Educationally Speaking – September 2020
Welcoming TBE Back to School
Randi Sher, Director of Education
After a couple of very busy months of meetings, conversations, and creating, we are ready to start Torah School on Sunday August 30. We adjusted a few things, added some new ideas and put a couple new ideas away for next year. I spoke to many families, all our teachers, and Rabbi Cassi and Cantor Ilan before setting our schedule. I am grateful for everyone who took the time to talk with me about Torah School. Your input gave me tremendous insight into your needs and desires for the coming year. These conversations were instrumental in framing our decisions and I thank you all for your time and caring. First, Sunday is the day that all our Torah school classes meet. All classes begin at 9:30 a.m. and end on a short curve with PreK/K ending at 10:30 a.m., 1st and 2nd at 10:45 a.m. and 3rd–7th at 11:00 a.m. Naor, our program for post B’nai Mitzvah students, also meets on Sundays from 11:15 a.m. beginning October 4. We are still accepting these students as madrichim to work with the younger students, please let me know if your child or children would like to volunteer.
We made a changes to our class time during the week. Rather than having a 2-hour class on Thursdays, we are experimenting with a new Hebrew format for our third through seventh graders. We will pair students in dyads or triads based upon level and friendships. These will be half hour sessions scheduled by the teacher in conjunction with parents at a mutually agreeable time on Thursdays.
We have an incredible faculty that is excited to be teaching again this year. They are warm, caring and dedicated individuals that we are fortunate to have working with our students at TBE. I look forward to getting to know them and all of you as the year progresses. At the end of our Festival TBE Drive Through Parade and Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, August 23, we were able to hand out family boxes of activities and supplies If you did not receive a box yet, please reach out to me at TBEeducator@bethelsp.org or on my cell so that we can make arrangements to get one to you. We will be adding to the supplies and action cards as the year progresses.
If you have not yet registered for Torah School, please visit our registration page to do so.
Looking forward to beginning classes on Sunday, continuing to talk to parents, and getting to know our students.