CHABAD HEBREW SCHOOL
PARENT HANDBOOK
Academic Year 2023-2024
Where Judaism Comes to Life!
Chabad of Sunnyvale
P.O. Box 2118, Sunnyvale, 94087-0118
www.chabadsunnyvale.com
B”H
- WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL -
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Chabad of Sunnyvale’s Hebrew School!
Enclosed please find some general information for the upcoming school year. Please read this information carefully and if there is anything you would like to discuss at any stage, feel free to call me at 408-720-0553.
We hope that by the year’s end, along with Hebrew reading, Jewish Holiday learning, and other Jewish topics, your child will have developed a deep love and respect for his/her precious heritage, as well as a strong sense of Jewish pride and identity.
We encourage you, as a parent, to get involved, ask questions and keep in touch with the goings-on at the Chabad Hebrew School.
We will be sending a monthly newsletter to keep you - the parent - more involved in and informed of the lessons and activities in our school. In this way, we hope to bring a taste of Hebrew School home with you.
Looking forward to an enjoyable and successful school year together.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Miriam Hecht
Hebrew School Director
B”H
FACT SHEET
Ages: 1st - 5th Grades
Dates & Times: Sundays from 9:30am - 11:45pm
PLEASE REFER TO THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Location: South Peninsula Hebrew Day School – 1030 Astoria Drive, Sunnyvale
Attendance: If your child is not able to attend class for any reason, please notify us in advance. Class starts promptly at 9:30a.m. To maximize our learning time and to avoid distractions to the class, your cooperation is appreciated. Incentives and rewards will be given out weekly to those who arrive on time.
Boys are encouraged to attend wearing a kippa or a hat. If you do not have a kippa, the Chabad Hebrew School can provide one.
-CURRICULUM-
At Chabad Hebrew, our goal is to foster a warmth and love of Judaism while teaching the beautiful and rich Jewish traditions and history.
The following are the primary subjects of particular emphasis:
1. Hebrew Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary
2. Jewish History - Heroes and Heroines
3. Holidays and Traditions
4. Jewish Culture, Mitzvot and Middot (Jewish Ethics and Manners)
5. Prayer and Synagogue Familiarity
Hebrew - Aleph Champion Program
Our Hebrew School, like many others, is changing the course of Hebrew reading with an innovative reading system. Based on the martial arts motivational philosophy of color-coded levels and testing, the Aleph Champion program will provide our students with clear goals, motivation and a world of inspiration. Below is a brief description of the 10 color-coded levels implemented in the Aleph Champion program.
White Aleph Champion Master the first 18 letters of the Aleph Bet.
Red Aleph Champion Master all 32 letters of the Aleph Bet.
Orange Aleph Champion Master the first 3 vowels with letter combinations.
Yellow Aleph Champion Master the first 6 vowels with letter combinations.
Green Aleph Champion Master the first 9 vowels with letter combinations.
Blue Aleph Champion Master all the vowels and exceptions to the rules.
Purple Aleph Champion Master reading familiar Prayers and Brachot.
Brown Aleph Champion Master reading important Tefillot.
Grey Aleph Champion Master reading from the Siddur in a timed fashion.
Black Aleph Champion Master reading over 100 words in a minute.
Hebrew vocabulary and language is integrated on an appropriate level into each class
Tzedakah
Tzedakah (charity) is a concept which is basic to Judaism. Our school attempts to develop a commitment among our students to share with others less fortunate than themselves by donating a few pennies a day to charity. Parents are asked to provide children with a coin(s) for Tzedakah for each class. You may send a bag at the beginning of the year with enough coins to last for the year if that is easier.
Snack
Chabad Hebrew School will provide a snack for the students during a 10-minute break. Please make sure to let us know if their are any allergies we need to be aware of.
Homework
Although we will not be assigning homework per se, review at home of the Hebrew reading skills is very important to the student’s progress. Your child will sometimes receive reading review for them to take home. They will receive incentives to encourage review at home.
TUITION PAYMENT & ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
$700 includes registration, book fee, and all supplies
Minimum deposit with registration: $100
No child will be turned away for lack of funds.
Please choose from the following two payment methods:
- Pay in full before start of Hebrew School.
Additional Discount: 5% for second/third child enrolled.
- Pay Deposit ($100) at registration, and make a payment arrangement with post-dated checks or by monthly credit card charges for the balance. All checks/credit card payments (or any financial arrangements) should please be submitted before the first day of Hebrew School.
Please make checks payable to: Chabad of Sunnyvale and mail to:
Chabad of Sunnyvale
P.O. Box 2118,
Sunnyvale, CA 94087-0118
Please be aware that unless you tell us otherwise, we reserve the right to use photos of your child in Hebrew School , in promotional material either in print and/or online.