CLP - Overview of Programs
Dear God, You whose presence fills creation, We ask for Your attention to the parents of Kitah Dalet. Grant them clarity and understanding of their spiritual selves, be it through music or other means. Give them the ability to have peace from all the distractions and noise of life, a greater sense of having a reservoir of energy when they feel tapped out, and a greater sense of confidence in the future. Let them find ways to engage in the non-chore parts of family life, and to appreciate all the wonderful things about their children and enjoy them. Allow them patience and the time it requires, and let them have perspective so that they do not lose perspective. May everyone be happy. And may each and every one have health in body, mind, and spirit. If you have that, you have everything. AMEN -- A Prayer By and For the Parents of Kitah Dalet
Kolot K’tanim
Shabbat & holiday learning for families with 4–7-year-olds
At Kolot (1012 8th Ave, between 10th and 11th Streets)
10am:
Breakfast & singing with our chazzan
10:30am-noon:
Shabbat rituals (Kiddush, motzi, and more), learning about upcoming holidays, large group story time, activities stations set up for families to participate in at their own pace, and group music and movement segments.
Please note: this program is designed for families to participate in TOGETHER. Activities and discussions will be structured to facilitate parents helping and learning alongside their children.
First day:
Saturday, November 5 (full calendar of sessions coming in July)
Children’s Learning Program
Afternoon school for 2nd–5th grade
Mondays at M.S. 88 (7th Ave & 18th Street)
3:40pm:
optional Early Arrival Hebrew Enrichment Program
4–6pm: classes:
Kitah Bet (2nd grade):
Learning the Basics – mastering the Aleph-Bet, blessings, and holidays
Kitah Gimmel (3rd grade):
What is Torah? – exploring Torah as ritual object, stories, source of mitzvoth
Kitah Daled (4th grade):
Torah & Beyond – exploring midrash (rabbinic stories) and halakhah (Jewish laws and ethics)
Kitah Hay (5th grade):
Al Shlosha D'varim – exploring different Jewish communities through the lens of Torah, avodah (worship), and gmilut hasadim (acts of loving-kindness)
Mandatory Parent Orientation: Monday, September 19, 6–8pm
First day of school: Monday, September 26, 4–6pm
Hebrew Support for New Students
Students entering our Children’s Learning Program in grades 3 and above are required to work with one of our excellent Hebrew tutors during the summer in order to establish the Hebrew decoding skills they will need to comfortably participate in class work.
Usually students require 6-8 one-on-one sessions and parents, the tutor, and the Education Director will decide this based on our assessment and checking in with the student.
In addition to this individual work, incoming students in grades 3 and above are required to attend our two Hebrew Review Sessions the week before school begins.
Hebrew Review Session 1:
6–8pm Monday, September 19th (during Parent Orientation Night)
Hebrew Review Session 2:
4:30–6pm Thursday, September 22
Payment for tutors is a private arrangement between the family and the teacher.
The fee for the extra Hebrew help (including the workbook we will provide and the two Hebrew Review sessions) is $50 (but if this is prohibitive, please contact us to make other arrangements).
If your child is not able to attend both of these sessions, we will need to schedule instead an additional private session with your tutor to review the work done over the summer and get ready to integrate into our program.
Bnei Mitzvah Program
A three-year program for students becoming bar/bat mitzvah
- To become a bar/bat mitzvah at Kolot, a student must attend the 2-year afternoon school program on Tuesdays, 4–6pm. This afternoon school program for bnei mitzvah every year includes 3 curriculum units framed by these topics: Religion/ritual, Values/Ethics, and Culture/History. First year students also study Hebrew through the lens of prayer and second year students study Hebrew through Torah texts.
- On the 1st Tuesday of every month there is also a Family Class taught by the rabbi 6:30–7:30pm. After a pizza break, the students are joined by one or more parents for this class each month.
- Students are required to attend 12 services throughout each year.
- One-on-one tutoring with one of our amazing tutors needs to begin usually about 12 months before the date. This is a separate arrangement that the families take care of directly with the tutor and tutor assignments are managed by the rabbi and chazzan.
- There is a third year of the bnei mitzvah program (during the year of the service, or the year after, depending on how the student's date is set). This third year is a twice a month art and social justice program called: "What’s Up?!#jewishyouthartjustice" This program culminates in the students producing a multimedia performance/production, selling tickets, and collectively deciding to which social justice organization they are going to donate the money they have raised.
