2006-2007 • 5766-5767 School Year

MISSION STATEMENT:

Tehiyah Day School is a Jewish community day school committed to serving a diverse student body, maintaining academic excellence and instilling in its students a love of learning, respect for individual differences, and a deep appreciation of Jewish values and culture.

— Adopted December 12, 1994 by the Tehiyah Day School Board of Directors

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY:

Tehiyah Day School was founded in 1979 by a group of parents who were committed to excellence in general studies and Jewish education for their children.

Through the dedication of the founding families, faculty and staff, Tehiyah grew quickly. Within five years Tehiyah moved to our current site which was purchased from the Richmond Unified School District in 1984. It is being developed in three phases according to a master plan originally designed by the architectural firm of Simon Martin Vegue Winkelstein Moris in 1995. The plan has since been revised by Starkweather Bondy Architecture. The first phase, completed in 1996, included middle school classrooms, science and computer labs, and additional office space. Phase Two, completed in 2002, provided a gymnasium/auditorium, a room for music and the after school program, a Judaic Studies center, and a catering kitchen. A final phase of campus development will focus on replacing existing portable buildings which currently house our library and several middle school classrooms with a larger state of the art library, new classrooms, offices, and meeting rooms.

The East Bay community has supported the development and growth of Tehiyah. Encouragement and financial help continues to flow from the families and friends of Tehiyah, from the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, the Koret Foundation and many other philanthropies.

Tehiyah offers a complete program of instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade, providing a thorough foundation for all subsequent learning. Tehiyah encourages courtesy and kindness, leadership abilities, a willingness to be a cooperative group member, and a readiness to request help and accept constructive criticism.

Tehiyah seeks to develop in each child a sense of independence and self-knowledge together with respect and care for others, a love of learning, and a bonding to Jewish life and thought.

The Hebrew word tehiyah means renewal; the school’s name reflects the crucial role education plays in renewing children’s connection to their heritage, and in renewing each generation’s commitment to Tikkun olam – repair of the world.

Tehiyah is a community day school, an independent Jewish school in an American context, not affiliated with any denomination or movement. Tehiyah adheres to the principle of pluralism in both Jewish and American living and respects the customs and traditions of all students. The curriculum, school-wide celebrations, classroom activities, and informal interactions stimulate growth and curiosity and are designed to foster a meaningful aesthetic and spiritual experience. Art, music and drama have an important place in our school and high academic standards are upheld throughout the curriculum.

Tehiyah aspires to nurture the unique intellectual, social, physical, creative and spiritual potential of every student so that Tehiyah students become lifelong learners with an informed commitment to their heritage as Jews and as Americans.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:

Tehiyah Day School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at this school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its education policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance program, athletic and other school administered programs.

TUITION ASSISTANCE:

Tehiyah is committed to a tuition assistance program for qualifying families. The amount available is based on a fixed percentage of tuition revenue. Grants are awarded based on family need and the availability of funds.

Families interested in applying for tuition assistance should request an application form from the School Business Office. Completed forms are due in February. This information is treated confidentially.

GIVING EXPECTATIONS:

Each family is expected to contribute to Tehiyah’s Annual Fund and Capital Campaign according to its means. Please see the Development and Giving section in this handbook.

ARRIVAL, DEPARTURE AND ABSENCE PROCEDURES:

All plans for the school day should be made by parents with their children’s knowledge before children leave for school and should be confirmed by a written note or by voicemail to the teacher.

ARRIVAL

The school day begins promptly at 8:25 a.m. with the singing of Modeh Ani in the center courtyard; all classes join together to start the day as a community. All students and faculty should move into the courtyard when the opening bell rings at 8:25 a.m. Parents are welcome to participate in the morning assembly; however, please do not hold conversations at this time.

When students arrive after Modeh Ani has started, the late arrival will be documented as an unexcused tardy. Tardies are excused only if accompanied by a note from a health care provider or if the Tehiyah chartered bus is late. Students will come to the office for a late slip only if their teacher instructs them to because the attendance sheet has already been sent to the office. Otherwise, the teacher will mark the tardy on the attendance sheet. If the student has an excess of tardies, the parents will receive a phone call from the teacher. If it continues, a meeting will be scheduled.

T’fillah (optional morning prayer for students and/or parents) is from 8:00-8:20 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.

Please note that adult supervision is only available beginning at 8:15 am. Children should not arrive before 8:15 a.m. unless they are going to T’fillah. The library is open for book selection and quiet reading from 8:15 – 8:25 a.m.

DEPARTURE

It is important to inform the front office if a student will be leaving school early. Parents should go to the school office, sign the student out, and have the front desk call the classroom. Parents may not go into the classroom to request dismissal of a student.

ABSENCES

When a child is absent from school please call to inform the school. Lower school parents need to leave a voicemail message for the homeroom teacher. Middle school parents need to call the front desk. Notify the office immediately if an illness is a communicable disease.

When a child is absent from Middle School, it is the responsibility of the student to gather all assignments and to complete all class work and homework in a timely manner. Failure to make up work may result in a lowered grade for that grading period.

Whenever possible, vacations should not be arranged when school is in session and appointments should not be scheduled during the school day. Students on athletic teams are expected to be at school on game days or risk forfeiting participation on that day.

Suspensions from school are considered to be unexcused absences. In the event of a suspension, students are responsible for the content of all missed class work and homework, but they will not receive credit for specific assignments.

Excessive unexcused tardies and absences may negatively impact school performance and progress.

PARKING AND TRAFFIC RULES

All traffic and parking rules, as more fully described in the Tehiyah Day School Transportation Policy, Procedures, and Regulations Acknowledgment and Compliance Agreement must be followed by every parent and designated driver (relative or childcare provider) at all times. The School is required, as a condition of its use permit, to issue warnings and penalties for violations of the traffic and parking rules, as set forth in the Transportation Policy, Procedures, and Regulations Acknowledgment and Compliance Agreement.

Key Points to Keep In Mind:

Children can only be dropped off or picked up in the school parking lot. Otherwise you must walk your child to the school grounds. Under no circumstances are parents to double-park on any street or allow their children to cross any street without supervision.
Traffic flow in and out of the school parking lot is a one-way system as follows:

Enter only from Carquinez

When dropping off: turn immediately to the right, pull as far forward as possible, load and unload your children as quickly as possible in the designated zone — follow all staff instructions and posted signs.

When picking up: If your children have not yet arrived at the lot, pull out of the line and park in any space and walk to the pick-up zone to retrieve your children. Be sure not to block the way of the school buses.

Exit the lot only from Tassajara Avenue — you may not turn left out of the lot.
Never drive northbound on Tassajara North of Barrett

If available, park in the school lot.
Otherwise, you may park:
- On Barrett between Tassajara and Carquinez (but not in the bus zones)
- On Barrett East of Tassajara (uphill from the school)
You may not park:
- On Carquinez Avenue
- On Tassajara North of Barrett (the school side of Barrett)
- In any “no parking” area – including the school driveway on Tassajara near Barrett
Do not use any driveways – those of the school or its neighbors -- to turn around, back-up or facilitate a U-turn.
Do not make a U-turn at either the intersection of Barrett and Tassajara or Barrett and Carquinez

These rules have been instituted to protect the children of the school as well as to ensure that we minimize the impact of the School on its neighbors. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

TEHIYAH SCHOOL BUS:

Private bus service is available at an additional charge for families living in North Berkeley, South Berkeley, Oakland, Piedmont and points South. Any Tehiyah student may ride the bus regularly or occasionally to attend classes, visit friends or arrive at one of the bus stop locations, for a per ride charge of $4.00.

Bus Changes - Bus Hotline
All calls for bus changes or requests should be directed to the bus hotline 233-3013, ext. 250. Please make all calls regarding the bus or any emergency messages that must be delivered to your child before 2:00 p.m. For students in kindergarten through third grade, teachers should also be notified by voice mail or by a note before lunchtime.

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
For the safety of the students, there is a need for behavioral expectations any time students wait for or ride on a bus during the school day. This includes the school bus, AC Transit, and buses for field trips.

Students are expected to sit in the seats, face forward, with voices quiet enough to hear instruction (keep noise level down), and show respectful behavior towards peers and bus personnel. Students are expected to wait at the bus stop, or for a field trip, in an orderly, quiet manner. Students who ride AC Transit home must wait at the bus stop directly across from the school.

Consequences:
The classroom teacher is the contact person for bus-related issues. If there is an issue with a student, the classroom teacher will contact the students involved. Steps for taking action:

Homeroom teacher will give a reminder to, and discuss with, the student(s) about behavioral expectations.
If behavior happens again, student will lose an age-appropriate privilege at school.
Parent will be contacted by homeroom teacher.
Repeated offenses may result in loss of privilege of riding the bus.

TEHIYAH AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM (TAP):

Contacting TAP: After 2:30 p.m., call (510) 233-4405 or 812-5981, Voicemail: ext. 112

TAP Hours: From 2:30-6:00 p.m. sharp. Parents will be billed $20.00 for every quarter hour (or any portion thereof) that they are late.

Program Description

TAP is available to Tehiyah students on a regular or drop-in basis. The TAP staff supervises a wide variety of activities for each age group. Recreational and informal activities are planned. Kindergartners are in TAP from 2:30 until 3:15 p.m. (until 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday) where they enjoy art, music, and cooking projects, indoor/outdoor free play, story time, games, and a wholesome snack. First through eighth graders who join the program at 3:15 p.m. (2:50 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday) have a snack and free play and may do their homework. Information about after-school enrichment classes is made available early in September.

Students in TAP follow the Tehiyah Code of Behavior (which can be found in the Policies and Procedures section).

TAP Calendar

TAP begins the first day of school, and continues through the school year. There is no TAP on the last day of school or on school holidays.

TAP is available on early dismissal days from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Please note that on Erev Rosh ha-Shanah and Erev Yom Kippur TAP ends at 4:00 p.m. TAP is also offered during Parent-Teacher Conference times.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY:

Immunizations
State regulations require that each child have a California Immunization Record on file which includes the month, and year of each required immunization. Students entering Tehiyah for the first time must bring a record of four (4) DPT, three (3) Polio, and two (2) MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella).

Recently enacted regulations require all students entering kindergarten are required to have hepatitis immunizations and varicella (chicken pox) immunizations. Students entering seventh grade will need to have had three (3) hepatitis B immunizations.

Accident or Illness at School
Children who become ill at school and cannot participate in the regular school program are sent to the school office. The office contacts the parents or the designated individual on the emergency information form. Since the school does not have facilities to care for a sick child, parents are expected to pick up the child within the hour of the time that they have been contacted.

All accidents and injuries involving students at school are reported to the office. When possible, these students receive first-aid care from school staff. When necessary, emergency services will be called. Parents are contacted immediately about any serious injury and an accident report will be sent home with the child. If the office cannot reach a parent, a designated individual on the emergency information form will be contacted. The emergency information must have the names of two other individuals in addition to the parents who can be reached during the school day.

Medication
The Tehiyah office will administer medication to students only if the medication is clearly labeled with the child’s name and the school is given dosage, instructions and a note from the prescribing physician, along with written parental consent to dispense the medication. Without this information, the school staff cannot take responsibility for administering any medication to students.

Emergency Plan/Fire and Earthquake Safety Center
The Tehiyah school buildings meet all fire, seismic and handicapped access codes. Safety systems include fire signal alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers. Fire and earthquake drills are held regularly as required by the City of El Cerrito Fire Department.

An earthquake safety program is in effect. Safety precautions are posted in each classroom and exit hall. Food and medical supplies are maintained on site. The procedures below have been established for children, teachers and parents to follow in the event of a serious earthquake or other major disaster.

In the event of a major disaster, Tehiyah has established a sister-school system. When local phone lines are not functioning, but long distance service still operates, Shalom School in Sacramento will have all information collected there. Therefore, if you cannot call or reach Tehiyah, contact Shalom School at (916) 485-4151.

Tassajara Park and the building across the street from the Tehiyah site have been designated as the Neighborhood Assistance Area. This means that in the event of a major earthquake, a communication center will be set up at this location, along with police and fire assistance.

Security
The campus is locked and under camera surveillance throughout the school day. Gate codes are changed periodically; visitors announce themselves through an intercom and are then “buzzed in.” Parents should be aware of the codes needed to unlock our gates; however, gate codes are not to be shared.

All visitors must report to the office, sign in, and receive an appropriate badge to wear for the duration of their visit. Keeping the campus secure depends on the cooperation and vigilance of all of our staff, parents and even children. If you see anything that causes you any concern, please report it to the main office immediately.

Child Abuse Reporting Regulations
In compliance with School policy and California law, the Tehiyah staff is obligated under penalty of fine and jail term to report the reasonable suspicion of physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional deprivation, physical neglect, inadequate supervision or sexual abuse and exploitation. In this very serious and legally narrow area, the School will not contact parents in advance of making a report to legal authorities, which would be the procedure followed in most other matters. The clear intent of the law, based on the seriousness of the crimes listed above, is to mandate that a report of reasonable suspicion of abuse be made.

HEAD LICE POLICY
Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the human scalp and feed by biting. They spread by head-to-head contact and, less commonly, by contact with infested clothing, head gear, linen, upholstery, etc. Symptoms of an infestation include itching (especially at the base of the head), a red and irritated scalp from scratching, and nits (eggs) attached to the hair shaft close to the scalp.

Prompt treatment of lice is imperative! The infestation must be contained in order to prevent it from becoming a long-standing nuisance, as children continually reinfect each other.

It is every parent’s responsibility to occasionally check their own child for head lice. If you find nits or lice on your child, you must notify the school office, so that we can work together to help prevent transmission to other children.

School Procedures
Parent volunteers will check every grade for head lice once at the beginning of each term. If no infestation is found, an all-clear letter will be sent by email to the families in that grade.

If an infestation is found, the family of the affected child (or children) will be contacted. A letter will also be sent to all the families in the grade, notifying them that lice have been found, and giving them information about how to contend with the problem. The lice screeners will remove the nits and lice they see during the check. If live lice are found, the child will be sent home immediately. If only nits are found, the child may stay at school until the end of the day.

The affected child is welcome at school the next day, provided that lice treatment has been applied and the nits picked out, as described below. The child, accompanied by a parent, must check in with the office PRIOR to returning to class in the morning.

The affected grade will be re-checked after three weeks, and emails will be sent to the parents as above.

Classrooms of the infested grades will be vacuumed daily, including couches and other upholstered furniture. Pillows will be put away in sealed plastic bags for two weeks, or until the infestation is over. Children will not share any head gear, including Kippot and headphones. Their clothing will be kept separate (i.e., jackets in backpacks, not hanging together). They will be encouraged to cover their heads (hats, scarves) or tie their hair back.

Treatment at Home
If your child is affected, call your pediatrician for instructions. Most recommend applying an anti-lice shampoo or conditioner such as Nix, readily available at drug stores. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or those of your pediatrician's, who may recommend leaving the cream on the hair longer. The hair must then be meticulously combed and all the nits removed.

Please keep in mind that it has come to our attention that today’s lice are becoming resistant to some over-the-counter products. Please consider the suggestions in this handbook as only a brief introduction to lice treatment. Again, get more detailed instructions from your pediatrician, or consult such online resources as headlice.org, headliceinfo.com, cdc.gov, nuvoforheadlice.com (non-toxic) and hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html. Some parents with experience have suggested home remedies, such as mayonnaise. Others have tried the preventative measure of a vinegar wash.

The best way to cure this condition is to keep after it. Check all family members. Nitpicking daily for several weeks is usually necessary to remove all nits and prevent reinfestation. Repeated treatments over a few weeks are also often recommended, because the nits can remain viable and hatch, even after treatment.

To limit the spread of lice in your household, you should consider such steps as washing linens every night, promptly washing all clothing using hot water and a hot dryer, disinfecting hair brushes, sealing stuffed animals in plastic bags, thoroughly vacuuming rugs, couches and cars, etc.

These suggestions are only a brief introduction to lice treatment. Again, contact your pediatrician for more detailed instructions, or consult such online resources as those listed above.

Transmission and Prevention
The best way to prevent transmission of lice is by keeping your child’s hair tied back and/or covered (braids, ponytails, hats, scarves). Children should also not share any clothing or head gear, such as hats, Kippot, jackets, barrettes, hair brushes, etc.

Please be aware that transmission in the home setting may be even more likely than at school. Take precautions to limit spread between family members and, when arranging playdates with friends, please discuss the issue as necessary.

Remember that if you yourself find nits or lice on your child, you must notify the school office, so that we can work together to help prevent transmission to other children.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

Community Standards and Expectations
Tehiyah Day School maintains a safe and supportive learning environment. Students act responsibly, treat others with respect, cooperate with teachers and peers and complete assigned work. Creating and maintaining a positive learning environment is a responsibility shared by faculty, administrative staff, students and parents.

Tehiyah is interested in fostering collaboration among parents, students and faculty to arrive at sensible arrangements which will permit students personal expression while encouraging social responsibility and standards that are acceptable to the community. As you may imagine, this is no simple task, but it does require that written policies be kept at a minimum.

Students, parents, and faculty are expected to be courteous and considerate of others. Questions about what is acceptable may arise from time to time. If there is a need for clarification, a parent forum, faculty meeting, or student council may be asked to discuss the topic.

We expect students to also respect the standards and procedures of individual classrooms regarding eating, talking and other communications. We also expect students to respect the standards and procedures of other institutions we visit on field trips or that host school events.

Students may not use cell phones, pagers, personal stereos, or other electronic devices during the school day. Additionally, students who ride bicycles, scooters, skates of any kind, or skateboards to school may not use them on campus. Students should not bring valuable or distracting toys or games to school. Chewing gum is not permitted at school.

Dress Code
Tehiyah promotes a dress code appropriate for a learning environment. All students are expected to be well-groomed, modest, safe, and inoffensive in their dress and hairstyles. To this end, we provide some specific requirements. The following items are not allowed:

Tank tops
Any items of clothing that do not cover midriff, back, chest areas or underclothes
Torn clothes
Styles that are not appropriate for a learning environment (such as pajama bottoms or overly tight clothing)
Clothing with references to drugs, alcohol, tobacco or with offensive words or phrases

Students should wear clothes that fit properly. Shorts and skirts/dresses must reach mid thigh and pants should be worn at or above the hips. We discourage the wearing of make-up and flip flops at school.

Initially, teachers will address matters of inappropriate attire or other violations of the school’s behavior code and guidelines with the students themselves. Parents will be advised on subsequent offenses and students may face disciplinary action at school. Parents will be informed in a timely manner if students have difficulties in participating in this learning environment. While most difficulties are handled by classroom teachers, more serious or repeated cases of inappropriate behavior will be referred to the administration. Ultimately, students may face in-school suspension.

Resolving Classroom Related Problems
When a classroom related problem arises, parents should first contact the teacher and schedule a conference. If the teacher and parents cannot resolve the problem, they may request assistance from the responsible administrator. Most problems at the classroom level will be resolved through the collaborative efforts of teachers, parents, and students.

DISCIPLINE
Steps for discipline issues:

The teacher will give a reminder to, and discuss with, the student(s) about behavioral expectations.
If behavior happens again, student will lose an age-appropriate privilege at school.
Parent will be contacted by the teacher.
Repeated offenses may result in in-school suspension.

Some behaviors may result in immediate in-school suspension:

Physical fighting
Destruction of property
Invasion of property of others
Bullying-related

Class Placement
The faculty and administration determine student placement by considering what is in the best interest of the child and the school as a whole. Social factors are not the primary consideration. Parents and evaluators will be consulted when appropriate. It is inappropriate for parents to request specific teachers. The administration is responsible for final decisions.

Evaluations and Student Support
Psychological and/or educational evaluation, therapy or tutoring may be recommended by the school and may be required as a condition for acceptance or for continued enrollment. All evaluations must be submitted to the school so that we can plan appropriate educational programs for the student. The costs of these services are the responsibility of the family.

Messages/School Phone Use
Please call the office if your child will be absent from school.

Please do not call the office with messages for students unless there is an emergency. Only emergency messages can be delivered to students and faculty. Phone messages for teachers should go directly to their voice mail. (See staff directory included with the student roster.)

Students are discouraged from using the office phone except in cases of illness or emergency.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION POLICY
Out of respect for Shabbat observance, it is preferred that birthday celebrations not be held on Shabbat or on Jewish holidays.

If your guest list is comprised of fellow classmates, the school encourages inclusion to the best of the host’s ability. Some invite the whole class, some invite classmates of the same gender, while others prefer a very, very small gathering (the birthday child and 2-3 other students).

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Field Trips
At Tehiyah, important learning extends beyond the classroom. All kindergarten through eighth-grade classes visit various places throughout the Bay Area in connection with their studies. Teachers usually provide a list of field trips for the school year. Parent participation is strongly encouraged on these trips. The Emergency Authorization/Field Trip form signed by the student’s parent or guardian is valid throughout the school year.

Grades three, four and five and the middle school offer annual overnight trips which foster outdoor education, cultural interests, and opportunities for communal experience.

Teachers and staff plan for students to arrive back at school before the end of the school day. In some cases, you will be notified in advance if a class plans to return late. There are times, however, when the trip home is delayed due to traffic or unexpected events at the destination.

Homework and Tests
The time that students need to spend on homework assignments will increase with their grade level. Teachers will give notice of a lengthy assignment so that students can plan ahead in case they have commitments on particular days. Teachers will make every effort to coordinate assignments and tests so that there is not an undue burden on students at any particular time. The school administers standardized tests to grades 3-8 each spring.

COMPREHENSIVE TESTING PROGRAM (ERB)
The Comprehensive Testing Program 4 (CTP 4), also referred to as ERB (Educational Records Bureau), will be administered to students in grades 3-8 each spring. This is a standardized, multiple choice test in language arts and mathematics.

In order to receive accommodations for this test such as extended time, a reader, and/or a separate testing room, specific documentation must be on file at Tehiyah. A student must have been formally assessed and diagnosed by an appropriate, licensed professional. This documentation includes a standardized measure of intelligence, standardized measures of academic achievement and select tests of cognitive processing that assess such cognitive functions as attention, memory, auditory processing, visual processing, visual-motor abilities, language, executive functions, or higher order reasoning, etc. If your child has not had these tests completed within the last three years, you will need to have them re-tested or provide documentation (at least one month before testing begins) from an appropriate professional (e.g., educational therapist, learning specialist, speech/language pathologist, occupational therapist, clinical or educational psychologist, behavioral/developmental pediatrician, etc.) indicating why s/he believes your child should continue to receive testing accommodations. This documentation, which need not exceed one page, should include in what capacity the professional has worked with your child, what formal or informal testing or evaluations s/he has performed within the last three years, what (if any) treatment or interventions s/he has provided, and the evidence s/he has gathered to warrant ongoing accommodations.

Referrals to appropriate evaluators for additional testing can be provided by Ken Benau, Ph.D., Tehiyah's consulting clinical psychologist, at Tehiyah (510) 233-3013, extension 226, or he can be reached at his office in Kensington (510) 525-3702. Any questions about the above procedures can be addressed to the Head of Lower School at extension 106.

Library
The school library is open every day before school at 8:15 a.m. and at both morning and lunch recesses. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday the library remains open until 3:45 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 3:15 p.m. Students may check out books at these times and during their scheduled class visits to the library.

Books are due two weeks from the day they are checked out. The due date is stamped inside the book. Books can be renewed. Return boxes and baskets for books are located in the library, the school office, and the kindergarten classes. Overdue lists are circulated to teachers once a month, reminding students to return their books as quickly as possible. Parents will be notified by mail quarterly when overdue books have not been returned. We do not charge overdue fines. Parents will be billed for lost and damaged books.

All Tehiyah students are encouraged to use and to enjoy the school library for research, homework, and recreational reading. Borrowing books is both a pleasure and a responsibility, requiring help from parents, teachers, and the librarian. Borrowers must take good care of library books. It is helpful to have a special place to keep library materials, so that they remain in good condition and can be easily found when it is time to return them. Parents and young siblings are invited to use the school library.

Lost and Found
Please label clothing, lunch boxes, backpacks, and all other items; encourage your children to be responsible for their belongings. The Lost and Found is located outside under the eaves of the courtyard. Small items are brought into the school office. At the end of each month, unclaimed articles are donated to a local charity or shelter.

Open House
During the Spring semester, an evening is designated as our School Open House. On this evening teachers and students display work done in each grade and invite parents and friends to visit. Parents first visit in their own child’s class and are then invited to visit other classrooms.

School Pictures
Every fall, a professional photographer takes color photographs of Tehiyah students and classes. Information and prices will be sent home in advance of picture day.

T’fillah
Prayer is lead by Tehiyah faculty for all students choosing to attend. It begins on the second day of school and is held from 8:00-8:20 a.m. Students in grades K-3 meet in the library; students in grades 4-8 meet in the Beit Midrash. We ask that you make a commitment to this program by seeing that children arrive on time regularly. Parents are invited to participate in the service with their children.

Textbooks and Supplies
The school will provide most textbooks for regular class work. Students are responsible for the purchase of other supplementary supplies and paperback books.

Students are responsible for textbooks that are issued to them. If a textbook is lost or damaged, another copy will be ordered for the student and parents will be billed. All books must be returned before the end of the school year.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE CLASSROOM
Teachers in the lower school welcome parent volunteers in the classroom. There are more opportunities in the earlier grades, as the need decreases when the students become more independent. Parents are encouraged to help in the classroom with ongoing projects, share their expertise by teaching a lesson, participate in holiday celebrations, and assist teachers during specific subjects when the need arises.

At the beginning of each school year, parents will be given the opportunity to express their interest in volunteering in the classroom. Teachers may contact parents who are interested.

COMMUNICATION

BLUE WEDNESDAY ENVELOPE/ONLINE COMMUNICATION
Weekly news, special announcements and sign-up forms are available online at www.tehiyah.org . Families may request hard copies to be sent by blue envelope with the youngest child in the family; call the front desk (ext. 101) to do so. Blue envelopes should be used for sending completed forms and payments to school or for written communication to the staff.

All written communication must be submitted to the office by Monday at noon for distribution in the Wednesday envelope. All information must be approved by the administration before it is sent home.

School Newsletters
Kol Tehiyah is published weekly each Wednesday. Look for it online at the school website or in the blue envelope by special request. Kol Tehiyah keeps you abreast of all current and up-coming Tehiyah events, including a calendar for the following week. Many important notices appear there which may not be duplicated elsewhere.

Tehiyah Shelanu, a school journal, is distributed several times each year. It features articles about the school, students and personnel, and community news.

Parent Teacher Contact and Report Cards
Back–to-School Nights, scheduled in early fall, are parent orientation meetings about classroom procedures and curriculum goals for the coming year. These meetings are for parents only. Lower school and middle school meet on different nights.

Formal Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for the fall and spring of each school year to discuss student progress. Parents or teachers may request additional conferences at any time during the school year.

Report cards are sent home twice during the school year. Kindergarten children receive a progress report once a year. Middle school students also receive mid-semester progress reports.

Friday Mornings with the Head of School

Parents are invited by grade level to meet with the Head of School on Friday mornings throughout the year. A schedule will be announced in Kol Tehiyah.

TRADITION AND EVENTS

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebrations
While life cycle and ritual are important parts of the Judaic Studies program, lessons for bar and Bat Mitzvah are not included in the school program. Each synagogue follows its own procedures, and families make individual arrangements. Tehiyah families should schedule a date for these celebrations with their synagogue, usually within 18 months of the desired date. Please register this date with the school office to avoid conflicts.

To assist you in planning your child’s bar/Bat Mitzvah, the school keeps a calendar of scheduled b’nei mitzvah dates. Feel free to call the Director of Communication (ext. 100) to find out what dates are available on the calendar, confirm a date with your synagogue, and then call to put your date on the school bar/Bat Mitzvah calendar. This calendar is kept as a courtesy to eliminate the overlap of b’nei mitzvah, it is not a requirement.

It is customary for all students from both classes (usually seventh grade, occasionally sixth grade) to be invited to each Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Kippot
Head covering is a Jewish tradition observed as a sign of respect, particularly when engaging in study of traditional texts. The wearing of Kippot at Tehiyah is a matter of individual choice, students are welcome to wear their own and there is also a supply at school.

HOLIDAYS
In the list below of holidays, those listed as “full holidays” mean that on these days there is no school, and school-related work and events should not be scheduled. Families are encouraged not to schedule birthday parties or other non-holiday related social events involving the Tehiyah community on these dates or on Shabbat. Those listed as having “no restrictions” are holidays on which work and school are permitted. Please note that each holiday begins at sundown on the evening BEFORE the listed date. For certain holidays, school is dismissed early. Check the regular school calendar for information about holiday duration and class dismissal information.

Holiday	Status
Rosh ha-Shanah	Full
Yom Kippur	Full
Sukkot	Full
Sh’mini Atzeret	Full
Simchat Torah	Full
Chanukkah	No Restrictions
Chanukkah	No Restrictions
Purim	No Restrictions
Pesach (Passover)	Full
Yom ha-Shoah	No Restrictions
Yom ha-Zikaron	No Restrictions
Yom ha-Atzma’ut	No Restrictions
Lag b'Omer	No Restrictions
Shavuot	Full Holiday
Tisha b'Av	Fast Day – Some Restrictions

For a listing of Hebrew dates and explanations of the holidays, some good sources from various religious perspectives:

Kashrut

General Policy
Tehiyah Day School is an independent community school that embraces a diverse spectrum of Jewish practice and observance among its students and families. Tehiyah’s Kashrutpolicy is designed to enable all members of the community to eat comfortably at school-sponsored events and group gatherings, while honoring the diversity of individual dietary practices.

Accordingly, all group meals and snacks served to children or members of the Tehiyah community during school-related functions will be kosher. This applies to school functions which occur at Tehiyah and school sponsored events that occur off-site. For instance, food served at the Annual Gala and similar events, whether on or off-site, will be kosher.

In some situations, for instance some overnight field trips, kosher supervision is not available. In these circumstances, children will be served vegetarian/dairy/parve selections. When hosting Tehiyah-sponsored events, including potlucks, parent forums, or committee meetings, in your home or other sites where kosher supervision is not available, food should be vegetarian/dairy/parve.

Tehiyah Catering Kitchen
The catering kitchen in the auditorium is a kosher dairy kitchen. All packaged food used in the kitchen must bear a Hechsher and all food prepared in the kitchen is under rabbinical supervision. In order to maintain its kosher status, the kitchen may be used only by authorized personnel and kosher caterers. All events involving use of the kitchen must be approved by the Head of Judaic Studies and entered, after consultation with the office staff, on the master calendar in the office.

Family-Provided Group Snacks and Birthday Treats
We encourage healthful snacks. Any of the following foods can be shared with all of the children in the class: fresh fruit, plain dried fruits, fresh vegetables, uncoated nuts, milk, kosher cheese, fruit juices and juice drinks (except those containing grape juice), kosher grape juice, and a large range of Hechshered pre-packaged foods or baked foods prepared under rabbinical supervision. These should be served in dishes available in the staff kitchen or in dishes from home that have been exclusively used for dairy or parve foods. If you do not have a kosher kitchen, please either slice fruits, vegetables and other kosher foods in the staff kitchen or with utensils and on cutting boards you have purchased and maintained dairy/parve in accordance with the “How to Provide Kosher Food if Your Kitchen Is Not Kosher” section below. Also, consult the “How to Tell if a Food or Product is Kosher” section below for more information.

On the occasion of a birthday, a family may provide a birthday treat for the class by prior arrangement with the teacher. As is true of other snacks, these treats should have a Hechsher (see below), have been purchased from a kosher-certified establishment, or may be prepared in your home as long as the treats are kosher dairy or parve. If you do not have a kosher kitchen, please follow the guidelines below in the “How to Provide Kosher Food if Your Kitchen Is Not Kosher” section for preparing kosher baked goods. If you have any questions, please contact the Head of Judaic Studies at extension 102.

Individual Student Lunches and Snacks/No-Sharing Policy
In order to avoid confusion and conflicts among children who observe different dietary practices (some being kosher, some not, some vegetarian, some not) students are requested to not share their individual lunches or snacks with other students. It is also essential that students avoid sharing their individual lunches and snacks for hygienic and health-related purposes (to avoid reactions among children with food allergies and passing of infectious illnesses). Please discuss this policy with your children and encourage them to respect the dietary practices of others and to exercise personal responsibility in following your own family’s practices and guidelines. Teachers and staff will, of course, remind children of the no-sharing policy but its success depends on cooperation and support from parents in at least equal measure.

How to Tell if a Food or Product is Kosher
“Kosher” defines food which is 1) prepared in a particular way, or 2) is by its nature kosher. Kosher foods are divided into three categories: meat, dairy and parve (neutral). The mixing of meat and dairy products is avoided, as well as the utensils and dishes used to prepare or serve them. Parve foods can be mixed with either dairy or meat products.

If you provide a snack for a school activity it must be either dairy or parve. The following general food categories are considered kosher:

Food prepared in the (kosher, dairy) kitchen at Tehiyah Day School
Food prepared in other kosher kitchens
Packaged food bearing a Hechsher symbol, (see below)
Certain foods not bearing one of these labels, but whose product lines are under rabbinic supervision (e.g. Hershey’s Bars and Hershey’s Kisses)
All fresh fruits or plain, dried fruits
All fresh vegetables
All fruit juices, except juices or drinks that contain grape juice
Milk, sugar, flour, sugar, salt, tea, unflavored coffee, butter, baking powder, baking soda,kosher cheeses
Grape juice products prepared under rabbinic supervision (and bearing a herhsher symbol)
All products of Grand Bakery and Oakland Kosher Foods
Cookies: Stella D’Oro, Entenmann’s, Sunshine (with a K on the box), Duncan-Hines, most Pepperidge Farm cookies (with a U on the box)
Crackers: Sunshine (with a K on the box), Triscuits (with a U), Albertson’s snack crackers
Bread: Lender’s Bagels, Vital Vittles, Wedemeyer’s (with a K on the box), Semifreddi’s.
Cakes: Entenmann’s, Grand Bakery
Ice Cream: Breyer’s, Haagen Daaz, some Dreyer’s flavors, some of Ben and Jerry’s flavors, some Good Humor flavors
Candy: Sunkist Fruit Gems, all Hershey’s candy bars and Kisses, M&M’s
Granola Bars: Nature Valley, Quaker

Please consult the Kosher Symbols as follows for a list of common Kosher symbols.

kosher chart

HOW TO PROVIDE KOSHER FOOD IF YOUR KITCHEN IS NOT KOSHER:

There are a number of ways to comply with the Kashrut policy when bringing food to school. For example, food may be prepared in the home of a family that has a kosher kitchen or it may be prepared in the staff kitchen at the school (please consult with the office before using that kitchen). Alternatively, parents can purchase kosher pre-packaged foods or foods from kosher purveyors and serve them on paper plates, with new plastic utensils.

Another way is to prepare foods in your own, non-kosher, home as follows: Purchase a new cutting board, new knife and other necessary utensils (such as spoons, spatulas, etc.), and a new or disposable serving or baking dish and bowl. These items must be kept separately from other dishes and used exclusively for dairy/parve foods. They must also be washed separately with a sponge dedicated for this purposes.

For baked food, you need to Kasher (make kosher) your oven. Self-cleaning ovens must first be thoroughly wiped down on the inside and then run through the self-cleaning cycle. Other ovens must be cleaned with a chemical cleaner, such as Easy-Off, and then set on broil and left on for about 10 minutes. Your oven will then be kosher to bake in.

DEVELOPMENT AND GIVING

TEHIYAH ANNUAL FUND
Nearly every independent school has an annual giving program because tuition rarely covers the full cost of providing a high quality program. Tehiyah is no exception. The actual cost of a Tehiyah education is approximately $1,000 more than the tuition charged by the school. Accordingly, every Tehiyah family is expected to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Annual Children’s Fund each year it is affiliated with the school in order to bridge the gap between actual costs and tuition revenue.

Tehiyah asks that every family make Tehiyah one of its highest charitable giving priorities while children are enrolled at the school. However, we recognize that each family within our economically diverse community has a differing ability to contribute and some are unable to fully bridge the gap between tuition and actual costs. We ask each family to contribute to the best of its ability — every gift, no matter the amount, is important. But we do ask that those families that are able to give at a level that bridges the $1,000 gap to do so.

The participation of all Tehiyah families in the Tehiyah Annual Fund is an important factor not only in the quality of our programs, but also in the level of outside giving to the school. Foundations and community donors traditionally look at the commitment from a school’s own families before they, as outsiders, make their investment.

TUITION ASSISTANCE FUND
One of the primary tenets of Tehiyah’s mission is to serve a diverse student body. To that end, the Tuition Assistance Fund helps ensure that families are not denied the Jewish education provided at Tehiyah because of their economic circumstance. The fund helps provide tuition assistance to approximately 30% of Tehiyah families who qualify for such aid. Special fundraising events for this fund are conducted during the school year.

MEMORIAL AND HONOR GIVING
Memorial and honor gifts are a meaningful way to acknowledge someone important in your life and support the school at the same time. Parents may make gifts to any fund in memory or in honor of someone. These gifts are recognized in the Tehiyah Shelanu without noting the donation amount. There are several specific funds that are currently accepting donations:

Library Gifts Book Fund – Provides funds for the purchase of library books in honor of a particular child or adult.
Luis A. Guendelman Teacher Grant Fund – Established by Simon Guendelman in memory of Luis Guendelman. This fund provides an annual award to one teacher of long standing to encourage ongoing education and professional growth.
Shalva Sorani Art Room Fund – Established in 2006 in memory of parent Shalva Sorani. This fund was established for renovation of the art room.
Sue Miller Memorial Library Fund – Established in memory of a gifted middle school teacher.
Discretionary Fund – Administered by the head of school.

CAPTIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Tehiyah has completed two out of three phases of campus development with substantial support of time and money from families, alumni, grandparents and donors from the greater community. The first phase built the wing of the main building that houses the computer lab, science lab, and two middle school classrooms. The second phase involved the construction of our auditorium gymnasium, music room, and Beit Midrash and was completed in spring, 2002. A future third phase involves a plan to replace the portable buildings, including a new library, as well as to conduct major renovations to our older buildings.

FAMILY SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION

PARENT PARTICIPATION
Tehiyah was born out of the dreams and hard work of the founding families. Active participation is essential to our continued excellence. Each family is required to contribute 30 hours each year to school-related activities (15 hours for single-parent families). Parent participation not only helps keep costs down, but also it greatly enriches the education of our children.

Participation can take many different shapes, from serving as a room parent, driving on a field trip, and helping out in the classroom or school office to serving on the Board of Trustees or the Gala committee. Many opportunities for parent participation are announced in the weekly newsletter, Kol Tehiyah. In addition, there is a list of parent participation opportunities available in the office.

In order to receive proper credit for your hours, you must complete and submit to the office a yellow work credit slip. Blank slips are available in the office and are periodically sent home in the Blue Envelopes. To assist families in ensuring that their hours are properly recorded, letters are mailed to parents during late winter reporting the total recorded hours to date for the school year.

If you believe you are performing an ongoing task throughout a significant portion of the year that will meet the 30-hour requirement, you should notify the Business Office of your understanding on a single work credit slip so that your hours can be properly recorded. Families who fail to complete the 30-hour work requirement will be obligated to reimburse the school at a rate of $25 per unfulfilled work hour.

Required Thirty Hours of Family Participation
Tehiyah came about through the dreams and hard work of its founding families. Parent participation is essential to Tehiyah’s continued excellence because it provides indirect financial support and positive enrichment to the school community.

Therefore, each family is required to contribute 30 hours to school-related activities. Participation can take many different shapes from serving as a room parent, chaperoning on a field trip, helping out in the classroom or office to serving on the Board of Directors or the annual gala committee. Many opportunities for parent participation are announced in the weekly newsletter, Kol Tehiyah. In addition, there is a list of parent participation opportunities available in the office.

In order to receive proper credit for your hours you must complete and submit to the office a yellow work credit slip. Blank slips are available in the office and are periodically sent home in the Blue Envelopes. To assist families in ensuring that their hours are properly recorded, letters are mailed to parents during late winter reporting the total recorded hours to date for the school year.

If you believe that you are performing an on-going task throughout a significant portion of the year that will, of necessity, meet the 30-hour work requirement, you should notify the Business Office of your understanding on a single work credit slip so that your hours can be properly recorded. Families who fail to complete the 30-hour work requirement will be obligated to reimburse the school at the rate of $25 per unfulfilled work hour.

Parents in single-parent households should contact the business office to make any necessary adjustments to your family’s hourly volunteer requirement.

TEHIYAH PARENTS ORGANIZATION (TPO) – ITS ROLE AND PURPOSE:

The Tehiyah Parents Organization (TPO) is comprised of all the parents of the Tehiyah community, and sponsors parent-based activities throughout the year. TPO’s primary functions are to promote and organize parent involvement in school activities and committees, support community building, and sponsor fundraising which benefits school projects.

TPO OFFICERS
TPO officers include co-chairs and a treasurer. TPO officers, as well as project coordinators, can be reached at the phone numbers and email addresses listed in the school roster.

TPO PROGRAMS AND PROJECT COORDINATORS
TPO is constantly changing and growing, and its programs depend on the time, energy and creativity of the Tehiyah parent community. Parents receive information about TPO programs through Kol Tehiyah and fliers in the weekly Blue Envelope. TPO-sponsored programs and projects are listed below. Please contact project coordinators at the numbers listed in the school roster if you have any questions or wish to discuss how you can contribute to TPO.

Room Parent Organization—Two parents for each classroom provide teacher support, coordination of class and school events, coordination of community-building events, and facilitation of communication between the school and families.

Middot l’Mishpachah (Family Values)—This is a family education program. Middot l’Mishpachah will sponsor a regular “Learner’s Chavurah” for parents who would like to learn more about basic Jewish rituals, holidays, music, etc.

Parent Discussion Groups and Speaker Events—TPO sponsors parent meetings for each class which are facilitated speaker forums on child development issues. These meetings will be organized by classroom parents. Speaker events on topics of interest to the entire parent community and/or student body will also be held.

Tehiyah Tikkun olam (Community Service Program) —This multi-faceted program offers students and parents opportunities to volunteer their time, energy and talent to help the larger community. Projects include literacy training/tutoring at local public elementary schools and serving meals at the East Bay Rescue Mission.

Diversity Committee—The Diversity Committee engages in projects that support diversity awareness and education for the entire school community. Members include TDS faculty, administration, staff and parents. A member of the Board of Trustees sits on this committee.

Learning Diversity Committee—Recognizing differing abilities, gifts and learning styles, the Learning Diversity Committee strives to help make the Tehiyah educational experience a positive one for all its students. A member of the Board of Trustees sits on this committee.

G’milut Chasadim: Tehiyah Day School Community Care — “Acts of Loving Kindness” are organized to help and support Tehiyah community members in times of need.

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day — Each year we welcome grandparents and special friends on our campus so that they may share in Tehiyah’s dynamic educational experience.

Shabbat Dinner Program—Shabbat dinners hosted and attended by Tehiyah families.

Special Events—Annual trips to the theater, professional baseball games and the ice skating rink.

TPO FUNDRAISING
TPO fundraising programs focus on “painless profit” programs rather than soliciting direct contributions. These funds are used to support and further enrich many projects and programs vital to our school such as the biblical garden, siddurim and tanachim for the Jewish Studies program, the art room, computer and playground equipment, and the library. TPO’s primary fundraising programs are listed below.

eScrip: TPO’s #1 “painless profit” program! eScrip enables parents and other Tehiyah supporters to register up to six credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, or Safeway Club Cards. Once registered, every time these cards are used at participating merchants such as Andronico’s, Safeway, Cody’s Books, Whole Foods, Payless Shoes, Eddie Bauer, Big O Tire, Piedmont Grocery, and A.G. Ferrari Foods (the list goes on, take a look at www.escrip.com), Tehiyah will earn from 2%-5% (in some cases more) of the purchase amount. Once the easy registration process is done (by mail, fax or on-line) supporters simply use the cards they would normally use to shop and the Tehiyah contribution is handled electronically. There is no registration fee and no fee charged for changing or adding new cards! Supporters will continue to earn all of the same frequent flier miles and other benefits they would normally gain from their cards. To register, call 1-800-592-0942 and tell eScrip that you want to register in support of Tehiyah Day School, organization no. 123676040. Make sure that you have all of the eligible cards in your household handy when you call. You can also register on-line t: www.escrip.com. Please be sure to update your account online annually as you add, change, and renew cards (even for the same account).

Schoolpop: a service similar to eScrip that enables Tehiyah supporters to register cards (for free) which will earn rebates for Tehiyah at participating in-store and catalog merchants such as Eddie Bauer, Hearthsong, and Budget Rental Car. It is also an internet shopping portal which donates a percentage of all purchases made through the site to the school of your choice. On-line merchants include Ebay, GapKids, BabyGap, Drugstore.com, Nordstrom, LLBean, Lands End, Office Max, and Starbucks. (For a more extensive and updated merchant list, go to www.schoolpop.org.). To sign up for both the internet shopping rebate program or the in-store and catalog program in support of Tehiyah, go to www.schoolpop.org. One important caveat: Please do your Amazon shopping through our website (see below) as the rebate to Tehiyah is much higher when you do so.

Albertson’s: Present Tehiyah’s ID number, 49000117604, to the cashier before your grocery order is totaled in order to link your Preferred Albertson’s card. Your purchase will then be credited to the TPO account. Each quarter Albertson’s makes a percentage-based contribution to the school.

Amazon.com: Amazon.com will donate 15% of all purchases made by accessing Amazon through the school’s website (www.tehiyah.org).

Target: Target will donate 1% of your purchases when you use your Target card. Call 800-316-6142 to sign up.

Barton’s Passover Candy: TPO sells kosher for Passover candy each January. 40% of the price of your candy orders are donated to the school.

Box Tops for Education:TPO receives rebates from collected coupons from the tops or sides of General Mills food packages, Ziploc bags and Kleenex. Soup labels from Campbell’s, Progresso and Swanson provide added contributions, too. Ask your friends and family to help save! It really adds up!

Shabbat Shalom Weekly Challah Deliveries: Families who sign up for this program receive a fresh Grand Bakery Challah delivered to their child’s cubby nearly every Friday with a portion of the sale proceeds going to the school.

Tehiyah Merchandise: T-shirts and sweatshirts with Tehiyah’s student-designed artwork and logo are available year-round. Come into the office and pick up an order form.

Bagel Lunch Program: Once per month, children registered for this program will receive a bag lunch filled with a bagel and cream cheese, granola bar, fruit roll-up, juice or natural soda. Proceeds go toward the Middle School for tz’dakah projects and special activities.

Office Depot: 5% of Back-to-School purchases and all other year-round purchases made can be earned when you give the cashier Tehiyah’s ID number at the time of purchase. (ID# 70007587)

Peet’s Coffee: 10% of every $25 Peet’s card benefits Tehiyah. These cards are available for purchase at the front office.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program:Several local merchants support Tehiyah by donating a rebate from your purchase to the school. Be sure to tell them that you want your rebate to go to Tehiyah and tell your friends and extended family, too. For a current list of participating merchants, please look on our website under “Supporting Tehiyah.”

TPO Project coordinator Directory
Please contact TPO with your questions, thoughts and suggestions by calling the TPO co-chairs or specific project coordinators listed in the school roster. TPO programs are constantly evolving and depend entirely on parent involvement, commitment and support--your participation is welcome and essential to building the Tehiyah community!

EVENT PLANNING PROCEDURES
Tehiyah encourages parents to make use of the school facility for community-building events. In order to ensure that events do not conflict with school programs, religious holidays, or other planned events, or unduly burden the school’s staff or facilities, all events, whether they are to take place at school or not, must be coordinated as follows:

Planners must consult with one of the TPO co-chairs as far in advance of their planned event as possible, even if TPO funds are not being sought.
Planners must obtain approval for every planned event from the Head of School.
Planners must next confer with Director of Communication (ext. 100), about the date and time of the event. All events, including events held inside private homes, are tracked on a master calendar in the office.
Any event to be posted on the master calendar must be submitted in writing, or by email, to the Director of Communication, as well as to either one of the TPO co-chairs.
All events related to the gymnasium/auditorium/kitchen/classroom must be coordinated through the Facility Coordinator (ext. 105); in such instances, the Facility Coordinator will enter the event on the master calendar.
All requests for rooms or for facilities support, including any anticipated janitorial services, moving of furniture, etc. should be made, in writing, to the Facility Coordinator. It is very important to give the school as much notice as possible.
Written communications about events to be included in Kol Tehiyah, as well as fliers distributed in the Blue Envelope, must be submitted to the office by Monday at noon.

REIMBURSEMENT
If you purchase a product or service on behalf of the school or TPO you can obtain and turn in reimbursement request forms in the office. Be certain to use the appropriate form (TPO forms are orange and school forms are green) and ensure that they are completed in full with your name, address, amount and purpose of the expenditure and that you attach a copy of your receipt. All TPO expenditures must have the prior approval of one of the co-chairs and reimbursement requests to TPO must be signed by a TPO co-chair. School expenditures should only be made with the prior approval of the relevant faculty or staff member.

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

Board of trustees
Tehiyah Day School is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees composed of parents, alumni and alumni parents, community members and designated Tehiyah Senior Trustees.

The role of the Board of Trustees is to be the guardian of the school’s mission (printed on the cover of the Handbook) by establishing broad policies reflective of that mission. The Board of Trustees does not have responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the school or setting the school curriculum. The Board of Trustees plans for the future of the school and ensures that the school operates in a fiscally appropriate manner in the present and has the financial and leadership resources to achieve its strategic plans. In addition, the Board of Trustees is responsible for hiring, supporting and evaluating the Head of School. More information on the role of the Board of Trustees, and the complementary role of the Head of the School, is set forth in the Principles of Institutional Governance on the following page.

Members of the Board of Trustees serve staggered, two-year terms with half of the members elected at an annual meeting each spring. Members of the Board also include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Past President.

Board of senior Trustees:
The Senior Board of Trustees meets at least once a year and may, on certain very serious matters, ask the Board of Trustees to reconsider a vote. Senior Trustees serve six-year terms staggered so that terms expire every two years.

PRINCIPLES OF INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE:

(Adopted by the Tehiyah Day School Board of Directors, January, 1997)

I. Responsibilities of the Board

The primary responsibilities of the Tehiyah Day School Board of Directors are as follows:

The Board is responsible for maintaining a clear statement of the school’s mission and philosophy.
The Board has final responsibility in all fiscal affairs of the school, and is responsible for assuring the school’s long-term financial stability. The Board’s fiscal responsibilities include but are not limited to fundraising, managing the school’s assets, incurring indebtedness, seeing that the school maintains appropriate insurance coverage, and approving the annual budget.
The Board has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the school complies with all applicable legal regulations and requirements.
The Board is responsible for hiring, evaluating, and, if necessary, discharging the Head of the school.
The Board is responsible for establishing broad policies which reflect its mission and philosophy and which establish the terms on which the Head will administer the school. The authority to make any policy or change of policy that affects the fundamental character of the school rests with the Board. (Examples would include policies significantly altering the nature of religious practice or instruction at Tehiyah Day School, and policies concerning the accommodation of students with special instructional needs.)
The Board is responsible for site development and for long-range institutional planning.
It is the Board’s responsibility to insure that the Head of the school has the resources necessary to enable him/her to discharge him/her responsibilities. It is also the Board’s responsibility to be supportive of the school administration and to provide appropriate assistance when asked to do so by the Head.
The Board is the custodian of the school’s image, and it has a special responsibility to insure that the administration has sufficient resources to inform the public and the school’s various constituencies about Tehiyah’s educational program and services.

II. Responsibilities of the Head

The Head of the school is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the school. The Head’s specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Developing and implementing a school curriculum that is consistent with Tehiyah Day School’s statement of mission and philosophy.
Managing the operations of the school in a manner that complies with all applicable legal rules and regulations.
Fixing the compensation and terms of employment for all school employees (other than for himself/herself), in a manner that respects existing budgetary constraints and complies with applicable Board policies.
Maintaining a manual of fair personnel procedures.
Recruiting, supervising, evaluating, and, if necessary, terminating the school’s teaching and administrative employees, in accordance with established personnel procedures.
Taking responsibility for the school’s sound fiscal management and developing an annual budget for approval by the Board of Trustees.
Providing leadership to the school’s administrative team and delegating responsibility to members of that team where appropriate.
Overseeing the recruitment, admission, retention, and, if necessary, the dismissal of students.
Insuring that financial aid procedures are implemented fairly and in a manner consistent with Board policy.
Providing the Board with regular reports about the school’s educational program and about important developments in the school.
Establishing and maintaining academic and behavioral standards that are consistent with Tehiyah’s statement of mission and philosophy.
Providing advice to the Board on issues of long-ranging planning, on school philosophy and objectives, and on policy questions that fall within the Board’s area of responsibility.
Working with the Board on development and fundraising for annual as well as capital needs.
Providing support for the Board and its committees to insure effective and efficient Board functioning.
Overseeing the maintenance of a safe and attractive physical environment, including buildings, equipment, and grounds.
Establishing and maintaining strong relations with the larger community, including other Jewish organizations, Jewish and secular day schools, the school’s neighbors, and other interested constituencies.

III. Guidelines for Successful Shared Governance

In general, the Board and the Head will need to work together in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect if the school is to flourish. Furthermore, there are several areas in which it will be necessary for the Boards and the Head to work together especially closely if each is to fulfill its responsibilities as outlined above. Obvious examples include budget and fundraising; site maintenance, review, and development; long-range planning; and community relations and outreach.
Because the Board and the Head must indeed work closely together, it is particularly important that the division of responsibility between them should be understood and respected by both. For its part, the Board should not interfere in the day-to-day administration of the school or encroach on the Head’s areas of responsibility. For example, it is the Head’s responsibility to hire and fire faculty and staff. The Head may at times wish to consult with the Board about personnel decisions and he/she should in any case keep them informed about personnel matters. However, Board members should not interfere with the Head’s decisions even if they personally disagree with those decisions. To do so would be to misuse their power and position. For his/her part, the Head must remember that the Board has the ultimate responsibility for determining the fundamental character of the school and for its fiscal affairs. When policy questions arise that have serious implications for either the basic character or the financial health of the school, the Head should refer those questions to the Board for decision. At the same time, the Board must recognize that its failure to make such decisions in a timely fashion may leave the Head with no choice but to develop and implement policies on a provisional basis.
The division of responsibility between the Board and the head must be understood and respected not only by them but also by other school constituencies. Parents and teaches should not expect the Board as a body or Board members individually to interfere with or overrule decisions made by the Head pursuant to his/her exercise of his/her legitimate authority. Parents and teachers who make requests of this sort should be informed that it is not the Board’s place to intervene in such matters, and should be encouraged to address their concerns directly to the Head. Similarly, parents and teachers should not expect the Head to make policies that would alter the character of the school in fundamental respects. It should be explained to those who make such requests that only the Board has the authority to make policy decisions of that kind.

Even if the division of responsibility outlined above is clearly understood by all concerned, situations will arise in which it is unclear whether the responsibility for a particular action or decision rests with the Board or the Head. In these cases, the Board and the Head should strive to work together to achieve a solution that is in the best interests of the school. There are no substitutes, in these contexts and more generally, for courtesy, mutual respect, self-respect, and a shared commitment to the well-being of Tehiyah Day School.