Policies & Procedures

The following policies and procedures govern Congregation Beth Yeshua’s Shabbat School.  Please take time to read and familiarize yourself with them.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school’s director, Rose Coar.

Health Guidelines 

For the protection of our children and nursery care-givers, teachers, and assistants, the following health guidelines are to be adhered to:

    • Children exhibiting the following symptoms/conditions shall not be placed in the nursery or classroom:
      • A fever of over 99.6 degrees currently or within the past 24 hrs
      • Vomiting or diarrhea currently or within the past 24 hrs
      • Significant or persistent nasal drainage which is green or yellow in color
      • Common cold
      • Sore throat
      • Any unexpected rash
      •  Any skin infection
      • Pink eye or any other eye infection
      • Any symptoms of childhood disease, such as scarlet fever, German measles, mumps, or chicken pox
    • Teachers observing any child with the symptoms above will have your assistant escort the child back to his/her parents
    • Teachers / assistants will seek a substitute for their class if they exhibit any of the symptoms above and not teach/assist the class that Shabbat.

Student Registration

Parents please ensure your child is registered for Shabbat school if they will attend on a regular basis.  Other guidelines are as follows:

    • Every child that attends Shabbat School on a regular basis should have a registration form on file.  Parents, please complete this Student Registration Form and turn it into Mary Sams.
    • Upon registration, your child’s name will be added to the class roster.
    • Please sign your child in prior to class.  Class rosters for children ages 4-11 yrs old can be found in each classroom.

Unruly Behavior

Students will not be allowed to disrupt the class.  Name calling, hitting, excessive talking, and consistent disobedience will not be tolerated in any classroom.  Students who have exhausted their opportunities to repent (change behavior) will be escorted back to his/her parent(s) in the sanctuary.  Should your child resist and refuse to go, an usher will contact the parent to come and remove their child.

In addition, the student will not be allowed to participate in Shabbat School the week following the disruptive behavior. Should he/she be absent the following week, he/she cannot return to the classroom until he/she has fulfilled said discipline.

Let us remember Galatians 5:9:  A little leaven can leaven the whole lump.

Toys and Snacks

Parents please refrain from allowing your child to bring toys to class.  It can be distracting and disruptive to allowing the teacher to present the lesson.  There are planned activities to help keep the children engaged for the hour to 90 minutes they will be in Shabbat school.  Any toy that causes distraction or disruption of the class will be set aside for the class’s duration and returned at classes end.

Unless your child has special dietary needs, please do not bring snacks or candy for the children.  We understand to celebrate that special birthdays you may want to bring cupcakes, etc., however, the school cannot be responsible for serving these items during the classroom time.  Some of our children do not eat refined sugar products and some are allergic to certain food products.  If you desire to speak with the parents after class and arrange for their child to receive the snack, that is your right.  Again, please understand, the school cannot be responsible for snacks provided outside of the school’s guidelines.

Teachers’ Preparation for Class

  • Lesson: Prepare well for your class so that you have enough activities to keep your students occupied for at least two hours. Have extra activities in the event the service runs longer. Remember that we are preparing spiritual food for them as a supplement to what their parents are feeding them. Do not short-change them by rushing through the lesson. If you need some creative, fun ideas please ask as we have many resources that we can share with you. Ask in enough time so that we can make these resources available to you, or connect you with some of our teachers who can help. Thoroughly check over your Shabbat School lessons, to ensure the scriptures are correct, etc. Also, if you see something that is questionable, do not hesitate to ask about it.
    • Arrive early enough to prepare your classroom. Hebrew classes are usually out about 9:50 am.
      • Verify your class has been provided a clear plastic bin with supplies/snacks. 

        Bins consists of:
        Plates, napkins, cups (service for 20)
        Manila envelope with student lesson handouts
        Teacher/Assistant name tags
        *Snacks, i.e. pretzels, graham crackers, raisins, etc.

    • In addition to the snacks supplied in the bins, fresh fruit and water will be provided.
      *Snacks on special occasions will vary
  • Wear your teacher/assistant name badge found in your plastic bin for the duration of your class time.  If it has not been pre-printed, please write your name and write “Teacher” or “Assistant” under your name.  Place the Sharpies back in your plastic bin.

Class Time

Who Should/Should Not Be in Your Classroom

No one should be in your classroom except your scheduled assistant(s). This includes adults or children who are not part of the class.  The safety of our children is top priority.  Currently our location is in a neighborhood with many apartments.  Our ushers do periodic checks to ensure all is well.  Sometimes West Highland has activities going on, but always be on watch.  Never leave the children unattended in the classroom, or on the playground.  Sometimes a parent may be asked to stay with their child who is experiencing anxiety from being in a new class, but this should be for a temporary period of time.
    • Take roll to ensure that all the children that are signed up are present. Students missing, please have your assistant notify Rose Coar.  Sometimes parents sign up their child(ren), and they do not come to class.
    • Help your students to understand the importance of prayer and have them pray for the following:
      • Rabbi and his family
      • Beth Yeshua India
      • Beth Yeshua Kenya
      • Beth Yeshua Macon
      • Orphanage in Israel
      • Any needs of your students and their families
      • The USA and our government
      • Other needs as the Ruach Ha Kodesh directs
    • Teach the lessons provided. 
      • Teachers/assistants may download the Golden Apples curriculum from the teacher's area on the website. The Kindershul file provides activity for 2.5-8 yr olds.  The Shabbat School Junior Bulletin (SSBJ) file provides activity and lesson handout for 9-11 yr olds. The SSBJ also serves as the lesson guideline for those teaching 2.5-8 yr olds.
      • You do not have to do the crafts or you can modify them; allow the Ruach Ha Kodesh to give you other ideas for activities, crafts, etc. as long as they are in keeping with the lesson
      • On some special occasions, we may deviate from the main Golden Apples lesson with a group activity (ie movie, game, etc).  Teachers will be notified in advance if this is the case.
    • Provide snacks.
      • This should occur midway or towards the end of your class time; however, for some of the younger classes it is easier to maintain the youths attention to read the lesson while they are eating.  You as the teacher, make the call.
      • This is just a snack, not a meal. With a combination of what has been provided, it should be enough for a good snack. Do not go back into the closet and get more snacks. Govern your portions according to what you have been provided.
      • All CBY-provided snacks are to be eaten in the classroom. Do not give the children snacks to take out of the classroom with the exception of item iv, below. In the past we have found snack papers, partially eaten bananas, etc. in the sanctuary.
      • On birthdays, parents sometimes bring cupcakes, etc. Under no circumstances are these snacks to be served during classroom snack time. They are only to be given to a student with the permission of the parent(s) when they pick up their child(ren), and then it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure the children do not leave cupcake papers, etc. strewn around the grounds.
      • Do not bring special snacks or candy for the children.  Some children do not eat refined sugar products, and some children are allergic to other products.

Student Whereabouts

Do not allow students to roam the halls. They should be in the classroom or in the restroom.  An assistant should accompany the student to the restroom. 

Release of Children

Children should never be released except to their parent(s), or someone the parent has authorized to pick up that child. For nursery (0-2.5) and 2.5- 3 year olds, a child should not be released without an exchange of the key tag that was given to the parent upon sign-in. Teachers, please pay close attention to who is dropping the child(ren) off, and if someone else returns to pick him/her up, do not hesitate to question that individual.

Clean & Neat Classrooms

Teachers and assistants are responsible for leaving a clean and neat classroom. Have the children help you pick up toys, etc.  Sweep, vacuum, and pick up all paper, foods, etc.  Clean the tables off. Take your water jugs to the nursery. Leave your plastic bins on the table. Return all supplies to the supply closet provided in the classroom. Empty trash and put clean liners in the trash cans.

Nursery workers should spray all toys and clean changing pads, etc. with supplies that are provided.

Shabbat School Teaching Volunteers

The CBY teaching staff (teachers/assistants) is totally voluntary.  If you are interested in serving with this vital ministry, qualifications are as follows:

  • Love Adonai and desire to serve
  • Submitted Background Check packet (ages 18 and older)
  • Teachers:  Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Assistants:  Must be at least 13 years of age (12 year olds who wish to volunteer must have parental consent form on file)
  • Assistants:  Willing to commit to at least one Shabbat in the month
  • Substitute Teachers / Assistants commit to being on-call in the event a teacher or assistant is unavailable.  The substitute position is not intended to fill-in on a permanent monthly basis, but to cover when a teacher/assistant is unavailable

Background Checks (Criminal History Records Check)

All Shabbat School teaching volunteers are required to submit a completed background check packet.  The packet consists of the following items:

  • Notarized CBY Consent Form and Georgia Bureau of Investigation Consent Form.  Blank forms can be downloaded from the forms page of the Shabbat School site, or will be provided upon request.
  • Copy of driver’s license.
  • Judy Sanders is available on Shabbat, after service, to notarize any forms brought to CBY. 
  • ROSE COAR, will be the person receiving the results.  Please ensure Rose’s name is shown on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation form.
  • Results from the background check will be provided to the CBY office for safe keeping.

  Absence

Please contact one of the approved teachers on this page if you are unable to teach your class.  Provide as much notice as possible.  If it is an emergency, you’re sick, sick child, etc., contact Daniel & Amy Wilder, or Rose Coar (478.405.6045).

Promotions and Birthdays

  • Every first Shabbat we have a promotion/birthday ceremony for children who are eligible. For promotion they must meet the following criteria:
    • The child’s birthday occurs during the month prior to promotion Shabbat.
    • The parent(s) agree ) to the child being promoted.
  • The child will remain in his/her class until the promotion Shabbat
  • For birthdays, at the beginning of the birthday month students will be recognized.  Cards for those students who are absent will be placed in the plastic bin.  Teachers, please be sure to give these to your students, if they are absent at the beginning of the month.

Playground

The playground should not be used for a time filler. Class time is usually two hours, maybe a little longer on the first Shabbat of the month. If you have taken time, and followed all the procedures outlined in the Class Time section above, you will probably not have much, if any, time to go to the playground. Class time should be spent wisely as to afford as much learning time for the children as possible. There are lots of crafts you can do with the children that reinforce the lesson and are fun. If you need some suggestions, please e-mail or call Rose Coar.

The playground is relatively small, and should be used for the younger children. Do not take students ages 9-11 on the playground. If you have time to take them outside, think ahead of creative activities you can do outside with them to reinforce the lesson.

Closely monitor your students while they are on the playground. Make sure they are not participating in activities that could hurt them, such as walking across the wooden beams, etc. Also make sure you observe whether or not students are being denied access to any of the equipment.

In the heat of summer, do not let students stay outside for long periods of time, and ensure they are drinking water. Do not take them outside if the ground is wet and muddy, or if the temperature is too cold.

In emergency situations we have to act quickly. Periodically perform a drill where you call the class name, and instruct the students to line up in front of you. Before going on the playground, explain this procedure to the students and shortly after getting on the playground, do the drill.  Example: The 4-5 year old class is on the playground. The class name is Torah Tots. Let them play, then call, “Torah Tots, line up!” If they respond well, congratulate them, and remind them that anytime you call, they should come. If not, let them know lovingly, and tell them you will be doing the drill again later.