Welcome Back to BJHS

September 1, 2009

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

We can’t wait to see you the first week of Hebrew School, which begins on Monday, September 14, 2009!  Just a reminder that Hebrew School meets at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, located at 270 West 89th Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue.  During school hours, you can reach the office at (212) 873-4548.  At all other times, please call us at the BJ office, (212) 787-7600 ext 260.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Please make a note of our arrival and dismissal procedures, which are designed to maximize classroom learning time.  ARRIVAL: At 3:45pm, students in Gan, Aleph and Bet should report to the Chapel at the back of the first floor.  Parents and other adults are welcome to accompany them.  At 3:45pm, students in Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, Vav, Zayin and Mem will go upstairs to their classrooms.  Students may not enter the elevators or stairways without an adult.  Our wonderful teachers and teenage Ozrim (teachers’ assistants) will chaperone students in the elevators and stairwells.  Students will not be permitted to enter the Heschel building before 3:45pm without an adult.  DISMISSAL: Students in Gan, Aleph and Bet will dismiss from the Chapel.  Students in Gimmel and above will dismiss from the Reception Room.  Students in Gan and Aleph dismiss at 5:30pm; all other students dismiss at 6:00pm.

Junior Congragation Attendance Requirement

On the first and third Saturday of each month, beginning on October 2, our student- and rabbinic-led Junior Congregation meets at 10:30am in the basement Social Hall at 86th Street.  To help connect Hebrew School families to the Congregation, as well as help reinforce and concretize the prayers our students learn at Hebrew School, we have a Junior Congregation attendance requirement for students in second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades.  Each year, students in grades 2-6 must attend Junior Congregation at least as many times as their grade number (second graders must attend twice, third graders three times, fourth graders four times, etc.).  Attendance will be taken. Your family may choose which dates work best for you, and of course, we encourage you to attend as often as you can!

Shabbat Intensive

Based on the success of Family Learning Programs on Shabbat, we’ve expanded our for families of students in Gimmel, Dalet, Hey and Vav. From the end of February (Presidents’ Week) through Pesah (beginning of April) students and their families will participate in a Shabbat Intensive Program, including attendance at specific Shabbat services, learning opportunities with BJ rabbis and educators, and sharing Shabbat meals with other families both at BJ and in each others’ homes.  The Shabbat Intensive Program reflects the importance of Shabbat in the BJHS curriculum and the greater BJ community – engaging entire families in their child(ren)’s Jewish education while strengthening the bonds within the community.  More information about the Shabbat Intensive will be provided at Back to School Night on October 1.

Looking Ahead: Calendar Dates for the Next Few Weeks

  • September 14 is the first day of school for BJHS students.
  • September 17 is the first day of school for Thursday students.
  • BJHS is closed on September 28 for Yom Kippur.
  • October 2 is the first Junior Congregation at 10:30AM at SPSA.
  • BJHS is closed on October 12 for Columbus Day; teachers attend professional development workshop
  • October 16-18 is the Reach for Shabbat Family Retreat for Gimmel, Dalet, Hey and Mem students and families.
  • November 5 is Back to School Night for Parents at 7:00pm in the 88th Street Sanctuary.
  • BJHS is closed on November 26 for Thanksgiving.
  • Back to School Night for parents, no matter which day or days your child attends Hebrew School, is on Thursday, October 1 at 7pm in the 88th Street Sanctuary.

We are pleased to continue our partnership with BJ’s Environmental Action Hevra, and keep Hebrew School paper-free at the parent level this year.  All of our paper consumption will take place in the school and in the classrooms,.  After this letter, with the exception of progress reports each semester, all of our communication with parents will be electronic.

How will this work? Read on…

The BJ Website

On the Hebrew School page you can find the following information:

  • Our calendar for the 2009-2010 school year to print an hang on your fridge
  • Family Handbook of policies and procedures, with new information for 2009-2010
  • Our mission and vision statements
  • Links to information about what’s happening for families at BJ

In addition, we have created a password-protected area of the site for Hebrew School parents to be a warehouse for slightly more sensitive information.  Here, you can find the following information:

  • Student lists – both alphabetical by last name and alphabetical by class assignment.  These lists include parent names, phone numbers, addresses and emails.  This is how you will find your child’s class assignment for this year.  The class assignment lists are NOT included in this letter.
  • Teacher contact list for all of our teachers
  • Information about our Hebrew School Advisory Committee

Username and password for this part of the website will be emailed the week before school begins.

Snack

Please make a note of our new snack policy.  Based on BJ’s community-wide initiative to decrease spending, combined with our experience that many families send their children with their own snack, the BJHS Advisory Committee recommended a new snack policy for this year.  BJHS will ONLY provide snack for students in Gan, Alpeh and Bet.  All other students (Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, Vav, Zayin and Mem) are welcome to bring a kosher, vegetarian, nut-free snack to be eaten during the first ten minutes of class.  Many parents have self organized in the past few years and arranged for families to take turns sending in a healthy fruit snack for the students in their child’s class to share.  If you have any questions about kashrut, please feel free to ask.

Weekly Email Updates

As in the past, our weekly email updates will be sent on Thursdays through BJ’s e-communications provider, Patron Mail.  Please be sure to adjust the security settings on your email account to make sure our emails get to you, especially if you have an AOL email address.  The first email will be sent the first week of school.

If for some reason your family will be unable to read email or access the website, please let us know as soon as possible.  If you change your email address during the year, please send us your new contact information so we can ensure that you don’t miss receiving important information!

Hebrew School ID Cards

Two key-chain parent/caregiver ID cards included in this mailing.  Adults MUST present this card to enter the Heschel building.  Adults without ID cards will not be allowed to enter the building until the security staff checks their names against the list of Hebrew School parents and adults authorized to pick up students.  The best way to get into the building quickly is to be sure that you, your partner, your caregiver, or whomever will be dropping off and picking up your child has a Hebrew School ID card.  If you need extra ID cards, they will be available at Hebrew School beginning on September 14.

I hope you enjoy the last days of summer.  All our teachers and I look forward to seeing you and your children in less than two weeks!

Kol tuv (all good things),

Ivy G. Schreiber

Director of Education

Youth & Family