CELEBRATING THE AGUDAS ACHIM COMMUNITY

What’s New at School?

Teacher Orientation

Orientation for Hebrew School teachers is scheduled for Sunday, September 12 from noon to 4 pm at the synagogue.  Lunch will be served, and childcare will be available if needed.  Please contact the rabbi.

Volunteers Needed

Do you enjoy working with children?  Do you wish to find a fulfilling community service project?  The Religious School needs an enthusiastic, dependable, and mature teenager to volunteer assisting classroom teachers.  Interested candidates: please email Deborah at school@agudasma.org.  Childcare person also needed to assist during the academic year on Monday and/or Wednesday afternoons while Hebrew School is in session.

School Opens Sept. 19 & 20

Mark your calendar!  Lower school opening for grades pre-K through 4 begins Sunday, September 19 at 9 am.  Upper School for grades 5 through 7 starts Monday, September 20 at 4 pm.  Remember, Grade 4 (Daled) will meet on Sundays from 9 am to noon and Wednesdays from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Welcome to Melissa Danielli - New Special Ed Coordinator

Melissa Danielli will be joining us this year as a special education coordinator through the BJE of Rhode Island.  Melissa has a degree in Severe Special Education and has previously worked both in public school as well as in early intervention programs.  In addition to mostly staying at home with her two children (with twins on the way!), Melissa has spent the past seven years teaching Hebrew school to children with disabilities though Gateways: Access to Jewish Education in Newton.  She will be working with students, teachers and families to help students be as successful as possible in our Hebrew school classrooms.  If you have questions for Melissa or if you’d like to discuss your child’s needs or any modifications that may help him or her in the classroom, please feel free to contact Melissa at madanielli@yahoo.com or 508-816-8504.

Still Time to register!

Checkout our award-winning school programs, including two new programs for the younger set:

New and exciting plans for the youngest children of the congregation starting this fall!

• Young Explorers for 2.5 – 4.5 year olds.  Young Explorers will be held 6 times throughout the year.  This will be a parent/child exploration through center activities usually focusing on the holiday cycle.  Parents will separate from their children for a short period and the children will have a teacher led snack and story.  Synagogue membership is not required to participate in this program or the preschool program.
• Preschool for 3.5 – 4.5 year-olds.  The preschool program will be back twice a month for children 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 years old.  The classes will feature holiday and center based activities to explore Jewish culture in a preschool type environment
• Lower school (Kindergarten-third grade).  Meets Sundays and one Shabbat (Saturday)/month.  Child-centered and age-appropriate activities covering holidays, Torah, Hebrew reading, Jewish living and community.  These programs provide a firm foundation for life-long Jewish learning and engagement.
• Transition Year (grade 4).  NEW DAYS!  Meets Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons and one Shabbat (Saturday) per month.  This transition year provides ease from Lower School to Upper School with the same award-winning program for which Agudas Achim has become renown.
• Upper school (5 - 7 grades).  Meets Monday and Wednesday afternoons and one Shabbat (Saturday) per month.  Our award-winning program incorporates experiential learning, individualized lesson-planning and intergenerational studies culminating in Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation for growing Jewish minds.
• **UPDATED** Kadima (eighth through eleventh grades).  Are you looking for a way to stay connected to your Agudas Achim friends, build your college application and have fun?  Well, our all-new KADIMAH program may be for you.  Regular meetings, events, and travel opportunities.  Meets two Sundays/month in a seminar style format to cover topics of interest and relevance to teenage lives and includes electives and dinner.  Kim and Brian Bodemer and Jonathan Nierman will lead.

Now Accepting Applications for our Madrichim Program

The Madrichim program at Agudas Achim is open to all Hebrew school graduates.  This program helps to develop young Jewish adults in leadership roles while helping them to engage with other teens.  Successful candidates must have a love of Judaism and a strong work ethic.  There are three types of Madrichim:

• Classroom Madrichim (Sunday mornings 9-12): These Madrichim are assigned to specific classes and work directly with a classroom teacher.  Teens who apply for these positions must make a commitment to attend on a regular basis to ensure consistency for the students and the teacher.
• Administrative/Tutorial Madrichim (Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6):  These Madrichim will complete any number of tasks including, filing, attendance tracking, answering the phones, special projects, and one-on-one tutoring.  Teens who apply for these positions may choose to work on Mondays, Wednesdays or both days.
• Childcare Madrichim (Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6): These Madrichim will be responsible for the care of the staff’s children.  They will plan projects for the children and assist with homework.

Please email Rabbi Elyse at: rabbi@agudsasma.org or call 508-222-2243 for more information.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Consistent attendance at Hebrew school is very important.  If your child is sick and will be absent, please call the office, 508-222-2243 and or contact his or her teacher.  If your child has an appointment or needs to miss for another reason, please let your child’s teacher know so that he or she can get the assigned work.  If transportation is an issue, please contact the office so that we can assist you in any way we can. 

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