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EJL=Experiencing Jewish Life, FE=Family Ed. (Grade)
Gr7=7th Grade Ethics Course at Temple
Bold Date=Religious School in Session

	Sunday	Tuesday/Wednesday	Holidays
September	16/Opening Day Event		12/Erev Rosh Hashanah
	23/EJL		21/Erev Yom Kippur 26/Erev Sukkot
	30/FE (6th)	2/3
October	7/No School (Columbus Day)	9/10
	14/EJL	16/17
	21/FE (4th) /Gr7	23/24
	28/FE (5th) /Gr7	30/31
November	4/EJL/Gr7	6/7
	11/No School (Veteran’s Day)	13/14
	18/FE (3rd)/Gr7		22/Thanksgiving
	25/No School (Thanksgiving)	27/28
December	2/EJL/Gr7	4/5	4/1st Night of Hanukkah
	9/FE (2nd) /Gr7	11/12
	16/FE (1st) /Gr7	18/19
	23/No School (Winter Vac.)		Winter Vacation:
	30/No School (Winter Vac.)		Dec. 23–Jan. 2
January	6/Gr7	8/9
	13/EJL/Gr7	15/16
	20/No School (MLK Day)	22/23	22/Tu B'Shevat
	27/Gr7	29/30
February	3	5/6
	10/EJL	12/13
	17/No School (Feb. Vac.)		Feb. Vacation 17–24
	24/No School (Feb. Vac.)	26/27
March	2	4/5
	9/EJL	11/12
	16	18/19	20/Purim Megillah Reading
	23	25/26
	30/EJL	1/2
April	6/1st, 2nd, 3rd only at Temple	8/9
	13	15/16	19/1st Passover Seder
	20/No School (April Vac.)		April Vacation 20–27
	27/No School (April Vac.)	29/30	2/Yom HaShoah
May	4/EJL	6/7	7/Yom Hazikaron 8/Yom Ha'atzmaut
	11/Last Day Celebration

School Policies

Attendance
Regular attendance is vital to any successful educational program. Jewish education is no exception. In order to achieve our educational goals and create a cohesive community, our students must participate in the program on a regular basis. Parents have a major role in ensuring that students attend programs regularly. Your support is crucial.

Tardiness
Students should be in class on time. Tardiness is not only disruptive to the entire class but also hard on the latecomer. We also expect students to remain in class until dismissal except in the case of emergency or prior arrangement.

Inclement Weather School Closings
In case of inclement weather on Sunday, please check with the WCVB (Channel 5) web site (thebostonchannel.com) or television listings. Tuesday and Wednesday sessions will be cancelled only if Winchester Public Schools are closed.

Early Arrival and Early Release
Some children arrive early for Religious School, particularly those who walk to the Temple from the nearby schools. Children are welcome to arrive early provided the following rules are followed. These are necessary to ensure their safety [in the event of an emergency or necessary evacuation of the building].

Once children arrive and are let in the locked side door by the Temple Administrator or other adult, children must sign in. There will be a sign-in sheet and writing implement for them to do so.
Once children arrive and sign in, they may not leave the building. Children should pay particular attention to remembering to get a snack, run errands, bring regular school homework, and the like because they will not be permitted to leave the building.
Children may eat a snack, socialize, and/or do homework. Proper and respectful behavior to each other and the Temple is required.

Some children need to leave early on occasion for legitimate reasons. In order to be released early from Religious School, a child must have a note from his or her parent permitting him or her to be released. The note must also indicate the time the child is to be released. This note will serve as permission to leave as well as a record of who is no longer in the building.

Excessive Absences
We realize that it is sometimes necessary for your child to miss school or leave early. We respect the right of parents to make these decisions. We ask that you contact the teacher or homework buddy so that the student does not fall behind the class. In the case of three (3) consecutive absences, we will contact you to express our concern for the welfare of the student and quality of the educational experience.

Discipline
Our discipline policy will be guided by a commitment to kavod — the mutual respect due between teachers and students. Appropriate and respectful classroom behavior is critical in ensuring a positive experience for all children. In the case of a child who is unable to function cooperatively in class, parents will be notified immediately. When all reasonable interventions are exhausted, consideration will be given to an alternative placement in consultation with parents, teachers, and the Educational Director.

Books & Materials
Books and materials will be distributed to students throughout the year. Books are selected very carefully; we hope they will make a valued addition to your home library. Students are expected to bring their books and materials, a pencil and writing paper to class each week. We recommend that you provide your child with a backpack or bag specifically to carry their Religious School materials and snack. The replacement cost for each lost book is $20.

Homework
We believe that weekly home attention to Religious School studies will support learning and enrich your family discussions. On average each week, the Lower School (grades 1–3) will receive 15 minutes of homework and the Upper School (grades 4–7) will receive 30 minutes of homework. We strongly recommend that you practice Hebrew with your child twice a week as part of their homework obligation. Learning a language requires practice and reinforcement.

Snack
Please send a small snack (a drink and item to eat) with your child. In keeping with the Temple observances, this snack should not consist of meat products. We find offering the children a break with a nutritious snack improves the quality of their experience.

Seventh Grade Policy
The Seventh Grade Religious School curriculum and related activities are critical to the education of our students as they develop into adult members of our congregation. Therefore, it is required that students attend seventh grade in its entirety, regardless of when their Bar or Bat Mitzvah takes place. As with other Temple policies, individuals with extenuating circumstances may request that their matter be addressed on a case-by-case basis with the Rabbi, the Education Director, and the Cantor-Educator if they believe they are unable to fulfill this commitment.

Allergy Policy
Families should be aware that the Temple Shir Tikvah Religious School curriculum involves a number of food-based activities, some of which may contain nuts. In addition, we sometimes go outdoors. If your child has serious allergies, it is important for you to let us know so we can help you and your child have a safe and enjoyable experience at Religious School.
You should also fill out a health form (which will be sent to you with your registration materials) so that your child’s teacher will have the information s/he needs to help your child be safe. We also request that you meet with your child’s teacher early in the year to review your child’s particular needs. If your child carries an epi-pen, it is very important that you meet with the teacher so that s/he will be prepared to help your child should the need arise.

Refund Policy
If a child withdraws from the school after registering for the year, the following policies will take effect. Continuing members may receive a full refund of tuition paid if they withdraw their children before the first day of school. If dues and other commitments have not been pad for the year, this refund will be applied to that balance. This policy extends through the first month of school. After that, half the amount paid will be refunded, with the treasurer having the option to approve a full refund depending on the circumstances. If a family leaves the Temple before the start of school, the deposit is refundable, provided that other obligations have been met (outstanding prior years' dues, tuition, and building fees). If a family leaves the Temple after the beginning of the school year, half the tuition will be refunded. The treasurer has a right to amend this policy.