Planning for the Next Year
May 2022. Keeping Connected
Time flies when you are having fun and this year seems to have gone by very quickly! We have a jam-packed month of classes, services, special ceremonies and Shabbats as we finish up a successful school year at Congregation Shalom. Please take time to look at the schedule at the end of this letter. In addition, individual classes will be inviting families to join the class to mark the end of the year, so stay tuned for more information coming your way regarding your participation in some end of the year plans.
As we finish up this year, we begin to think about next year. Registration packets for the 2022/2023 Religious and Hebrew School year will be sent out at the beginning of May. Please fill them out and return them before June 1. It is really important for us to have as much information as possible as we spend the summer planning for the new school year. So much of what we need to do is based on enrollment.
When thinking about your children and next year, here are some things for you to know. When students are in third grade, they begin their formal Hebrew studies at Congregation Shalom. We have found success for the past few years with offering Hebrew School for the third graders for an hour on Sunday mornings, following Religious School. As of now, these are the plans for next year so if you have a rising 3rd grader you can plan on school on Sunday mornings from 8:30am-11:30am. Fifth graders move to the second session. If you have rising 5th graders, you can plan on then attending school on Sundays from 10:30am-12:30pm.
Hebrew School for 4th – 7th graders will continue to be held on Wednesday afternoons and while the exact plans for Hebrew School are still in the planning stages, you are asked to put aside Wednesdays from 4pm-6pm for Hebrew School time.
We will miss our current 7th graders on Sundays and Wednesday afternoons, but look forward to them joining our Wednesday evening Chai School program. Chai Schoolers gather around 6:00pm for pizza and socializing before heading off to learn about unique and interesting topics each year. The Chai School students enjoy their time together, continuing their friendships with their classmates, engaging in thoughtful topics and learning new skills.
Our current 10th graders will move on to Post Confirmation which meets once a month with Rabbi Perry. Together the 11th and 12th graders meet each month to engage in discussions surrounding current events, Judaism and other topics of interest and relevance to their lives. They often meet over a plate of homemade brownies!
As we finish up this year, we will continue to collect tzedakah to help out the refugees from Afghanistan. Your kindness and generosity have been appreciated all year. We are still a little more than $100 shy of our goal for this year, so continue to keep calm and tzedakah on!
As always, continue to encourage your students to practice their Hebrew at home, offer Jewish experiences at home and make the word a better place.
With gratitude, Deborah
May Schedule
Sunday, May 1 – Religious School
- Preschool
- K – 7th, regular times
- 6th grade Kallah
Wednesday, May 4
- Hebrew School
- Chai School
Friday, May 6 – Shabbat at 7pm, led by the 4th graders. All are encouraged to attend.
Sunday, May 8 – NO Religious School – Happy Mother’s Day!
Wednesday, May 11
- Hebrew School
- Chai School
- Post Confirmation
Sunday, May 15 – Religious School
- NO Preschool
- K – 7th
- Shacharit at 10:15 for 3rd – 7th
- Siyyum HaSefer for 3rd graders – 10:15am
Wednesday, May 18
- Hebrew School
- Chai School – Last day
Friday, May 20 – Confirmation Shabbat at 7pm, all are encouraged to attend
Sunday, May 22 – Last Day of Religious School
- Preschool
- K – 7th
- Torah Passing Ceremony at 10:30am
Wednesday, May 25
- Hebrew School – Last Day
Mark your calendars for Friday, June 10 at 7:00pm for TEACHER APPRECIATION and GRADUATION!
Let’s join together to share our appreciation for all the wonderfulness of the teachers and graduates!