This email contains much information you need about the coming week. Please review it carefully.
We are so excited to welcome your children to Temple Israel of Natick this coming week!
This past week, and again this coming Sunday, our staff has been meeting, orientating, sharing and preparing for your children’s arrival. Bulletin boards are going up and when your children arrive they will be able to find their name in their own classroom. We want every student to know they belong! Most classrooms this year, especially on Sundays, have classroom aides to support your children. Lead teachers have been working closely with their aides and madrichim (teen volunteers). One of the things I am most excited about this year is our Israeli Shinshin who will be travelling classrooms each week to share his love of Israel with our students.
As you begin to prepare you kids for the opening of school a few items to highlight:
1. You can expect to receive a “welcome email” from your child’s teachers before their first day. Please watch for this email.
2. Drop-Off: Please park and walk your child into the building.
a. Sundays. Please park your car and if your child is in grades K or 1, please meet them in their classroom. Grade 2-7 teachers will dismiss their students to the lobby. Please meet older children in the lobby.
b. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please park your car and come in to meet your children in the lobby.
4. What to bring:
a. “Special items” needed will be in the welcome letter your get from your child’s teacher. We will provide all school supplies.
b. We encourage every student to have a designated Hebrew School bag or folder. Students in grades 2-6 have a binder they are expected to bring back and forth each day.
c. Each day, please send your child with a kosher, nut-free snack.
5. Opening Days: Tuesday and Wednesday September 12 and 13
a. Grades 2-5: Special thanks to the Men’s Club for again sponsoring the ANNUAL APPLE AND HONEY OLYMPICS! All students in grades 2-5 will join in this new year fun from 5-6pm on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. As you can imagine the Olympics include being outdoors and some running. This year our “Apple and Honey”Olympics include a painting project. Please make sure your child is wearing shoes they can run in and clothes that can get messy. The paint is not washable.
b. Grade 6&7: Pre-teens in grade 6 and 7 will have an orientation to the new social justice program they will be participating in this year. The orientation will take place at the Natick Community Garden located up the street at the Presbyterian Street Church (99 Hartford Street). There students will have the opportunity to begin exploring how a small community garden can have a huge impact on many individuals and bring a community together. The pre-teens will get to be in the garden. Please make sure your pre-teens wear’s comfortable walking shoes and clothes to wear in a garden.
a. Several times a month we will send a newsletter with class updates. Each week you can also expect to receive a link to our blog where teachers will post information about what they have been working on and what’s coming up.
b. Each teacher will let you know the best way to reach them. Many have a google phone number and everyone has an email. I am ALWAYS available as well. My contact information is below.
7. Class Lists: At the end of next week we will send class lists.
8. Upcoming Events: Please see them list of dates below, and watch your email for specifics on our Tashlich program on September 24th. This Sudnay is the PA’s welcome back picnic at John Lane Park!
I can’t wait for the year to begin and to have children voices and faces filling the halls at Temple Israel. If you have any questions or concerns, please be in touch!