Posted on September 10, 2020
August 27, 2021/Elul 5781
Dear Parents:
I hope you and your children had a wonderful and safe summer. We are preparing for another busy year of learning and celebrating at Temple Israel— IN PERSON! The teachers and I are thrilled that we will be back together again in real space and real-time!
We are so happy this year to welcome six new families to the religious school. Welcome to the Fox, Johnston, Levy, Parag, Tevet, and Zenlea families! We look forward to getting to know you and celebrating with you throughout the year.
I am also excited to welcome two new teachers, Catie Jacobs and Marin Moore, a new song leader, Zoe Halperin, and a new Madrichim Program Coordinator, Melanie Lieberman. All of our teachers’ bios are on our website. What a great crew!
Finally, we welcome Temple Israel’s Senior Transitional Rabbi, David Klatzker! Rabbi Klatzker is eager to meet our students, introduce new family and parenting programs, and spend time with our 7th graders each week.
This letter outlines essential information for you and your family. As you carefully review this information, please know that safety is always our number one priority. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of students, staff, and the community. Since safety comes first, the guidelines and expectations, listed in the first part of this letter may change. But, however that might be, our plans and programs, described in the second part of this letter, will continue to be shaped to inspire and excite your children. In particular, based on our success last year, we have redesigned our schedule with teachers teaching by subject area and students having multiple teachers. We are confident in this new format and look forward to using it to create the best possible learning environment for your children.
I can’t wait to get started!. As we enter a new normal, we are doing everything we can to keep everyone safe and healthy. As always, as the year gets underway, we will tweak, adjust, and pivot if we have to. If something isn’t working for your child or family, please be in touch immediately. Your feedback and ideas are important to us and are always welcome.
L’Shalom,
Robin
P.S. Don’t forget these important things:
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Dear Religious School Families:
Gratitude
Thank you for your outpouring of support and positive feedback as the year has gotten underway. I feel blessed to work with such a supportive community, fantastic faculty members, and terrific kids!
Remaining Remote
I am writing today to inform you that the Education Committee and I have decided that religious school needs to remain remote through at least winter break. We are successfully engaging students remotely, and a shift to in-person RS would entail risks that we are not comfortable taking on. Please note that a hybrid model is not realistic given the technology, space, budget, cleaning, and training required.
We are conscious that our area’s COVID cases are rising, and other local RS and supplemental programs remain remote. A number of programs that offered in-person options are now fully remote, and they face staffing shortages as teachers have been exposed to the virus or are home with sick children.
We further recognize that we will bring together students from multiple school districts and cohorts if we return to in-person religious school. We believe it is important that we play our role in not increasing the risk that our students, and by extension their secular schools, will be affected by COVID.
A Desire to Connect In-Person – Let’s Dance!
While our learning will remain remote, we are committed to some outdoor in-person options co-sponsored with the Youth Department. The first program will be a socially distanced dance party on Sunday afternoon, November 8, in the TI parking lot. Click here for the flyer. Click here for the waiver.
Community members will be on hand to assure social distancing, and students will be spaced with at least one parking space between them. This will be a drop-off event; parents may not remain on-site. No food will be served, and everyone must wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth for the event’s duration. Participants should bring a water bottle.
We look forward to dancing with you!
Providing Feedback
As we move into November and December, your feedback will be crucial to our continual improvement. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey with your child. Please complete the survey for each of your children. And of course, you are always welcome to reach out to any of us.
Livriut U’lshalom, (for health and with peace)
Robin Kahn, Director of Education and Teen Engagement
Michelle Wilen, Education Committee Chair (wilenms@yahoo.com)
Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Education VP (rebecca.katsh@gmail.com)
Dear Religious School Families:
What a unique first week! Thank you for your patience and encouragement as we rolled out our online program. We ironed out a few wrinkles, and we are all getting used to this new way of teaching and learning. Personally, I enjoyed seeing our kids’ faces on the screen, hearing about their summers, and listening to our classrooms come alive with Jewish content.
SHABBAT TEFILA
This Shabbat tefillah begins (9:15-9:45). Rachel and Anna, our song leaders, can’t wait to sing and daven with you. Their energy is contagious! Start your weekend with Shabbat tunes and your TI community. The links for these services are on the Shabbat tab in your Zoom links spreadsheet.
IFS….
TODAH RABAH – WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE
A loud and resounding shoutout to our teachers, aides, and madrichim. I appreciate their inspiring lessons, providing tech support, and endless smiles. Thank you!
I also want to thank the TI Board and Education Committee for their continuous support in ensuring that our online program is of the highest quality! Thank you!
OVER THE NEW FEW WEEKS, our focus’ will be reconnecting with each other, getting used to online classes’ norms, and of course, Rosh HaShanah Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.
COMING SOON:
Shabbat Shalom,
Robin
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RS Registration for 2020-2021 is now live: Click here
Robin Kahn
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Director of Education and Teen Engagement
Temple Israel of Natick
cell: 617.823.1312
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