School Policies and Procedures

These policies are designed to assist in providing a positive learning environment and experience for our students.

Attendance

It is of great importance that students are in attendance when school is in session. With the intent of encouraging the success of all of our students, the Religious School Committee has adopted the following policy regarding absence and early dismissal of students from all classes.

In order for a student to progress effectively and be prepared for the following class, a student who misses a class, will be e-mailed a brief outline of the content covered in class, and, a reading and/or written assignment that is reflective of the content missed. 

An assignment should be completed as soon as possible after it is received. The assignment should be returned to the student’s teacher at or before the next class session. You may email the assignment to sshear@sinai-temple.org or send a hardcopy in with your child.

We recognize that children have busy lives and engage in many activities, Religious and Hebrew School being one or two of them respectively. Because of the limited time we have to teach, a great deal of work is done in each session.  When a student misses school he/she is missing the information to progress effectively and to feel competent to participate in class. 

We endeavor to make a student’s time spent in Religious and Hebrew School worthwhile.  The best chance for your child to be successful is to view his/her time here as a serious commitment.  Your support in encouraging this attitude is greatly appreciated.

Homework

We realize that students have demanding schedules.  While teachers limit the amount of homework students receive, assignments may be necessary.  This is particularly true for the acquisition of Hebrew.  Students will be sent home with reading practice.  Hebrew School students are requested to spend 15 minutes at least three times per week practicing their reading. 

Parent interest goes a long way to encourage student participation.  If you have any questions or concerns about homework, please contact the teacher or the Director of Education.

Snacks and Food

Food used for any purpose in Sinai Temple Religious School must be considerate of the needs of all students in our school. Please let your child’s teacher know if your child has food or other allergies which may impact participation in Religious/Hebrew School activities. We ask all parents to be considerate particularly of nut and dairy allergies and not send food that has nuts or is coated with dairy products.

Weekdays

Because afternoon Hebrew School begins at 3:45 your child should have ample time to have a snack after school or on the way to Sinai.  If for some reason this is not possible your child may come to the Religious School office and have their snack before going up to class.

Sunday

Children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade may bring a small snack on Sunday mornings if you wish. Please send only food that can be consumed during that time. Water is recommended for an appropriate drink.  Please do not send juice boxes or soda. Food may be utilized occasionally for special programs, and may be integrated, with discretion, into specific curriculum and class procedures that will be enhanced by its use. You will receive notification from your child’s teacher prior to this occurring.

Behavior

We at Sinai Temple recognize that all children want to be accepted and valued and to behave in a manner acceptable to those around them.  To encourage appropriate behavior, the professional staff models and positively acknowledges acceptable behavior.

The standards that have been established for appropriate student behavior include the expectations that:

• Students behave in a respectful manner to those with whom they interact, including teachers, other students, temple members, and visitors to the building; (“Respectful” is defined as, listening to others when they are speaking, responding  to others in an acceptable tone and with an acceptable attitude, and carefully considering the viewpoints, thoughts and feelings of others before responding)
•  Students demonstrate respect for the rights and property of others by not damaging any property belonging to the temple, teachers, or other students and by returning all items to their proper location when finished using them.
• Students attend class regularly.  Please see the attendance policy for information regarding absences.
• Students come to class prepared to participate in all classroom activities and having completed assignments as requested. 

A Word About Discipline

We work to make classes engaging, interesting and developmentally appropriate for the students attending Sinai Temple’s educational programs, thereby reducing the need for disciplinary intervention.  Most incidents involving inappropriate behavior can be rectified with minimum intervention by redirecting the student’s energy to the established task at hand.  Occasionally, greater intervention may be necessary and the teacher will, in addition to redirecting his/her behavior, speak to the child regarding the inappropriateness of the behavior.  On occasion administrative intervention may become necessary.  Should this happen, the Director of Education will speak to the child in an effort to resolve the issues causing the behavior. If these efforts are unsuccessful, and a student’s behavior interferes with the learning of others or in some way jeopardizes the learning environment or safety of the classroom, parents will be called and required to pick their child up early.  Upon return, the student must demonstrate that his/her behavior will no longer interfere with the learning or safety of others.

Parents will be kept informed of any behavioral concerns the staff may have, and teaching staff and administration will work cooperatively to resolve any concerns.

"Dressing Up" for Temple

The Board of Trustees passed the following resolution at its meeting on December 16, 2004.  The resolution originated with the Ritual Committee as a result of some concern about the way in which some congregants have been dressed during Shabbat Services.

Although a Jew can pray anywhere or any time on his or her own, there is something special about praying in a community setting.  Although services at Sinai Temple are not overly formal, there is something holy about what we do in the sanctuary.  That is why the Ritual Committee and the Board of Trustees believe that dressing appropriately for services is important.  In particular, we believe that anyone who participates in a service by coming up to the bimah should be aware of the following:

1.     Wearing skirts that are more than several inches above the knee is inappropriate.
2.     Girls exposing the midriff is not appropriate for the bimah.
3.     Boys will want to remember that when they are on the bimah, their shirts should be tucked in.

In general, Sinai Temple recommends that children who participate in services or come up onto the bimah should dress the way they would dress for a public school concert.

Modesty and respectful dress is always appropriate.

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