We are nearing the end and thinking about the beginning
Keeping Connected May 2024
Hello Friends,
As we quickly approach the end of the Religious School and Hebrew School year, we are also already thinking about and planning for next year.
There are lots of fun and exciting events, programs and services that mark the end of the temple school year. Please watch your emails for information on these end-of-the-year activities. Also, be ready for registration packets for the next school year to be sent out soon. The School Committee has been working hard to streamline the registration process and move it to online registration. We will not be able to roll that out this year due to time constraints, but the forms should be a little clearer this year and less repetitive. For the following year, hopefully it will all be online!
This year has been a successful year for the school. We experimented with class configurations and only having one Sunday morning session. The class groupings proved to be a positive experience for learning and teaching and for creating friendships and community. The Hebrew School program also was restructured, allowing for some group engagement, community building across grades and lots of one-on-one Hebrew learning. Much success has been seen with the Sunday and Wednesday changes. The school is always working to be even better and though, for the most part, the structure of the school will remain the same for the next school year, there will always be new ideas implemented to help create an even more successful school experience for everyone. Your own thoughts and comments are always welcomed as we work towards plans for School Year 2024/2025. I look forward to hearing what you would like to share.
Many of the structural changes that were implemented this year were driven by budgetary constraints. Though we do charge tuition for both Religious School and Hebrew School, that money is not enough to sustain the school. Without wanting to incur too large a monetary impact on school families, many years ago, the Temple Board created a budget structure in which the general fund of the temple contributes to the monetary costs of running the school. It is currently almost a 50/50 arrangement in which the school fees cover about 55% of our operational costs and the temple covers 45% of the school’s operational costs.
What does this all mean? This means that school tuitions go directly into running of the school – teacher/ed. director salaries, class supplies, programming, substitutes, aides, madrichim (they get a very small stipend,) school related gifts, special programming (Tu B’Shevat seder, Hanukkah party and more,) reference books, teacher training and more. Our own tuition and fees are not enough to cover all of these expenses so the school is supported by the membership fees that families pledge. The temple plans for some of the membership fees to help with the school. In addition, there are some parts of the year that are not funded by either the school fees or the temple pledges. For the past two years, we have offered free Shabbat dinners once a month to our preschool – 12th grade school community. We also work to provide music in the school on a monthly basis to support and enhance our Sunday services and special programming. We have been fortunate to be able to cover these expenses for the past few years by pitching and saving from some line items to cover these expenses and by using some maintained funds. We will not be able to continue this in the long run and we are looking for other ways to be able to continue to offer these educational and social experiences while still working to balance the budget each year.
Why am I telling you all this in this month’s article? It is important that everyone have some understanding of how the temple runs financially. It is important that people pay their school tuition fees. It is important that families understand that some of the pledge dues are earmarked to help run the school. Contributing to temple dues via your pledge helps sustain and enhance your school experience and community.
Finally, we also know that during the year some families are able to help out financially a little bit more by donating money to different temple and school funds. Sometimes people donate money in honor of the good work a teacher does, in celebration of a B’Mitzvah or in the memory of a loved one and for lots of other reasons. We all really appreciate these donations and they go far to help us financially. It would be very helpful, if you choose to donate money at any time during the year and want it to go towards something specific, that you clearly state what you would like your donation to be used for. For example, you might donate specifically to funding Shabbat dinners or school music. If you articulate that, we can be sure that your donation goes directly to those programs.
No one likes to have to talk about money issues but it feels important for our entire community to have some understanding of the financial world of Congregation Shalom. If you have additional questions about how it works, our Treasurer, Michele Maltby, would be happy to further explain. Also, please be sure to take a look at the budget documents that are presented at the Annual Meeting for additional information.
Here’s to a wonderful end to a very successful school year,
Deborah
Schedule for May 2024
- Wednesday, May 1
Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm
Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm
- Friday, May 3
6:00pm – Shabbat Dinner for all
7:00pm – Family Shabbat – Siyyum HaSefer
- Sunday, May 5
Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am
6th Grade Kallah off site, all day
Kitah Aleph, 11:00am – 12:15pm
- Wednesday, May 8
Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm
Chai School, 6:15pm – 8:15pm – Last one
- Sunday, May 12
NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, May 14
Post Confirmation at Rabbi Perry’s – 7:00pm-8:30pm
- Wednesday, May 15
Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm
- Friday, May 17
Shabbat – 7pm – Confirmation Service
- Sunday, May 19
Religious School, 9:00am – 11:00am – Last Day
- Wednesday, May 22
Hebrew School, 4:15pm – 6:00pm – Last Day