June 2011
Dear Parents,

As this school year comes to a close, it s time to think about next year. First, I want to thank each of you for a successful school year. I asked you to help us help your children succeed with their Hebrew studies by improving their attendance and making-up missed classes. Well, our attendance this past year was much better than previous years. I also want to thank our dedicated faculty, our Rabbi, Joe Greenfield, Larry Hepner, Nan Coulter, Roberta Mandel and our student aides. I know the improved attendance, dedicated team and your demonstrated support will result in more confident B nai Mitzvah candidates.

We also enhanced our Hebrew curriculum with homework to reinforce the learning. This too appeared to be successful. Next year we will continue to make adjustments to our curriculum and welcome suggestions to help us improve how we support your child s Hebrew and religious education. You can contact me with ideas via the Temple e-mail and reference Religious School in the subject line

So, another great school year starts with planning. Again, we need your help. Below you may download registration materials. At this writing, pending approval of the 2011/2012 budget at the Annual Membership meeting on June 13, the tuition schedule, printed below, remains the same as the current school year with one change: The Bar/Bat Mitzvah fee remains $900 ($1,350 for twins), but members will be billed $450 (half) of the fee in the fiscal year prior to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah date. So, if your child s Bar/Bat Mitzvah is scheduled for September 2012, you will be expected to pay $450 of the fee between 7/1/11 and 6/30/12 and the remaining $450 in July 2012. As in the past, we are offering a discount if you register by August 1, 2011. The start of school will go much more smoothly if we know who to expect and can plan appropriately. Please do not wait until the first day of school to register.

We welcome your comments and encourage you to contact us with any concerns you may have concerning your child s Jewish education.

Sincerely,
Judy Coco, Chairperson
Board of Education

The registration form for the 2011/2012 school year is available for download. The tuition schedule is printed below.

School Tuition 2011/2012
Preschool & Kindergarten - voluntary contribution
Grades 1 & 2 $275¹
Grades 3 through 7 $600²
Confirmation 1st & 2nd year $275¹
Bar/Bat Mitzvah fee $900, (twins $1,350)³

¹Deduct $25 if your registration form is submitted and payment is made by August 1, 2011.
²Deduct $50 if your registration form is submitted and payment is made by August 1, 2011 for a child in grades 3 through 7. There is an additional discount of $50 for two or more children in grades 3 through 7.
³Half of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah fee is due the fiscal year prior to your child s scheduled ceremony date, and the remaining half is due 90 days before your child s ceremony date.

Unless you make a special arrangement with our Financial Secretary or Temple Administrator, Nan Coulter, (845) 279-4585, payment of school fees in full is due by the first day of classes.

Special Needs Form: On the reverse of the school registration form is our Special Needs form which will be used to help us prepare your child's teacher should any special needs exist. In order to best serve your child, we need to know of all special needs. Failure to provide information could cause unnecessary difficulties for your child and his or her teacher. This information will be considered carefully when making class placements. Information will be kept strictly confidential and will be shared with the Rabbi and child's teacher(s) only.

Expectations

In keeping with national trends in Reform Jewish religious education, our school program emphasizes family involvement and participation. In order to carry out this type of learning, we need parents to understand that unless they demonstrate, by their own participation, their commitment to their children s Jewish upbringing, little meaningful learning will take place. We ask a lot of you - please read on:

• Have your child attend all classes unless there is a compelling reason to miss school.
  
  
• Kallot: A morning of hands-on parent/child learning of student/parent-selected aspects of different Jewish traditions. Each teacher will plan a program for his or her individual class and notify the parents.
  
  
• Attendance at Shabbat services: Based on the philosophy that a Jewish education without attendance at religious services is meaningless, we require attendance at Shabbat services twelve times a year by students in fourth through sixth grade, EXCEPT that attendance is required twenty-four times during the year immediately preceding the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Please remind your child to sign in on the attendance sheet in the Lobby when you come to Shabbat services. Attendance at services outside of the Temple will be credited on a limited basis. In order for your child to get credit for attendance at services elsewhere, please send Roberta Mandel a written note or email roberta@templebethelohim.org with the specifics of date and where you attended services. We also strongly encourage parents of younger children to bring them to services as often as possible so that they will feel a true membership in our Jewish community. Please be aware that the year begins July 1.
  
  
• Shabbatonim: from the fourth grade on, we are encouraging families to meet, socialize and learn together by holding Shabbatonim (family and students in a particular grade participating in a specific event) approximately four or five times a year. It is incumbent on parents to accompany their children to at least three Shabbatonim. We are fortunate to have dedicated volunteer coordinators. We ask you to please make their jobs easier by responding to their invitations.
  
  
• School News: This document is distributed every week via email during the school year. Please make it a point to ask your child for your copy of this important newsletter. It will keep you up to date on upcoming events, and other things you need to know such as changes in schedule, absentee policies, Bar/Bat Mitzvah scheduling, and special events.

Download our School Manual (pdf)