The school year is ending so quickly. May is the closing month of our Religious School year and we are busy with activities until our closing day, May 15th On Wednesday night, May 4, the Jewish War Veterans presented three awards to the 6th grade winners of an essay contest entitled “What does Memorial Day Mean to Me?” This is a wonderful program as the members of the Jewish War Veterans introduced themselves to our students and listened as the award winning essays were read aloud.
This year we had a wonderful faculty of dedicated, enthusiastic, and creative teachers who created a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment where students learned about our rich traditions and history. Teachers worked well with students with varied learning styles and used different techniques to ensure that learning was productive for all students. We are fortunate to have them, and we thank our teachers and our student assistants for their commitment to Jewish education. I think that we have the best teachers and devoted teen assistants in the community! We had many special programs throughout the year that enhanced our Religious School curriculum. We try to integrate formal and informal education to meet the needs of our students that offer experiential learning opportunities.
Our Religious School continues to grow! I will be busy in the coming months planning for the next school year: book orders, class assignments, hiring faculty, etc. In order to do so, it is important that you return your school registration by July 22. Tuition for the first semester, along with book and supply fees, will be due with your registration form in July. You will find the registration form along with the parking lot supervision sign up in your June White & Katzman bill. If you do not receive the form, please call the Temple office at 860-561-1055. There is a $50 late fee. Your temple account must be in good standing for your children to return in the fall. If you need to speak with someone regarding your account, please call the temple office. Enrollment for Religious School and the High Holy Day tickets will be processed for those whose accounts are up to date.
A big Todah Rabah (thank you) to all parents for your continued support, commitment and involvement in our Religious School. Our goal of fostering both friendship and learning in our classrooms has been achieved. Your comments and concerns, which are always encouraged, help to improve our school.
Religious School opens on Sunday, September 11 and Wednesday, September 14.
My wishes to everyone for a healthy and relaxing summer.
We want our Religious School to be a place of learning and friendship for everyone! Please contact me with any suggestions or concerns at
I am writing this article during a snowstorm, but know that Spring is around the corner! The month of Adar brings the festive holiday of Purim, which falls on Wednesday, March 23. Dress in costume and come to the Purim Service as we hear the Megillah at 6:00 p.m. that evening. It is always fun to see the costumes and characters of Rabbi Bennett and Cantor-emerita Gordon! There is Religious School March 23, so please plan on attending the Purim Service with your children! The service is open to all members of the temple and children of every age!
The annual Purim Carnival will be held right after Religious School at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 20. Our Youth Group members work hard to make this carnival fun and festive for all ages! Please plan on supporting them with your presence.
On Friday, March 4, the 6th graders will participate in the Shabbat Family Service which begins at 6:00 p.m. The 6th graders will proudly wear the talitot that they designed! Please plan to come!
On Friday, April 1, plan to attend the Shabbat Family Service at 6:00 p.m., as the 3rd graders participate and bring joy and enthusiasm to our service.
On two Sundays, March 6 and April 3, the Israeli Emissaries will be in our school bringing their enthusiasm and love of Israel to our students.
Be Happy—it’s Adar!
We want our Religious School to be a place of learning and friendship for everyone! Please contact me with any suggestions/concerns at
This month, the beautiful and fragrant almond trees are getting ready to bloom in Israel. On January 25, we will celebrate Tu B’Shevat, “New Year of the Trees.” We celebrate by expressing thankfulness for trees, harvest and the natural world. Many Jews plant trees at home and in Israel, eat delicious fruits and greens in celebration of the “New Year of the Trees.”
During this agricultural festival, Jews around the world consider our obligation to care for the environment and our sacred responsibility to share the fruits of God’s earth with all.
Upcoming events:
On Friday, February 5, the 5th grade class will participate in the Shabbat Family Service at 6 p.m. They are a very creative group and are excited to share their talents! Please mark your calendar for this special Shabbat service!
On Friday, March 4, the 6th graders will participate in the Shabbat Family Service. The 6th grades designed their own Tallitot (prayer shawls). Each student received a white silk scarf and created a design on it, drawn by using permanent markers. Students learned the meaning of the tzi tzit (fringes) as they knotted and twisted the fringe on four corners of the tallit to represent the 614 mitzvot. The beautiful and meaningful Tallitot can be worn on their Bar/Bat Mitzvot!
We want our Religious School to be a place of learning and friendship for everyone! Please contact me with any suggestions/concerns at
Our teachers and teen assistants enjoyed the annual Mitnick Conference that was held on November 1. They are excited to bring new ideas into the classrooms!
At the Friday evening Shabbat Family Service on December 4, 6:00 p.m, the 1st graders will be consecrated. They will be called to the Bimah to receive their very own miniature Torah scrolls at their consecration service.
On Friday, December 11, at the 6:00 p.m Shabbat Family Chanukah Service, the Kindergarten class will participate.
The 2nd graders will participate in the Shabbat Family Service on Friday, January 8, at 6:00 p.m.
There is no Religious School from Wednesday, December 23 through Sunday, January 3. School resumes on Wednesday, January 6, 2016.
I wish you a Happy, Healthy, Safe, and Peaceful 2016!
Please contact me with any suggestions/concerns at
The 2015 Deborah & Morton Mitnick conference will be taking place on Sunday, November 1, at the Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford. The focus of the conference this year is “Learning Centered Teaching”. Dr. Zachary Lasker, Director of Melton & Davidson Education Projects at the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the keynote speaker. Theories behind how children learn will be explored. Teachers will better understand the learner’s perspective and improve their skills in applying these ideas in the classroom.
Religious School is closed on November 1 so that our teachers and teen assistants can attend this conference.
The teen Emissaries are scheduled at Temple Sinai once a month and will be at our school on Sunday, November 8, to bring Israel into our classrooms.
On Friday evening, December 4, the Kindergarten class and the 1st grade class will participate in the service. The Kindergarten class will help us usher in Chanukah by singing a special song. The 1st graders will receive their very own miniature Torah scroll at their Consecration Service! You don’t want to miss seeing the 1st graders stand under the Chuppah to receive their Torah scrolls!
There will be a vegetarian pot-luck dinner for the families of the Kindergarten and 1st grade classes following the service.
There is no Religious School Wednesday, November 25, and Sunday, November 29, for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Please contact me with any suggestions/concerns at
I wish every one a Happy Thanksgiving. May we be grateful for our many blessings.
Welcome to all of our new and returning students and families! Our classrooms are full of enthusiastic students and teachers! Singing, prayer, Hebrew and laughter emanate from our classrooms, hallways and sanctuary. Opportunity abounds for new and renewed friendships.
This year, the Israeli Teen Emissaries are scheduled to visit our school each month, on either a Sunday or Wednesday. They will spend time bringing Israel into our classrooms. Their first visit to our school will be on Wednesday evening, October 7 with the 5th grade students.
The annual Mitnick Educators Conference will be held on Sunday, November 1 at the Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford. The focus of the conference this year is “Learning Centered Teaching”. School will be closed that day so that our teachers and teen assistants can attend and enhance their teaching with ideas presented at the conference.
Please note that November 1 is the end of Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour!
If you have any suggestions and/or concerns, please contact me by calling 860/561-1055 or email me at director_of_ed@sinaict.org
It feels like only yesterday that I was wishing everyone a good summer; suddenly the new school year is upon us. As we all get into our “back to school” routine, I have some reminders for our school families.
Our Religious School will open on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 9:00 a.m. Rabbi Bennett & Cantor Gordon will lead the Tefillah service from the Sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. to welcome everyone back.
All Sunday classes are from 9:00–11:30 a.m.
Beginning Sept. 20, the Tefillah service at 11:00 a.m. will close the morning.
On opening day, class rosters will be posted on an easel in the lobby to direct students to their rooms.
Dismissal every Sunday is from the back doors at the parking lot where parent volunteers ensure the safety of our children.
I look forward to another year of enrichment and enthusiasm for both learning and teaching and can’t wait to see the classrooms filled with students learning, singing and laughing together. Please call me with any suggestions or concerns as they arise during the school year. Please do not wait until the end of the year to express concerns when it’s too late to address problems. Your children’s best interests are most important and I do appreciate your input to ensure that both learning and appropriate behavior are practiced in our school. If you have a child with special needs, please let me know so we can work together for a great learning experience.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday, Sept. 13.
I wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.
The school year is ending so quickly. May is the closing month of our Religious School year and we are busy with activities until our closing day, May 17.
On Friday night, May 1, the 4th grade class is participating in the Shabbat service at 6:00 p.m. The teachers and students are excited to make this a special and meaningful service. On Wednesday night, May 6, from 6:30–7:30 p.m., the Jewish War Veterans will present three awards to the 6th grade winners of an essay contest entitled “What does Memorial Day Mean to Me?” This is a wonderful program as the members of the Jewish War Veterans introduce themselves to our students and then listen as the award winning essays are read aloud.
We will be walking together as a Temple community in Foodshare’s Annual Walk Against Hunger begins at 1:00 p.m in Hartford. For further information and to register, please visit www.foodshare.com and click on the registration tab for Temple Sinai.
This year we had a wonderful faculty of dedicated, enthusiastic and creative teachers who created a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment where students learned about our rich traditions and history. Teachers worked well with students with varied learning styles and used different techniques to ensure that learning was productive for all students. We are fortunate to have them and we thank our teachers and our student assistants for their commitment to Jewish education. I think that we have the best teachers and devoted teen assistants in the community! We had many special programs throughout the year that enhanced our Religious School curriculum. We try to integrate formal and informal education to meet the needs of our students that offer experiential learning opportunities.
Our Religious School continues to grow! I will be busy in the coming months planning for the next school year: book orders, class assignments, hiring faculty, etc. In order to do so, it is important that you return your school registration by July 20. Tuition for the first semester along with book and supply fees will be due with your registration form in July. You will find the registration form along with the parking lot supervision sign up in your June White & Katzman bill. If you do not receive the form, please call Joyce at the Temple office at 860 / 561-1055. There is $50 late fee. Your temple account must be in good standing for your children to return in the fall. If you need to speak with someone regarding your account please call the temple office. Enrollment for Religious School and the High Holy Day tickets will be processed for those whose accounts are up to date.
A big Todah Rabah (thank you) to all parents for your continued support, commitment and involvement in our Religious School. Our goal of fostering both friendship and learning in our classrooms has been achieved. Your comments and concerns, which are always encouraged, help to improve our school. You can always reach me by cell phone at 860/614-2063 or by e-mail . Religious School opens on Sunday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 16.
My wishes to everyone for a healthy and relaxing summer.
We are all looking forward to warmer weather in the month of April after a very long, cold and snowy winter! We also begin to prepare ourselves spiritually for the wonderful and meaningful holiday of Passover, which is also called Z’man Cherutena (Time of our Freedom) and Chag Ha’Aviv (Holiday of Spring). As we celebrate Passover, the first Seder on April 3, we cannot help but to give thanks for all we have and the freedoms we celebrate. It is also a time for us to be mindful of our mission of Tikun Olam (Repairing the World), making our world a better place for all.
Religious School is flying by so fast and we have been busy! Purim was celebrated with a festive Purim Service on March 4 and with the Purim Carnival on March 8. A special todah rabah (thank you) to the hard work of our Youth Director, Mitzi Young, and the teens in the youth group who organized and ran this fun-filled carnival for the children and adults alike!
On Sunday, April 26 from 9–11:30 a.m., the 7th grades and their parents will participate in an important workshop led by facilitators of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in a program called “Confronting Anti-Semitism and Bullying”. Parents are expected to attend this informational and experiential workshop with their 7th grader.
On Friday evening, May 1, the 4th grades will participate in the Shabbat service at 6:00 p.m. followed by a dairy, pot-luck dinner for the 4th grade families.
Reminder: Religious School will be closed from Sunday, April 5 through Sunday, April 19 for Passover and Spring Break. School resumes on Wednesday, April 22.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any concerns.
Directions
Religious School News (May–June 2016)
May 18, 2016 by urjnetworkadmin • Religious School Newsletter
The school year is ending so quickly. May is the closing month of our Religious School year and we are busy with activities until our closing day, May 15th On Wednesday night, May 4, the Jewish War Veterans presented three awards to the 6th grade winners of an essay contest entitled “What does Memorial Day Mean to Me?” This is a wonderful program as the members of the Jewish War Veterans introduced themselves to our students and listened as the award winning essays were read aloud.
This year we had a wonderful faculty of dedicated, enthusiastic, and creative teachers who created a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment where students learned about our rich traditions and history. Teachers worked well with students with varied learning styles and used different techniques to ensure that learning was productive for all students. We are fortunate to have them, and we thank our teachers and our student assistants for their commitment to Jewish education. I think that we have the best teachers and devoted teen assistants in the community! We had many special programs throughout the year that enhanced our Religious School curriculum. We try to integrate formal and informal education to meet the needs of our students that offer experiential learning opportunities.
Our Religious School continues to grow! I will be busy in the coming months planning for the next school year: book orders, class assignments, hiring faculty, etc. In order to do so, it is important that you return your school registration by July 22. Tuition for the first semester, along with book and supply fees, will be due with your registration form in July. You will find the registration form along with the parking lot supervision sign up in your June White & Katzman bill. If you do not receive the form, please call the Temple office at 860-561-1055. There is a $50 late fee. Your temple account must be in good standing for your children to return in the fall. If you need to speak with someone regarding your account, please call the temple office. Enrollment for Religious School and the High Holy Day tickets will be processed for those whose accounts are up to date.
A big Todah Rabah (thank you) to all parents for your continued support, commitment and involvement in our Religious School. Our goal of fostering both friendship and learning in our classrooms has been achieved. Your comments and concerns, which are always encouraged, help to improve our school.
Religious School opens on Sunday, September 11 and Wednesday, September 14.
My wishes to everyone for a healthy and relaxing summer.
We want our Religious School to be a place of learning and friendship for everyone! Please contact me with any suggestions or concerns at
L’Shalom,
Rena Citron, Director of Education