be on that medication during all Hebrew school hours both Tuesday and Sunday. For example, medication for ADHD takes 20-30 minutes to become effective. Please make arrangements for students on such medications to be re-administered at home or in the nurse's office at their public school before coming to the IHSC.

No medication, including over the counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil, will be dispensed at school.

Allergies

If your child is allergic to foods or airborne substances, it is important that you note this on your registration form. If your child is known to have an anaphylactic reaction to any substance, please call the Principal to make sure that we are aware of the seriousness of the allergy, and provide the school with an Epi-Pen.

Class Placement

A child is expected to be at least 5 years of age and registered in a public school kindergarten class in order to enroll in the kindergarten.

All students are generally placed according to their age and grade in public school. Occasionally, a student may be placed according to Hebrew proficiency or other criteria if the Principal and teacher determine that that is advisable.

Books and Materials

All books and instructional materials are included in the registration fee.

Books are the property of the Hebrew school. If a book needs to be replaced during the year, the cost of replacement will be the responsibility of the parent. If you would like to purchase a “home copy” of a book, please let us know

Homework

Here are some tips for enriching your child's learning.

  • Ask your child about their classroom activities.
  • Encourage your child to try out and adopt observances learned in school. If you need more information or support, please feel free to ask the teacher, the Principal or your rabbi.
  • It is important that once children start reading Hebrew, they should practice their reading every day for about 10 minutes. (One session of 30 minutes does not equal three daily sessions of 10 minutes each.)
  • You may request a transliteration of any of the homework assignments to enable you to work with your child at home. This is for the use of the adult only! Please contact the school office for this service.

Library and music

Students in Grades K-2, as well as older students, frequently visit the library and may take books home. Books are to be returned the following week.

Music sessions are held in conjunction with holidays and special occasions. Family members are welcome to join us for music programs.

Parent participation

Being an active part of the Hebrew school and of the temple communities will help you know more about what is happening and is a great way to meet people. We very much appreciate our volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you!

Report cards/conferences

Report cards are issued by the teachers twice a year. They are an official written record of a student's progress and include a student's self-evaluation and additional comments by the teacher. A mid-semester report will be sent to parents if their child's progress is starting to fall behind or at the request of the parents. In all cases, parents are encouraged to engage in an ongoing dialogue with their child's teacher.

Behavior

Students are expected to behave respectfully towards their teachers and fellow students. In the event that a student is continuously disruptive and does not respond to the teacher's corrective, the teacher will contact the parent to schedule a conference including the principal to solve the problem. If need be, the disruptive student will be asked to leave the class and an adult will be required to pick up that child within 15 minutes of notification.

Sexual Harassment Policy

Temple Beth David does not tolerate sexual harassment in any form. Feel free to ask for a copy of the full policy.

Meeting students' needs in the classroom

Please provide the Principal and teacher with any information regarding your child's special learning needs. In particular, please make an appointment to talk to the Principal if your child has an IEP or 504 plan in his/her secular school setting.

All information will be kept in the strictest confidence.

Based on this information, we will apply for a special-education grant, and use the received funding to provide special attention to the students. Without this information, we will NOT be able to apply for this grant.

Visitors

Parents are welcome to visit their child's classroom. Please notify the classroom teacher in advance when you wish to visit the class.

Occasionally a parent may ask to have a grandparent or other relative spend some time in the classroom. Please speak with the classroom teacher ahead of time.

Students may not bring friends or other children to visit their Hebrew school class.

OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

TO LEARN, TO DO: MAASIM TOVIM

Curriculum Overview

Jews have always been referred to as the “People of the Book”. Yet, a basic Jewish precept teaches that people are judged not by how much they know, but by the good deeds they do during their lifetimes. It is with this philosophy in mind that we teach our children not just about Judaism, but also how to live as Jews and do mitzvot.

These are some of the values that we wish to instill in our children

Tikkun Olam (to repair the world)

T'fillah (prayer)

Ahavat Yisrael (a love of Israel)

K'al Yisrael (unity of the Jewish people)

Derech Eretz (good manners)

Tzedakah (righteous deeds/charity)

Hachnasat Orchim (welcoming guests)

Shmirat Ha Teva (guarding nature)

Mitzvot (commandments)

Kehillah (community)

Talmud Torah (the importance of Jewish Learning)

Lashon Ha Ra (not gossiping)

Kedushah (holiness)

Curriculum

Our curriculum is broken into 4 main areas: Prayer, Torah, Observances, History/Israel. We are in the process of revising our curriculum to be sure that each year builds upon the previous one and to help us produce graduates who are lifelong learners. Each area of the curriculum has (or will have) guiding questions that will guide the larger, deeper conversations. Within each area each gradelevel, or groups of grade levels, have learning targets to help us define what we want the children to learn. Below I have included the guiding questions and learning targets for three of the 4 areas. Our curriculum is a work in progress.

Values

Learning Targets:

K/1st gradeStudents will be able to explain what tzedakah is.

Students will be able to explain why we give tzedakah.

2nd gradeStudents will be able to explain what tikkun olam is.

Students will be able to explain how we can care for the world.

3rd gradeStudents will be able to explain hacnassat orchim and why it is important.

Students will be able to describe ways we can be welcoming to guests.

4th gradeStudents will be able to explain how we create holiness in our lives.

5th gradeStudents will be able to explain the value of Talmud Torah.

Students will be able to describe ways that we learn from the Torah.

6th gradeStudents will be able to explain the value of derech eretz (good manners).

Students will be able to describe actions that show derech eretz.

7th gradeStudents will be able to explain the value of lashon ha’ra.

Students will be able to describe examples of lashon ha’ra from their daily lives.

Students will be able to describe the effects lashon ha’ra has on the people involved in the incident.

HineniStudents will be able to explain how k’lal Israel is a value and not just an idea.

Students will be able to describe actions that demonstrate the value of k’lal Israel.

Observance

Holidays/Shabbat/Life Cycle/Kashrut

Guiding Questions: Why is it important that Jewish observances form cycles?

How do these observances help us connect to God?

How do these observances help us connect to ourselves?

How do these observances help us connect to the Jewish community?

Learning Targets:

K/1st gradeStudents will be able to associate the holidays with the appropriate season.

Students will be able to name the holidays.

Students will be able to name at least one family custom associated with each major holiday.

Students will become familiar with the special prayers recited at each holiday.

Students will become familiar with the blessings for the Shabbat home rituals.

Students will be able to name at least one family ritual for Shabbat.

Students will be able to connect Shabbat to the story of creation.

2nd gradeStudents will be able to tell the story of each holiday.

Students will be able to tell the story of Shabbat.

Students will be able to explain the home rituals for Shabbat.

Students will be able to explain why we use 2 challahs for Shabbat.

3rd gradeStudents will be able to relate how the Torah describes the holidays.

Students will be able to creatively demonstrate key concepts of all major holidays with a particular emphasis on Pesach.

Students will be able to describe how Shabbat is different from the other days.

Students will be able to explain the idea of Shabbat as “a time apart.”

Students will be able to identify Shabbat observance as the 4th Commandment.

4th gradeStudents will be able to recite and read the holiday blessings.

Students will be able to describe the symbols of the holidays and what they represent.

Students will be able to explain the holiday rituals for both home and synagogue.

Students will be able to read, recite and understand the blessings for Shabbat home rituals.

Students will be able to name the days of the week in Hebrew.

Students will be able to explain how Jews create a holy time each week.

Students will be able to explain the 2 reasons for Shabbat—to remember the creation of the world and to remember the exodus from Egypt.

5th gradeStudents will be able to review holiday knowledge in the context of the history of our people.

Students will be able to articulate the life lessons taught by the different holidays.

Students will be able to explain the reasons for wearing kippot.

Students will be able to explain the lessons taught by Shabbat and the values we learn by observing Shabbat.

6th gradeStudents will be able to research additional details about the holidays that they find interesting

7th gradeStudents will be able to connect the holidays and Shabbat to higher level texts

Students will be able to connect holiday messages to appropriate actions

Torah

Values/Mitzvot

Living Torah—Guiding Our Past, Our Present, Our Future

Guiding Questions:What does the Torah teach us about our history?

How does the Torah tell us to behave?