Kavod: Respect and Honor Behavior Guidelines
KAVOD:
Kavod for self – We expect every person to demonstrate self-respect.
Safety first – Please think before you act. Please be careful.
Kavod for others – We expect every person to demonstrate respect for others.
B’tzelem Elohim – Each person is created in God’s image. Therefore, we treat one another with kindness and honor. We reach out to help everyone feel at home and to offer any help we can give to others.
Words are powerful. While each family’s home may have different rules or expectations, please recognize that Beth Israel is our community’s home. We expect all members of this community to speak thoughtfully and respectfully.
Kavod for place – We expect every person to demonstrate respect for place and property.
Sacred Space – Out of respect for our holy places, no eating or drinking is allowed in the sanctuary or the chapel at any time or during any worship service in any location.
Sacred Obligations:
LEARNING
I have the privilege of learning about my Jewish heritage.
I have the responsibility to help myself and others to learn by attending class, arriving on time, doing my work, and following teachers’ instructions.
RESPECT
I have the privilege of being treated with respect.
I have the responsibility to treat others with respect by being fair, by being kind, by not treating others the ways I don’t want to be treated, and by respecting other people’s boundaries.
SHARING RESPONSIBILITY
I have the privilege of participating in decision-making processes.
I have the responsibility to be involved by helping set standards in class, by abiding by class and program-wide standards, by thinking before I speak or act.
ATTENDANCE AS KAVOD, RESPECT
Arriving on time, attending classes, and leaving only when classes end are all ways to honor Judaism and Jewish knowledge as well as teachers, the student community, and our own ability and commitment to learn. We expect all students to strive to attend as much of each program as possible.
If a student must be tardy or absent, please contact the teacher or the Education Office as soon as possible. If a student misses more than twenty percent of a program year, make-up work will be assigned.
Make-up work can help a student learn the material, experience values, and reconnect with the community. Please consider how missing over twenty percent of a program year will affect a student’s Jewish knowledge and comprehension as well as his or her eligibility for bnaimitzvah or confirmation. Please consider how difficult it is to maintain friendships or a personal connection to the community while away from a program.
Without completing the make-up work and without attending at least eighty percent of any program, a student will be jeopardizing his or her progress in our educational programming
PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.
When problems arise, communication is our first, last, and most helpful tool. Teachers, parents, students, madrichim (teachers’ assistants), and educators, working together and communicating openly will be able to confront any challenge in a constructive way.
- A teacher may send a student out of class if that student places other students in danger or if that student interferes with the teacher’s ability to teach or any student’s ability to learn in any way, at any time.
- Since no student should be without proper supervision at any time, students sent from class will remain in earshot or visual contact of the classroom or wait in the Education Office. If a student spends a great deal of time out of the classroom, make-up work may be assigned.
- Educators and teachers appreciate the help of parents. We might call you if problems become on-going. We always appreciate your support and we may ask you to participate in problem-solving.
- Beth Israel recognizes that each student has a personal learning style and that all students think, hear, learn, and experience education or Judaism differently. Please contact us if you have suggestions about how best to communicate with your child. We are interested in your ideas and your experiences as well as your child’s preferences.
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