Welcome to our congregation and our religious school. Congregation Klal Yisrael is an independent congregation affiliated with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts.
The goal of our education program is to help create, along with parents, a child who loves being a Jew. Many children's experience at Klal will be the foundation for the Jewish identity they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Therefore, we try to provide both a solid base of Jewish knowledge AND a deep emotional connection to Judaism. We see Judaism as a joyful, powerful and sustaining way of life, and hope your children will come to see it that way, too.
Within this calendar and parent handbook is information for the upcoming school year as well as a schedule of Klal events and services. Please read the Service Attendance Policy section. The focus of Klal's school curriculum is to give our students basic literacy skills so that they can participate actively in prayer in the synagogue: to become Jews in action, not just in name. Attending services is a KEY part of this curriculum, because it's the learning laboratory for the skills.
We try to provide a loving, positive and meaningful atmosphere in our classrooms and at services. But Judaism finds its first and most lasting expression in the home. We can and will help you with age appropriate activities for the family. Together, we will build a larger and stronger community - and that is what "Klal" means.
To promote a Jewish environment for learning which is safe, comfortable, welcoming and enjoyable for all Klal families.
To provide opportunities for Klal students to become aware of what Judaism means to them as individuals and as members of a Jewish community.
To provide a well-rounded educational program that includes:
We strive to create an atmosphere in which each child and his/her family feels a part of the community and each student can learn to the best of his/her ability. Parents and teachers share the responsibility of helping the children to succeed at Klal. Since success is measured differently by each family and everyone comes to Klal with different needs and desires, it is important to have a standard set of expectations and policies by which the school is run.
The Policies and Procedures that follow have been developed by the Klal School Committee. The Cantorial Soloist / Director of Education administers the school program in accordance with these policies. All teachers are responsible for following them as well. As it becomes necessary throughout the school year, certain policies may be amended. All families will be given sufficient notice of any such changes as well as a copy of the new policy.
Students are expected to arrive promptly to all classes. Parents are expected to notify the school, in advance, of any absence and make arrangements to get all missed class work and homework assignments. After three absences (or two consecutive absences) a student's teacher will phone the student's parents to discuss the child's attendance, reasons for the absences, and a plan to address the student's future attendance.
See Klal Kids and Hebrew School pages for class schedules.
Parents or their designees are strongly encouraged to walk their children into the classroom. Teachers appreciate seeing parents on a regular basis even if it is only for a few minutes at drop off or pick up. This time provides an informal opportunity for parents to be included in what is going on in school. Parents should make every effort to have students in the classroom a few minutes prior to the start of class so that it may begin promptly. Likewise, please be on time to pick up your children at dismissal time.
For the safety of your children, you must come into the building to pick up your child unless you send a letter to David Blocker authorizing your child to walk home. Students will NOT be allowed to walk out to cars without grownups. Please send this letter even if you sent one to the school last year.
Click here to see the cancellation policies.
Because our school program is only 1-1/2 hours once a week, homework is a vital tool for reinforcing the information taught. Many children need encouragement and assistance to insure that they spend quality time on their Klal school assignments. Homework is not optional and if a child consistently fails to do homework assignments the parent and teacher will need to discuss alternatives or remedial work assignments. Parents must insure that their children complete all homework assignments missed due to absence.
At the beginning of the school year, teachers will send home a letter detailing specific expectations regarding homework for their class. As a general rule, we recommend that students spread their Klal homework out over at least two sessions per week. This way the work time for each session is shorter and reinforcement and recall will be improved. In Aleph, we suggest DAILY reading practice.
The focus of Klal's school curriculum is to give our students basic literacy skills so that they can participate actively in prayer in the synagogue: to become Jews in action, not just in name. Attending services is a KEY part of this curriculum, because it's the learning laboratory for the skills. Therefore:
These requirements are just as much a part of the school work as attending classes and doing homework assigned. Successful completion of these requirements is necessary for students to be able to move on to the next grade and, eventually, to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Klal. If your child did not meet the requirements from last year, you will receive a letter or email from David Blocker notifying you of how many services from last year need to be made up before starting on this year's requirements.
For the convenience of families, we offer a variety of options for services at Klal:
At each Family Shabbat Service, students are called up on the bimah to assist in leading prayers that they are working on in the classroom. We feel that this is an essential component in helping our children be comfortable with being in front of the congregation, as they will be at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah and throughout their adult lives.
At Klal, we strive to build community and therefore, families are urged to attend services WITH their children.
This year, whenever you attend a family service, please bring a dessert item for the Oneg (Friday) or dairy lunch item for the Kiddush (Saturday) that always follow a family service. On a rotating basis, families will be asked by the Kiddush Coordinator to set up, clean up and bring a challah as well.
Several times during the year, there will also be an optional Pot Luck Supper before one of the Friday night Shabbat services.
An Open Classroom Week for parents will be held in the fall of each year as an opportunity for parents to meet the teachers and learn about the curriculum. Written report cards will be issued twice each year: once in January and once in June. Teachers are always available to meet with parents at other times with sufficient notice. Please leave a message at Klal and the teacher will call you back to set up an appointment.
All students and staff at the Klal Religious School are expected to actively participate in fostering an environment of respect, tolerance and compassion. This means that students will behave in an appropriate manner towards classmates and teachers. Proper consideration for the teaching/learning environment as well as for the thoughts and feelings of others is expected from all students at all times. Students and teachers will be asked to sign a 'behavior contract' to agree to standards of behavior in their class.
To help each child reach his or her potential, at the discretion of the teachers, additional help from high school students who are fluent in Hebrew will be available during class time throughout the school year. There will be no additional charge for this one-on-one or small group work. All students may have the opportunity to work with these resource teachers during the year.
As a practical means of helping our school run smoothly and efficiently and encouraging all families to deepen and enrich their Klal experience, all parents are asked to take on at least one volunteer role in the school or Congregation, as well as Oneg or Kiddush responsibilities. Assignments are coordinated by the Chair of the School Committee at the time of student registration. Klal Kids parents are asked to volunteer to help in the classroom or with other related activities for at least one of the 8 classes.
In order for a child to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Klal, the student and/or family must:
The Klal staff is prepared to work individually with any family whose child is having difficulty meeting standards. The following steps and decision points will be used by the Klal staff (in this order) to address situations in which a student is not meeting any of the academic or performance standards as detailed in this manual:
For all students who are on remedial plans, the Cantorial Soloist / Director of Education will provide a confidential and anonymous monthly status report to the School Committee. Parents of these students may also address any concerns, in writing, to the Cantorial Soloist / Director of Education and/or the School Committee.