Religious School

Dear Parents,

It is with great excitement and a sense of new opportunities that we share with you changes in the structure of our synagogue's education program for students and families in grades K-7.  Please read the entirety of this letter as it contains important information regarding the 2010-11 School Year.

Program Structure and Schedule for Grades K-7

Your input has helped greatly to refine our original proposal.  We are instituting the following changes to our current K-7 religious school schedule:

Grades K-1

Students in Grades K-1 will continue to attend religious school once weekly, on Sunday.  This coming year (2010-11) we are offering two sessions: 8:45-10:45 AM (Early) and 11:15-1:15 PM (Late). 

Grades 2 - 7

Our program for students in grades 2-7 will continue to be offered twice a week.  As with grades K-1, we will offer 2nd-7th grade families an opportunity to attend one of two sessions: 8:45-10:45 AM (Early) and 11:15-1:15 PM (Late).  Each Sunday shift will be linked with a particular weekday session (Tuesday or Thursday 4:00 - 6:00 PM) to provide consistency in the classroom throughout the week:

Students who participate in the 8:45-10:45 AM (Early) session will attend the Thursday, 4:00 - 6:00 PM session.

Students who participate in the 11:15-1:15 PM (Late) session will attend the Tuesday, 4:00 - 6:00 PM session.

Our tutoring program will remain as an option for those who are unable to attend the weekday session.  Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutoring will be scheduled throughout the morning, from 8:45 AM -1:15 PM.

We have also extended the school year several weeks to coincide with the conclusion of public school year.

The Interim (Sundays 10-45-11:15 AM)

During several Sundays in the course of the year, we will gather as an entire community during the Interim for assemblies and holiday celebrations.  We will also be using this period for grade-wide family education programs and the Youth Choir will meet from 10:45 - 11:15 AM most Sundays.  We will provide a schedule of these gatherings before the beginning of the school year.

When registering, you will have the opportunity to indicate your preferred choice for a Sunday session (Early/Late) and the linked weekday session (Tuesday or Thursday).   Siblings will be guaranteed the same schedule. Depending on demand, we will utilize a lottery system to ensure balanced participation in both Sunday shifts and weekday sessions.  

The registration forms are now up on the website.

Please fill the forms out and email/snail mail back to the Education office by May 31.  Please keep in mind that in order to be eligible for the lottery you must meet the deadline and fulfill the following financial obligations: your Books and materials fees for 2009-10 must have been paid and your current membership must be in good standing. Additionally, to participate in the lottery you must pay your 2010-11 Books and materials fees and by July 31 we expect you to have renewed your membership for 2010-11. 

Although we anticipate that these changes might, at first, seem disruptive, we are excited for the opportunities that they will enable for us to enhance the level of your child(ren)'s Jewish education, improve outcomes and support our faculty.  Please be in touch with any questions you may have. 

B'vrachah,

Rabbi Jeremy S. Morrison

Uri Feinberg

Debbie Betesh