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Mishkan Shalom Congregational School Co-op Overview
The School is one way we translate our Statement of Principles into reality,
for our children as well as for ourselves. In forming a community committed
to learning, one of our goals is to encourage members to take responsibility
for giving shape to this dream. Students, teachers, parents, and other
members of Mishkan joyously and creatively undertake to ensure that the School
becomes an environment which challenges students intellectually and creatively,
so that they can, in turn, challenge each other, their teachers, and our
tradition with knowledge, independence, commitment and respect.
Mishkan Shalom has a School Co-op. This Co-op helps us to best utilize our communal resources and equitably share the responsibilities and tasks needed to implement our ambitious educational program. The School Co-op is AS integral and AS mandatory a commitment as the monetary tuition payment. We depend on everyone to honor this responsibility. In addition to our belief that adult participation in the children’s learning benefits us all.
Every family who registers a child(ren) in the school becomes a School Co-op member. Members sign up for a co-op duty when registering children for the coming school year. The only exceptions are: Steering Committee Members, Chairs of Standing Board Committees, and Teachers. Your participation in the School Co-op is IN ADDITION TO the broader Mishkan Co-op.Class Parent: Work with teachers to maintain class communications and to help organize special activities. Involves phone calls, emails and some class project coordination.
Shabbat (Saturday) Class Parents (2 total for Gan, Alef & Bet)
Sunday Class Parents (1 Gan, 1 Alef, 2 Bet)
Sunday/Wednesday Class Parents (2 Gimel, 2 Dalet, 2 Hey, 2 Hey)
Wednesday Class Parents (1 Zion, 1 Teen)
School Fundraising Committee: Organize and implement
fundraising activities to raise funds for school; apply for relevant grants
with assistance from Education Director.
School Co-op Committee: Organize and maintain school co-op throughout the year, including reminder notices and follow-up phone calls as needed.
Education Committee: Oversee and support school operations and programs (monthly meetings).
Service Day Parents: Beginning this year, anyone not assigned one of the above tasks will be assigned service days. Service Days will involve being present for the duration of a school session, plus a short period before and after school. Service Day “tasks” will vary depending on the most pressing needs of a given date. Sample tasks include helping prepare mailings, serve snacks, supervise break time, clean or organize parts of the facility.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Mishkan Shalom Congregational School FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
1) Can you enroll in the school without being a
member of Mishkan?
No.
2) How old are the students at Mishkan?
We offer classes for kindergarten through 12th grade in high school.
3) How big are the classes?
We make every effort to maintain a 12:1 ratio. In most grades, there are
two sections with 12 students each.
4) How are the classes structured?
See “Students’ Schedules.”
5) Who are the teachers?
Our teachers are paid employees with a wide variety of backgrounds. Some
are professional educators who teach full time and teach at Mishkan as
well. Others are dedicated community members who see this work as a Jewish
avocation and a way of contributing to Mishkan. Others are rabbinical students
for whom this is an opportunity to get some hands-on training as a Jewish
educator. Our ideal educator is a person with a professional teaching background,
a commitment to Jewish community, a love of children, creativity, and learning.
6)
What is the content of the curriculum in general?
Our curriculum introduces children to Jewish holidays, prayers and prayer
services, reading and writing Hebrew (primarily liturgical, rather than conversational),
Jewish values and ethics (as expressed in the Statement of Principles), Biblical
and Rabbinic stories and texts, Jewish life cycle, history, politics, music
and art and more. We particularly emphasize Tikkun Olam and Tzedakah (the
repair of the world and social responsibility). We try to make each class
function as a mini-community, because the values and blessings and power
of being part of community is one of the greatest teachings of the Mishkan
community as a whole. See “Mission and Vision Statement.”
7) What specifically would my child learn in his
or her grade?
See “Curriculum Overview” and “Civilization Curriculum” by
grade, “Sample Hoogeem (mini-courses/electives)” for a more precise
description.
8) When and where does the school meet?
Gan/kindergarten, Alef/1st and Bet/2nd can enroll in classes which meet every
Shabbat (Saturday) from 10:00-12:30pm, or on Sundays from 9:30-12:00pm.
Gimel/3rd through Vav/6th will meet every Sunday from 9:30am-12:00, and
Wednesdays from 6:15-8:00pm. All classes are at Mishkan consistently.
9)
Is tuition included in membership dues?
Tuition is in addition to membership dues. Financial Aid is available to
anyone for whom the tuition would be prohibitive. This could be discussed
in the same phone call as any financial arrangements concerning your dues.
10) Are there any expectations of parents?
The school relies on parents to implement much of its programming through
participation in a school co-op. Mishkan’s school is designed to
model the belief that Jewish learning is a lifelong process. Therefore,
parents are also expected to participate in Family Education Days, holiday
celebrations, as well as ongoing parent and adult education classes throughout
the year. In addition, we strongly encourage families to attend class brunches
and Shabbat dinners.
11) What are the school attendance expectations?
Consistent school attendance is crucial to the efficacy and quality of our
program. Children are ordinarily expected to attend school 80% of the time.
Students will rarely be allowed to matriculate or move towards becoming
Bar or Bat Mitzvah with lower attendance than this.
Regular service attendance is crucial to teaching students
the relevance and application of what they are learning in their Ivreet (Hebrew)
and Tefillah (prayer) classes. First graders must attend ONE Shabbat service
per year, Second graders must attend Two, and so forth. This is in addition
to the class Shabbat celebrations that occur during the year. Friday night
services are a nice alternative for many families. They begin at 7:30pm and
are often preceded by community dinners. On Saturday mornings, there are
services for tots and k-2 as well as the main service. Approximately twice
a month we have Junior Congregation services for 3rd-5th graders at 11:00am.
Sixth graders should attend as many main services on Saturday mornings as
possible so they can begin to imagine themselves becoming Bar and Bat mitzvah.
12)
Who runs the school?
The school has an Education Director, Rabbi Erin
Hirsh. Rabbi Erin is a professional Jewish educator involved in the
national educational efforts of the Jewish Reconstructionist movement. She
taught at Mishkan for several years prior to being appointed Education Director
of another Reconstructionist congregation, and returned here in 1999. Rabbi
Erin works closely with the rabbis of the congregation, as well as the Education
Committee.
13) What is the relationship between the school and the congregation?
Although the school is variously referred to as a religious school, a Hebrew
school, a supplementary school and the Mishkan school, it is best described
as The Congregational School of Mishkan Shalom. As this name implies, the
school is designed to embody the congregation’s Statement of Principles
and to educate the youngest members of our community in the values and beliefs
of the congregation. Students participate in all aspects of the life of the
synagogue, and all members of the community are encouraged to be involved
in the education of our youth. The congregational rabbis are involved in
teaching in the school and supporting its faculty and parents.
14) Can I wait and see how the year is going before I decide to
enroll my child in Mishkan’s Congregational School?
Enrollment begins in May for the following school year. To insure an appropriate
learning environment, classes are closed at the Director’s discretion
(typically at 25). Students may be permitted to enter the Congregational
School as late as the high holidays, although late enrollment is not automatic.
If you do not enroll prior to the beginning of school or before a class has
been designated as full, you may not be permitted to enroll your child until
next year.
15)
My child is in one grade at school, but I think he or she should actually
be in a different grade in Congregational School. Is this a problem?
This is a very common situation in our school. The classes are actually referred
to by a Hebrew letter rather than a grade in order to minimize any awkwardness
on the part of students who are not in the same grade as other Congregational
School classmates. You should contact Rabbi Erin to discuss any placement
issues.
16) My child has special physical or learning needs.
Can the school accommodate me?
Although we are growing, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide individual
attention to specific needs. Please contact Rabbi Erin to discuss your child’s
specific needs and we will make every effort to accommodate him or her.
17) I have an unusual family situation. Will my
child feel comfortable in this Congregational School?
We have students and teachers of all different races, backgrounds, beliefs,
families structures (single, adoptive, gay, straight, blended), etc. We work
hard not to speak as if (or use any materials that suggest that) there is
any one way to be Jewish, or image of who is Jewish, or what a Jewish family
looks like. Children are encouraged to bring all the parts of themselves
to the classroom and school community in our celebration of a community built
on both mutual respect and diversity.
18) What secular schools do other children attend?
Children from over 20 secular schools attend Mishkan. We plan our programming
knowing that many children will not know any other kids (for example, from
secular school or the neighborhood) when they enter Mishkan. We work very
hard to help the kids build relationships with one another that can transcend
the physical distance between their homes and secular school lives.
19)
My family would have a long commute if we decided to enroll our kids at
Mishkan. I’m not sure we can manage it.
That’s a very valid concern, and one of the most challenging issues
our families face. We try to be as helpful as possible by putting people
who live in close proximity in touch with one another to arrange carpools
and offering dinner to kids on Wednesday nights. Most of our families believe
that, at Mishkan, their children have an opportunity to make friends and
learn to love being Jewish in a way that cannot be duplicated in many local
congregational schools. This motivates them to face the transportation challenges
week after week.
20) Can a child become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Mishkan if they are not
enrolled in the school?
Only if they attend a Jewish day school.
21) What if my child has never been in Congregational School and wants
to become Bar or Bat Mitzvah?
There is no set age at which a child must become a Bar or Bat mitzvah, only
a minimum age (traditionally 12 for a girl, or 13 for a boy). Your child
can enroll in the school and become a bar or bat mitzvah after completing
two full years of school and acquiring all requisite knowledge. If your child
is enrolling for the first time after second grade, additional tutoring at
the family's expense may be required in addition to enrollment. A Bar or
Bat mitzvah tutor must also be employed for six months to a year prior to
a Bar or Bat mitzvah ceremony.
22) What activities are available for teens at Mishkan
Shalom?
A Teen Group meets one Sunday/month at Mishkan (5-7PM) for social time, teen
topic discussions and work on our own Tikkun Olam project.During the year,
the Teen Group is planning three major trips: to New York City, which will
includes a tour of the Lower East Side, Shabbat with other teens at S.A.J.
in Manhattan and a Broadway show, a Winter Shabbaton where we will join other
Reconstructionist teens in the area for Shabbat and skiing, and Washington
DC, where we’ll head down to the nation's capital to join in a protest
and tour some museums.
Food for Thought is open to all Mishkan teens. This
monthly Jewish cooking class (sponsored by the Jewish Community High School
of Gratz College) teaches the basics of Jewish cuisine. We prepare food
that is frozen here at Mishkan and used
for those in our congregation who are ill, have anew baby, etc.
Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing! 8th/9th
grade girls meet monthly in each other's home for is a values-based experiential
Jewish program that strengthens self-esteem and Jewish identity.
Adult education: Post-B'nai Mitzvah students are encouraged
to join adults in our community for a variety of academic and experiential
classes. For an adult education catalog, click here:
For more information about teen programming, contact Gabrielle
Kaplan-Meyer, Coordinator of Spirituality for Children and Youth at gabrielle@mishkan.org
23) Are there any other opportunities for my seventh
grader or older child to be involved in the school?
Students in seventh grade and older can work in the school on Saturday or
Sunday mornings as Madricheem, classroom and office aides. This is a paid
opportunity. They can also volunteer in the building, serve on committees,
leign Torah on the anniversary of their becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or participate
in community service projects or demonstrations.
24) What if I’m not sure if I want to enroll
my child or if I still have questions?
Every family contemplating enrollment in the Congregational School is encouraged
to contact the Congregational School office, 215-508-0226, ext.3. A member
of the Education Committee or Rabbi Erin will gladly return your call.
