Congregation
Or Chadash
Parent Handbook 2010-2011
Table of Contents
Welcome 3
Contact Information
Background 4
Philosophy
Goals
School Programs
and Curriculum 5-8
Curriculum Overview
Special Needs/Inclusion
Additional programs
Tikkun
Olam and Youth Philanthropy Programs
The Family and
Student 9-10
Opportunities for Involvement
Service Attendance
Strategies for Success
School Procedures
and Policies 10-12
Security and Safety
Security
Officers and Parent Patrol
Parking and Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Emergency Procedures
Visiting the School / Late Arrival and Early
Dismissal
Attendance, Arrival and Dismissal
Guest Policy
Homework
Discipline Policy
Electronic Devise and Cell Phones
Student Code of
Rights and Responsibilities 13
Welcome
Welcome to Congregation Or
We view our students’
education as a partnership among our staff, students, parents and
congregational community. Your
participation is vital to our success.
The following information should be a helpful guide to enhance your
ability to be a part of this community partnership.
Please feel free to stop by
or call whenever you have a question or an idea to share. We look forward to working with your child
and your family in continuing the success of our school, our congregation and
our Jewish future.
Contact
Us:
Congregation Or Chadash
Phone: 512-8500
Front Desk: extension 10 Director of Education: extension 14
Fax: 512-8600
E-mail:
Office: office@orchadash-tucson.org
Director of Education: education@orchadash-tucson.org
Background
Philosophy
It is the mission of
Congregation Or Chadash Religious School to instill love for and enthusiasm
about Judaism in its students and their families. As Reform Jews, we believe that Judaism is a
living faith, evolving, as does everything that grows.
We believe very deeply that
the world has a need for Jews who know, understand and live by Jewish
values. The survival of Judaism depends
on the understanding of our heritage, the basic concepts that identify Judaism
and the various trends within it to the end that each Jew will choose to be
part of that history and tradition. We
feel that Jewish education should be the shared responsibility of the family,
the religious school and the community.
The Congregation Or Chadash
Religious School recognizes and treats each student as an individual, allowing
him/her to become an active participant in the learning process. All students will be respected for their
ideas, and teachers will be ever conscious of the need to strengthen young
Jewish minds and hearts.
Our school enriches the
students with an understanding of Judaism and what it means to be a Reform Jew
and a good American. Our fundamental
objective is that this education will enable the students to face the
challenges posed by living in the modern world, and that Judaism will help them
to make critical life decisions along the way.
Approved by the Or Chadash Board,
Goals
The goals of our religious
school program are designed to be lifelong goals. Each goal describes the ideal behavior, which
an adult Reform Jew will achieve throughout a lifetime of Jewish
exploration. Jewish students will
achieve the many aspects of each goal at growing levels of sophistication as
they mature and develop.
- To instill within our families an understanding
of the importance of their involvement in the education of their children.
- To build Jewish pride and identity.
- To instill a love of Judaism, its holidays,
symbols, rituals, songs and values.
- To delight in learning the Hebrew language
through the Alef-Bet, vocabulary, and stories of our tradition.
- To feel at home and participate in the life of
the synagogue and learn about the power of Tefilah (prayer).
- To deepen our children’s love and knowledge of
Torah and all Jewish scriptures as a means of establishing a relationship
with God and community.
- To embrace a commitment to the Brit
(covenant between God and the Jewish people) as interpreted in the light
of historic development and contemporary Jewish thought.
- To study, understand and celebrate with joy
Shabbat, Jewish holidays and holy days.
- To mark significant life cycle events with Jewish
ceremonies
- To affirm the historic bond to Eretz Yisrael, the
- To further the causes of justice, freedom and
peace by pursuing Tzedek (righteousness), Mishpat (justice), and Chesed (loving
deeds.)
- To seek actively and create a kinship with other
Jewish communities throughout the world (Klal Yisrael.)
- To study and attempt to understand people of
other religions and cultures.
School Programs and Curriculum
Curriculum Overview
Congregation Or Chadash believes in providing a curriculum
and educational program in which all children create lifelong, joyous Jewish memories.
Little Pishers
This
parent-tot program is designed for 2 ½ year olds through pre-Kindergarten age
children along with an adult. The group meets on average twice monthly for
classes, field trips, and playtime. The lessons for this class are based on two
books: “What’s Jewish about Butterflies?” written by Maxine Segal Handelman,
with Co-author Deborah L. Schein. The second book “Jewish Every Day” is written
by Maxine Segal Handelman as well.
Kindergarten/ First Grade
Developing Jewish
identity-through creative play, music, movement and the arts, students will
explore the Jewish year, Shabbat and Holidays. Hebrew Aleph Bet accompanied by
a Hebrew Enrichment Program will be introduced throughout the year.
Blessings taught in
Kindergarten/First Grade: Hamotzi, Kiddush, Shabbat and
The students in Kindergarten
will read the book “The Shabbat Box” by Leslie Simpson and in turn, each
student will create a Shabbat Box of their own with the symbols that go with
it. In First Grade, the students will
explore the Synagogue, the roles of the Rabbi and Cantor in it, its symbols,
and what can be found in it. They will also go on field trips to a couple of
close by Synagogues. Activities such as
cooking, card making, reading books and watching slide shows, will aide in
making connections with the students and the State of Israel.
Second Grade
Torah stories and Bible
Heroes from Genesis and Exodus are the focus of this year. The students will
learn about the symbols and the different roles people play in the Synagogue.
Jewish Holidays throughout the year will continue to be celebrated in the order
they occur.
Basic introduction of the
Hebrew Aleph Bet continues with a core oral vocabulary, and the names and
sounds of the letters.
Reinforcement of the
following blessings: Hamotzi, Kiddush, Shabbat and
Third Grade
The Third Grade marks a more comprehensive
approach to the Hebrew language. Students will learn all the letters and vowels
in Block style as appears in our prayer books.
The Third Grade students will
acquire the necessary skills to phonetically read the Hebrew language
accurately and with fluency. The
students in Third Grade will participate in Consecration, the ceremony marking
the “formal” beginning of their Jewish education. This ceremony will take place
during the holiday of Simchat Torah. During the weekly T’filah services, the students will practice leading the
entire Friday Night and the Havdallah services. The Four Questions would be
reviewed around Passover.
Fourth Grade
The Jewish calendar is taught
in greater detail, particularly Jewish months, lunar vs. solar year, Leap year,
and the difference between the secular and Jewish calendars.
By Fourth Grade, our students
will begin to read these prayers: Barchu, Sh’ma, V’ahavtah. They will become
proficient in reading fluency, blessing recitation and Hebrew Language
enrichment.
Fourth Grade Continues
They will be introduced to the
Chatzi Kaddish (Readers’ Kaddish), Birkat Hamazon (the blessing at the
conclusion of the meal), and will review all holiday blessings.
Fifth Grade
The Jewish Life Cycle customs
and rituals is the focus in Fifth Grade. The students will discover that our
history is the story of a determined people. They will explore several of the
Mitzvot (commandments) such as Bikur Cholim (visiting the sick), Tzedakah
(Charity), and Kashrut (dietary laws). The study of the Ten Commandments will
enrich the curriculum. The students will continue to focus on fluency and
mastery of prayers and will move on to grammar, suffixes, prefixes, vocabulary,
and Hebrew language enrichment.
The students will study the
entire Friday night service including the following prayers: Amidah- Avot
V’Imahot, G’vurot, K’dusha, and the Yotzer-Or Prayer.
Sixth Grade
Begin with an introduction to
early American Jewish History (16th-18th centuries), move
on to mid-19th century German Jewish immigration, then on to the
late 19th century immigration of Jews from various parts of Europe,
leading up to modern times. Culminating the year, the students will create a
special book documenting immigrants’ stories. Mitzvot will be examined through
Jewish heroes both contemporary and historical.
This is a busy year as we set
the path for the B’nei Mitzvah preparations. Specific subjects of study for the
Sixth Grade include cantillation, reading fluency, the structure and the
meaning of the prayer service, Torah and Haftarah blessings as well as Hebrew enrichment.
Prayers like Brachot
Hashachar, Ashrei, and Yotzer will be mastered by the end of the year.
Seventh Grade
The students in Seventh Grade
will continue with Jewish history and explore an introduction to the roots of
anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. The role of prejudice and discrimination in
the Nazis’ rise to power, along with the resistance movement, life in the
ghettoes and the concentration camps will all be explored during the first part
of the year. We will look at the human-interest affects of the Holocaust and
its impact on our lives today. Next, we will move on to the study of
The Hebrew Curriculum
continues with advanced prayer reading, cantillation, and vocabulary. Students
will explore the weekly Torah portions. They will begin studying the Torah and
Haftarah portions for all of the holidays. They will analyze these texts for
plot, meaning and significance in their lives. Students will use Torah and
Mitzvot in learning to accept the responsibility of becoming a Jewish adult and
dealing with decision making in today’s world as they prepare to become Bar and
Bat Mitzvah.
Eighth Grade
The focus will be on Reform Judaism and Comparative
Judaism. We will begin the semester describing the origins of Reform Judaism
and how Reform Judaism informs us and provides meaningful answers to such
questions as: What is the meaning of life; How do we make the best of it; What
happens afterward; and, If there is anyone or anything “out there”, what or who
is that? We will also learn about the similarities and the differences among
the various sects of Judaism, focusing on answering questions such as:
§
What is the purpose of life?
§
What is your relationship with people of
other faiths?
§
What are the internal truths?
§
Do you have Creation stories?
§
Afterlife beliefs?
§
Specific views on: sex, marriage,
procreation, war, suicide, euthanasia, abortion
§
What are your daily lifestyle practices and
why do you practice them?
Eighth
Grade continues
The
Second semester will be devoted to exposing our students to the teachings,
spiritual methods, symbolism, and various facets of a small selection of
religious traditions. The primary aim is to meet the need for accurate
information about these religions by providing information and an exchange of
views on aspects of religious life, doctrinal, historical, possibly mystical,
and most importantly, personal experiences and traditions from representatives
of these religions.
Additional programs
Special
Needs Program
Congregation
Or Chadash has been a pioneer of a program that provides a Jewish education for
children with special needs in the
We
offer a program that includes:
·
Individualized
educational programs to meet each child’s needs
·
Bar/Bat
Mitzvah preparations
·
Highly
trained staff
Tikkun Olam and Youth
Philanthropy Programs
·
From the beginning
of our school experience, our children are taught and participate in social
action and philanthropy opportunities.
·
·
Tikkun Olam—caring
for our world is a vital concept. We
teach this concept as a way of building lifelong ideals and practices. Students will have both formal and informal
opportunities to practice taking care of their world through age-appropriate
activities. Examples of this in the past
include: making sandwiches for the
hungry, furnishing an apartment for Katrina survivors, volunteering at
Handmaker and preparing cards for the ill.
·
·
Students will
develop the concept of Tzedakah
(righteous giving) through weekly giving and discussions about recipient
agencies/individuals. Please encourage
students to give Tzedakah every week,
and help them to understand that the amount is less important than the
deed. Tzedakah is collected every Sunday morning at the beginning of
class. All students will participate in
classroom decision making for selecting recipient agencies.
·
·
In fifth grade,
students will learn and discuss Maimonides’ levels of Tzedakah. Their study
continues into sixth grade where students will organize and run the Mitzvah
Mall, a student-run fair where children are introduced to Jewish service
agencies in Tucson. Students will
investigate participating agencies, learn their needs and convey that
information to all students through the Mitzvah Mall. Children will be given the opportunity to
make donations to agencies in honor of the person of their choice.
·
·
By seventh grade
students will deepen their understanding of giving and will form the Seventh
Grade Philanthropy Board. At this time,
students are asked to forego the giving and receiving of B’nei Mitzvah gifts to
one another and instead give a donation to the Youth Philanthropy Fund. Students will prepare requests for proposals
and will evaluate grant requests to determine grant awards as a group. Individual financial constraints do not prohibit
participation. Additional funds for this
project are earned by the sixth and seventh grade classes by their planning and
running of the Purim Carnival for the year.
B’nei
Mitzvah
Comprehensive
instruction and support for this important life cycle event. Our students can
elect to participate in “Remember Us” and opportunity for them to carry forward
the name of a child who died in the Holocaust and was unable to become Bar/Bat
Mitzvah during his or her own lifetime.
Youth
Philanthropy Program
Our
Seventh Grade students participate in a youth philanthropy board in which they
evaluate and fund community grant proposals.
Post
B’nei Mitzvah
A
high percentage of our post B’nei Mitzvah students enroll in our Eighth Grade
program to learn about our Jewish community, other religions, and Jewish
community organizations.
Madrikhim
Program
Post
B’nei Mitzvah students can choose to participate in training to become a
classroom aide. At the end of a year-long program, they can apply for an aide
position in our Religious School.
Youth
Groups
The
two youth groups that we offer to our students are a collaborative effort with other
Reform congregations’ youth groups such as Temple Emanu-El and Congregation
Chaverim.
Young
Geared
to students in Third through Eighth Grades, the focus is on developing
leadership skills and connection to the people and the
To
Register contact Director of Education at 520-512-8500 #14 or email at
education@orchadash-tucson.org
NFTY/TOASTY
Eighth
Grade and above
TOASTY
- Tucson Outstanding Amazing Super Temple Youth is the local chapter of NFTY the teen youth group. Open for high school
students in grades 9 through 12.
NFTY – North American
Federation of
Hebrew
High- for High School students Ninth - Twelfth Grade
It
is our hope that our students will continue to further their Jewish Education
by attending
Confirmation
Our
own Rabbi teaches this class through Hebrew High usually in the Tenth Grade
with option for older students to participate if they have not had the chance
earlier. The students will study how
Jewish ethical teachings help them to make important choices as teens and as
adults. Issues such as Drugs, Sex, Tattoos, and Piercings will be discussed and
how Jewish values and teachings can give these young adults a safe way to enter
a world that can be frightening and stifling at times. Additionally, there will
be opportunities for the Confirmation class to provide service through acts of gemilut chasidim, “acts of loving
kindness” within our community. The year
will culminate with a special Confirmation service held in June, around the
holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot is the holiday commemorating the receiving of the
Torah, so it is appropriate to celebrate Confirmation on that date.
The Family and Student
Opportunities for Involvement
Congregation
Or Chadash and the
·
Room parent
·
Special project organizer (book fair, Purim Carnival, Israel Festival
booth, etc)
·
Phone calls
·
Parent patrol
·
Social/potluck coordinator
·
Elective intensives teacher
·
Committee member
For
a more comprehensive list of volunteer and community opportunities please see
the office. Your support and
participation are truly appreciated. Our
success and our children’s futures depend on our entire community.
Service Attendance
During
the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year, Shabbat service attendance is required. While attendance is not required during other
times in your congregational and religious school involvement, attendance will
increase your family’s ties to Judaism and our congregation.
Students
in religious school may check with Cantor at the end of every Friday night
service to ensure their participation in the service is noted. Religious School students will be given a
special treat at the end of the year.
Strategies for Success
Providing
your child the proper supplies for school success is just as important in
religious school as it is in secular school.
While you may not be asked to provide specific items for the classroom,
the experiences and opportunities you provide will enable your child’s success.
Your
presence and commitment send a message of support to your child. Make religious school a day for the whole
family. Participate in our adult
education programs, a Chavurah, or congregational committee. Stop by your child’s classroom to observe,
participate or volunteer a skill. Read
Jewish books and practice Hebrew together with your child. If you don’t read Hebrew, take a beginning
class or read the transliterations on the back of the Hebrew practice
pages. Help your child access Jewish and
Hebrew websites. Practice Hebrew at www.behrmanhouse.com.
Your
involvement is crucial to your child’s success.
Take time to discuss the experiences your child is having. Use their
classroom topics of study as a springboard for discussion at your Shabbat
table. Attend services regularly with
your entire family. Learn with your
child by taking an adult education class.
Spend time together in Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and
discuss the Mitzvot (commandments) you are fulfilling through your
efforts. Each time your child observes
you participating in Judaism is another time for him/her to understand the
value of Judaism throughout one’s lifetime.
School Procedures and Policies
Security and Safety
The security and safety of your
children are our first concern. As the
congregation grows and moves into the future, we continue to strive to be a
“warm and welcoming place where all can experience God.” We will meet this goal with the safety and
security of your family in mind. Please
help us by following our procedures and working with us in this process.
Security and Parent Patrol
Entrance to the school
through the south lot drop-off and pick-up area, and the school campus are
monitored by a volunteer parent patrol. Please adhere to their instructions as
well as the signs posted throughout the parking lot.
The volunteers are a vital
part of our security team. If you wish
to volunteer for this important job, please see the Director of Education.
Parking and Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Parking for
·
Stickers are
numbered and assigned to your family. If
you choose not to use them, please return them to our office so that we may
keep track of each numbered sticker.
·
Stickers must be
placed on the inside of your lower passenger-side windshield.
·
Cars that do not
have a sticker will need to park in the east lot and walk their child(ren) onto
campus.
·
The east lot is
the only lot available for parking before, during and after religious school
and does not require a lot access sticker.
·
Parents parking
in the east lot need to walk their child(ren) onto campus.
·
Cars in the drop-off and pick-up area will not be
allowed to stop in parking spaces or to leave their vehicles for any reason.
·
Students in the
drop-off and pick-up area may exit and enter only at the stairs to the school
entrance.
·
Cars should then
continue forward to the turn around area at the west end of the school.
·
If a back up
occurs in the drop-off and pick-up area, the parent patrol may ask you to
continue through the area and circle back.
The drop-off and pick-up area
was designed for convenience. It will
remain an option as long as we feel that the safety of our students continues
to be maintained.
Emergency Procedures
In
the event of illness or personal emergency, every attempt will be made to
contact the parent/guardian immediately based on the most current information
we have. Please be sure that we have
your most current contact information on your registration materials. If we cannot contact you, we will contact
your emergency alternates and handle the situation as deemed most
appropriate. If an emergency arises that
necessitates the prolonged evacuation of our building, you will be informed by
the school emergency phone System (“One Call Now”) and when possible a
school-wide e-mail. If we are in an
evacuation situation, you will be notified as to where your child is, and
students will be released only to those people listed on their emergency
forms.
Staff
members regularly review emergency procedures and are prepared to handle such
situations in the unlikely event that they occur.
Visiting the School / Late Arrival and Early Dismissal
Our campus provides beautiful
open areas for outdoor classes, nature walks and spiritual spaces. It is a wonderful benefit, but requires that
we more closely monitor our students’ and visitors’ whereabouts than in a
closed campus. We have space for parents
to congregate in and around our administration building and welcome you to
spend time here. Please follow these
procedures when visiting the school campus:
·
Obtain a visitor’s
pass and identification sticker at the office.
·
If you arrive
more than ten minutes late or are picking up your child early, you will need to
check in and out at the office. A pass
will be issued for the teacher of the class.
Teachers will not allow late entrance or early dismissal without a pass.
·
The campus patrol
will walk the campus during school hours.
This gives students a friendly face to help ensure their safety. Campus patrol and staff members will wear
identification tags.
Attendance, Arrival and
Dismissal
Because
we have so little time with our students and a very demanding curriculum, it is
crucial that parents and students strive for the goal of attending classes on a
regular basis and that students do their best to arrive on time and to stay
through the end of class. Sunday classes
begin at
In case of absence, please
notify the office at
Guest Policy
Students
who are not enrolled in our school are welcome to visit in the classroom on an
occasional basis during the year provided
that arrangements are made with the classroom teacher and the Director of Education
prior to the scheduled visit. Guests
of the school are required to check in at the office and will be given a
“guest” sticker. Guests are required to
follow the classroom and school rules at all times. Parents of the students are welcome in the classroom
but must check in at the office.
Homework
There
are many valid arguments for and against homework in the religious school. While we recognize the demanding schedules of
our students, there may be times when a teacher feels it is meaningful and necessary
for the students to complete homework. As a general guideline, weekly homework
should not exceed 15 minutes for K-3rd grade students and 30 minutes
for 4th-8th grade students unless otherwise needed for
special projects. Hebrew reading and
Bar/Bat Mitzvah study may require more regular at-home study.
Parent/Teacher/School
Communication
·
The relationship between home and school is crucial for our students’
success. For this reason, we take
communication very seriously. Twice
during the year, students in Hebrew School will receive written progress
reports. In addition to these, teachers
and the school will communicate home through written correspondence, e-mails,
internet groups and telephone calls. It
is imperative that you or your child check their classroom cubby and your
e-mail each week. Additionally, please
check your New Light, school calendar and the congregational calendar on our
website, www.orchadash-tucson.org,
regularly.
·
It is equally important that you communicate with us. If there is a significant change in home life
or if you have information that is pertinent to our staff, we need to hear from
you. If you would like to speak with a
teacher, they are available ten minutes before or after class or by
appointment. You may also contact our
teachers through their information on the staff roster in our school directory. The Rabbi, Cantor and Director of Education
are also available for any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us at school or
through the office. We can also be
reached by e-mail for questions and concerns that are not urgent. The school e-mail address is :
education@orchadash-tucson.org
. We value your input and welcome your comments.
Discipline
Policy
At
Congregation Or Chadash we are committed to providing a positive learning
experience for all of our students. This
can only be accomplished by creating an orderly and safe environment. It is also important to have cooperation
between the school and the home.
In
order to reach these objectives, the following discipline policy has been
adopted for our
- First Offense: The Student and Teacher
work out the problem.
- Second Offense: The Teacher and the Parents will
have a conference to discuss the Student’s
behavior.
- Third Offense: The
Student is referred to the Director of Education who will then set up a
conference with the Teacher
and Parents.
- Fourth Offense: The Student may serve suspension.
- Fifth Offense: The Student may be removed
from the
The
above list is not required to be sequential, but will be determined by the type
and severity of the repeated misbehavior.
If the conduct is particularly harmful or offensive, it may be necessary
to warrant consideration as a higher offense.
Electronic Devises &
Cell Phones
In
this day and age we are aware of the need for cell phones. However, there is a
time and place for the use of all electronic devices during school. Making and
answering phone calls or receiving and sending text messages will not be
allowed in school during class time.
All
other electronic devises should be kept off when school is in session. Teachers
may hold onto cell phone or electronic devices if they find that a student is
using it during class. The items will be returned to the students at the end of
class. Please refrain from calling or text messaging your child during school
hours. If you need to get a message to your child, please call the office and
the message will be given to your child.
Student
Code of Rights and Responsibilities
Within
each classroom, teachers will establish and review class rules, policies and
procedures within the bounds of the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities
as determined by the Education Committee.
We
recognize the following individual rights and responsibilities:
- The right to feel safe
and the responsibility to make sure that others feel safe.
- The right to be
respected as an individual and the responsibility to respect all others.
- The right to use our
land and the property on it and the responsibility to protect them.
To
participate in the Congregation Or Chadash school community, parents, students
and staff must affirm the following:
I
am responsible for making this a safe environment. Some of the ways I can help to do this are:
- Keeping hands, feet and
objects to myself
- Walking on the school
grounds
- Being where I am
supposed to be
- Keeping my actions safe
for myself and others
I
am responsible for making sure people respect themselves and one another. Some of the ways I can help do this are:
- Speaking kindly to others
- Listening when others
are speaking
- Including everyone so
that no one feels left out
- Using good manners
- Treating others with
care and respect
- Helping others
- Staying on Task
- Doing my best work
always
- Attending class
regularly and bringing all required materials
I
am responsible for taking care of the school property and everything around
it. Some of the ways I can help to do
this are:
- Cleaning up after
myself
- Keeping all property
free from damage
- Using property in the
way that it is intended to be used
- Leaving classrooms,
bathrooms and common areas clean and neat
Judaism
is founded upon a covenant between God and the Jewish People. Our community is also founded on the same
principles. Students who adhere to the
Code of Rights and Responsibilities will enjoy the privileges of our community.