Statement of Principles

Hillel Academy nurtures a love of Torah and Jewish learning and strives to instill a sense of self-confidence, Jewish identity and pride. The children are taught Jewish ethics, precepts, language, and history. Through study and experience the students of Hillel Academy understand and value Jewish traditions and practice as part of daily and annual life cycles. The children are imbued with a love of Israel, and with a sense of responsibility and devotion to each other, to the community in which they live, and to Jewish communities around the world.

Hillel Academy is committed to teaching each child, from the earliest opportunity, a diverse secular studies program of science, math, English and social studies. Students are advanced ahead of New York State mandated standards to the best of each child’s ability.

Hillel Academy promotes the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical health and development of the individual child; the visual and performing arts and physical education are an essential component of both Judaic and secular studies. Our instructors tailor the pace and style of education to the specific strengths, needs, and learning style of each child. We encourage the child to embrace the world with confidence and to achieve is intellectual, emotional and spiritual fulfillment. An expert and dedicated faculty impart skills of critical analysis that extend beyond the classroom while encouraging creativity and excellence in all fields.

As a true community school Hillel Academy brings together children from all corners of Broome County’s Jewish community – Conservative, Orthodox, Reform and unaffiliated – in a warm, nurturing environment. Hillel Academy fosters a community spirit based on mutual acceptance, and recognizes, respects and values diversity. Hillel Academy actively encourages the child’s parents and guardians to participate in their child’s education, enhancing the sense of community amongst our families. Every child is encouraged to become an active and productive member of the school and the community at large.

Hillel Academy graduates are well prepared for high school. Through the application of a creative and integrated curriculum, guided by a caring and experienced faculty, our children are encouraged to become independent and critical thinkers. They are committed individuals, motivated to take on leadership roles, and able to apply Jewish values and morality in the decision-making process. Through participation in an intensive Jewish and secular academic program enriched by and integrated with the arts, physical exercise and community service, Hillel graduates are capable and confident young people. Hillel graduates will promote the values and responsibilities of a democratic society, pursue the unity of the Jewish People as a just value, and seek to improve the quality of life for all through truth and justice.

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” Hillel, Pirkai Avot 1:14.

Adopted by the Hillel Academy Board of Education and Board of Trustees

April 1, 2003

INTRODUCTION

Hillel Academy is proud to provide quality Jewish and General education to the Jewish community of Broome County. This Parent Handbook answers many of the frequently asked questions about our school. Please read this guide carefully, share its contents with your children, and keep it throughout the year to refer to for any questions you may have pertaining to these school activities, policies, and/or procedures.

No pamphlet, however, can take the place of direct and personal contact between parents, faculty, and administration. Please consider this your personal invitation to visit or call our office if you have any questions. Our doors are always open, and we are most eager for your full partnership in the education of your child.

Hillel is proud of the trust and confidence you have shown us, and we will continue to be fully dedicated to the growth and development of every child under our wings.

ABOUT HILLEL ACADEMY

Established in 1962, Hillel Academy has served the community for almost 50 years and is one of a few Day Schools established in a community with such a small Jewish population. Always looking forward rather than relying on the laurels of the past, Hillel Academy has adopted a Mission Statement, published at the beginning of this pamphlet, which directs all decisions, policies and actions of the Boards and the administration.

Hillel offers a complete program of studies from Kindergarten through the eighth grade. A half-day Pre-Kindergarten program, Ganeinu, is being offered at Hillel this year. Admission is open to all Jewish children as defined by the respective synagogues and temples. For information about admission please contact the school office.

PREPARATION FOR SCHOOL

¨     Each boy must come to school attired with a Kippa. In case a student does not have one, the school will supply him with one. Should Kippot become lost, replacements may be purchased through the school office or brought from home.

¨     All schoolbooks should be neatly covered

¨     Children should come to school prepared with necessary school supplies such as notebooks, homework pad, pens, and pencils. A Student Supply List is distributed at the beginning of the school year. Please make sure that these supplies are replenished when necessary.

¨     To prevent needless loss of clothing, parents are requested to label items such as boots, jackets, etc. Please check with the "Lost and Found" in the office for missing articles of clothing.

¨     Charity and sharing are fundamental teachings of Judaism. To inculcate a love of this practice within our children each class has a daily or weekly Tzedakah (charity) collection. Parents are encouraged to send Tzedakah with each child, even a penny or two, for this purpose.

DRESS AND APPEARANCE

To develop proper respect for the school and a positive attitude toward learning, it is expected that our pupils will arrive at school properly attired and well groomed. We do not expect students to follow formal dress guidelines, as we want the children to be comfortable and happy. Children should be sent to school dressed appropriately. Certain dress might be acceptable on the ball field, but not in school.

Boys and girls from grades 4 and up are permitted to wear modest length shorts. Girls’ skirts and dresses should also be of modest length. With all clothing choices, cleanliness, modesty and taste should be guiding factors. Tight fitting clothing and clothing that allows exposure of a bare midriff is not permitted. Blouses and shirts that have a scoop or low-cut neckline, or are see-through, are not appropriate. Clothing with slogans or designs that promote violence, alcohol or drugs, or contain profanity, is not permitted.

Gym sneakers (no black soles) are required on gym days. Playing in stocking feet will not be permitted. If your child does not usually wear tennis shoes, especially in the winter, you may wish to keep a pair in his/her locker or cubby. Additionally, we encourage outdoor recess every possible day, even in the winter. We do not go outside if the temperature or wind chill index is below 20⁰F or if the grounds are muddy or saturated.   Otherwise, we go outdoors for recess. Flip-flops are not safe on the playground equipment and should not be worn. Please make sure that your child has proper overshoes, gloves, sweatshirt or coat for playing outside during the winter. Wet sneakers and shoes make it quite difficult for a child to function in class and could endanger your child's health.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

A healthy child is an alert child. His ability to consistently progress in his educational program is dependent upon his physical well being. We suggest the following:

¨     Pupils should have a complete checkup before school starts.

¨     Pay close attention to visual (eyes) and auditory (ears) difficulties. They are a contributing factor to the child's attentiveness. We recommend that every child get an occasional eye checkup. Visual and auditory perception does play an important role in helping every child to reach his maximum potential.

¨     Please see that your child receives sufficient sleep each night and a healthful breakfast in the morning.

¨     Keep your child home if he shows signs of coming down with a cold or other illness.

Child safety is a primary responsibility of the school. Students are not permitted to leave the school area, whether to go outside or to another area of the building, without permission and escort of a teacher. Please remind your child to go directly to the classroom upon arrival to school. Running in the building is not permitted. Threatening or violent behaviors are not tolerated.

IN CASE OF INJURY OR ILLNESS

Our school office is equipped with basic first aid items, as is permitted by New York State Education law. Should we deem an injury to be serious enough to require professional help, the office will contact the parents immediately. We request that you inform us of any changes in your daytime or cellular phone numbers, and furnish the school with an alternate telephone number of a relative or neighbor who will assume responsibility for the care of the child if neither parent can be reached. Parents will also be called if the child is running a fever or has signs of any communicable disease.

The school must have on hand information concerning any health or physical problem that your child may have. This will help us in making your child's day at school more comfortable.

In compliance with New York State regulations, Hillel Academy will not administer prescription or over the counter medication without written authorization from both the parents and a physician. Please complete the authorization form, if applicable.

ARRIVAL TIME, TARDINESS AND ABSENCES

School begins each day at 8:40 AM. Students are expected to arrive after 8:20 AM (or, if riding the school bus, when the bus arrives). If you must drop off your child between 8:00 and 8:20 AM, there is a $5 per day/per child fee for providing supervision, payable in advance. These students must report to the Kindergarten room and will be under the supervision of Mrs. Green. Under no circumstances are children to be brought to school before 8:00 AM.

Students are expected to be in the classroom and ready to learn at 8:40 AM. Classes will begin promptly and lateness will negatively affect your child’s learning. Frequent tardiness will require a parent conference with the principal and may result in a disciplinary consequence.

A child returning to school after one or more days of illness must have a note signed by the parent explaining the absence. A child who has been absent in the morning is required to sign in at the office upon arrival to school and present an explanatory note to the teacher before he will be admitted to the afternoon session.

If a child leaves or returns during school hours, or arrives late to school, the parent must sign the student register book in the office. This applies even when the parent personally comes for or with the child. When picking up a child during the school day, please do not go to the classroom to get your child. Even if your child happens to be outdoors you must come to the office, sign your child out, and the office staff will call your child from class.

Please consult with the principal before a long-term absence to determine if it may be considered excusable under New York State law. Family vacations during the school year are considered unexcused absences, are detrimental to a child’s educational progress and are strongly discouraged. Doctor and dental appointments should be made for after school hours. Our school day is divided into two segments - Judaic and General Studies. If you must schedule medical appointments during the school day, please make every effort to alternate these appointments between morning and afternoon so that the child does not continually miss the same part of the school day.

DISMISSAL

Grades K-8: School is dismissed at 3:30 PM each day, unless an early dismissal is indicated on the school calendar. In honor of Shabbat, school is dismissed at 1:30 PM on Fridays from mid-November until mid-March.

Ganeinu: School is dismissed at 12:40 PM each day, unless an early dismissal is indicated on the school calendar. Children attending the UPK program at the JCC will be transported by parents or walked to the JCC by a teacher. In honor of Shabbat, school is dismissed at 11:35 AM on Fridays from mid-November until mid-March. Children registered for lunch at the JCC will stay at Hillel Academy until 11:55 AM, and if they are only attending the UPK program, will be taken to the JCC at 12:40 PM.

Students are not permitted to remain at school after dismissal time unless a teacher or another adult is supervising them, and the school office has approved such arrangements.

Children are sent home on their regular bus or carpool unless the school is notified otherwise. Please inform the school in writing of any changes in home transportation. This will allow us to advise the teachers of the change in a timely manner. In the event that a change is arranged during the day, please call the office and notify us as early as possible. Last minute calls to arrange for changes cause confusion and may result in a child not understanding where to go. Please avoid these changes unless absolutely necessary.

Students who wish to go to a friend’s house must make these arrangements before coming to school and bring an approval note from you. Children will not be permitted to use the telephone to arrange these changes.

If you are picking your child up after school, please make sure that you arrive before dismissal. In order to avoid a potentially dangerous and hazardous situation, parents are asked to park in the east parking lot. The west parking lot is reserved for school busses. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE DRIVE IN FRONT OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE.

Safety at Dismissal Time:  When picking up your children, there are two options: 

a. Stay in your vehicle and get on line for pick up.  If you choose to do this, please enter the line with the passenger side towards the building.  No one should be facing the other way.  The line should form with the first car parked before the doorway, so that children going to the parking lot need not walk between 2 cars.  When exiting, please continue up the hill to the driveway and then turn left to go to Deerfield Place or right to go to Clubhouse Road.  Please do not go through the parking lot as there may be children walking.

b.  Park in the parking lot and come to the school building to get your child.  Please escort the children to the vehicle, as this will assure their safety.  Do not wave your children to run through the parking lot to the vehicle.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation to assure the safety of all children.

Arrangements have been made to enable all children in Kindergarten and above who are going to the JCC after school to ride the Binghamton school bus. This ensures the child’s safety when going from school to the JCC. The office must be informed in writing if you wish to permit your child to walk or bicycle to the JCC or home. While all efforts are made to ensure safety, NO ESCORT IS PROVIDED TO WALKERS AND HILLEL'S LIABILITY ENDS AT DISMISSAL.

LUNCH AND SNACKS

Each child brings his own lunch. Please label your lunch boxes and write the child's name on paper bags. We require that the children bring dairy or pareve lunches with the exception of Thursdays, which has been designated as a meat day. Parents should inform their children as to whether they have a meat lunch on meat days. Children with meat lunches will sit at separate, covered tables.

In keeping with the standards of Hillel Academy, lunches and snacks sent to school must be kosher. No dairy or cheese products should be sent with your child's meat lunch or as a dessert to accompany a meat lunch. Fruits, vegetables and pretzels are only a few of the many items that could serve as a nourishing dessert and keep within the Hillel tradition. If further information is necessary regarding this matter, please feel free to call the office.

Kosher food is often identified by the kashrut symbols located on the packages. The following symbols are acceptable at Hillel Academy:

Please contact the principal regarding any other symbols.

Chocolates, candies, etc. should preferably not be sent for snack as they can adversely affect student productivity. We strongly recommend that you send healthful snacks for your child's snack time such as fruits, vegetables, etc.

FOOD, PARTIES AND CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS

Our community school is made up of families with varying standards of religious observances. In accommodating the needs of all our students, Hillel maintains a universal standard for the observance of Kashrut as well as other Jewish rituals. In this way, the entire Hillel family can readily and easily participate in all activities and celebrations. The following guidelines will enable this to take place:

¨     Birthday parties are allowed in grades K-5. Please schedule these, in advance, with the classroom teacher.

¨     Food brought to school must have proper rabbinical endorsement. This Kashrut standard includes snacks and all refreshments for parties, holidays and celebrations. Homemade cooked or baked goods are not permitted. The principal must approve all items, in advance.

¨     In order to show sensitivity and concern for all members of the Hillel family, we suggest that activities held outside of school involving Hillel students maintain the same high standard of Kashrut and respect of tradition that we observe in school. This will allow all who are invited to attend and participate without hesitation. This includes arranging birthday parties and/or celebrations on days other than Shabbat (Saturday) and avoiding places where any Hillel student might not feel comfortable.

¨     Invitations to private birthday parties may be distributed in school only if ALL CHILDREN IN THE CLASS ARE INVITED.

HOMEWORK

Homework is an essential part of the educational program in the elementary and middle school grades. Therefore, students should expect to allocate time for homework on a regular basis.

Generally, homework amounts should increase from approximately ten minutes in first grade to an hour or more in the Middle School. Regents classes, for which High School credit is granted, are treated as High School classes and will be assigned more homework from time to time. In each case, the amount of time will differ from child to child. If you feel that your child is spending too much time on homework for his/her grade level, please consult with the teacher.

Homework will not be assigned over major Jewish and school holidays, with the possible exception of Regents exam courses. The school will also try to coordinate the due dates of long-term assignments and the timing of major tests so that students do not have more than two at the same time.

CONFERENCES AND REPORT CARDS

There are two official parent-teacher conferences during the year. If additional conferences are deemed necessary, please make arrangements through the school office. Report cards in both general and Hebrew studies arrive approximately every 9 weeks, and interim reports are issued between report cards. It is the responsibility of the parent to arrange for special conferences with the teacher in a situation where the parent is not satisfied with the progress of his/her child. Teachers will call for conferences when they feel a conference will be helpful

HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Good communication is the basis of mutual understanding and support that unites home and school. Hillel Academy believes that such cooperation can help each child derive the utmost from his school experience. Hillel will keep you informed of school activities and your child's progress through report cards, parent-teacher conferences, e-mail communications and the PTF Informer.

Please remind your child to bring home and give you any communications distributed by the office or teachers. They contain much important information about upcoming events and programs, any schedule changes, and general information about school. We have increased our use of electronic communication, which is more efficient and generate greater savings in paper cost. Please keep us up to date with your e-mail address, by sending any change messages to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We invite your regular communication with us as needs arise. Please feel free to call the office to make arrangements to meet or confer with teachers. Also, please inform the office if there is any problem at home that could affect your child's performance in school. Teachers have been issued a school e-mail account for them to use to communicate with each other and with you. Teachers have been instructed to check their e-mail regularly. Teacher e-mail addresses are included in the opening mailing.

Parents should allow up to two days for a teacher to return a message unless it has been specified to be an emergency. Parents should expect teachers to call according to the flexibility of their own schedules. Teachers should not be called at home unless they have so requested. If you do not receive a timely response from teachers, whether by phone, e-mail or in writing, please notify the office so that we can take corrective action.

For special needs or problems that may arise, parents are encouraged to follow the procedures:

¨     A problem concerning a student and teacher should first be discussed with the teacher.

¨     In the event the problem persists after the teacher has been consulted, parents are encouraged to speak with the principal. If necessary, a conference will be arranged. The school will be happy to arrange appointments for you with any member of the faculty or administration.

¨     In the event that the school’s professional staff is unable to provide satisfaction, it may be appropriate to contact the lay board committee that oversees that area of operation. The Board of Education has several committees that deal with various aspects of school. Please contact the principal, chair of the Board of Education or president of the Board of Trustees to determine the appropriate procedure.

ASSEMBLIES

School assemblies are an integral part of our children's education and occur frequently. Assemblies will usually coincide with special occasions and holidays, both national and Jewish in nature. Parents, friends, grandparents, etc. are cordially invited to attend. You will be notified of your child's participation through invitations and/or in the The PTF Informer.

FIELD TRIPS

To enhance the child's understanding of academic subjects, and to promote experiential learning, our students go on field trips to various places of educational interest. You will be informed about these trips in advance.

Parents are often requested to drive on field trips. Please respond positively to such requests. Please remember that all children must wear seatbelts and no children under 12 years old may ride in the front seat of the vehicle. Do not volunteer to transport more children that can be accommodated safely.

Please note that field trips are an integral part of the school day and experience. Students are expected to dress in a manner appropriate for school, boys are expected to wear kippot or hats, and all food provided must meet the Hillel standards of kashrut. Parent and teacher chaperones may not purchase, or allow children to purchase, snacks that do not meet the school’s criteria, as described earlier in this manual.

LIBRARY

The purpose of the Hillel library is twofold: It serves as a resource for the curricula and it provides quality-reading material for the students.

The school library cannot replace the public library in scope or quantity of resources but seeks to be an extension and addition to it. Our library has a quality collection of books appropriate for children in the school and we encourage children to utilize this resource.

The librarian is responsible for book selections after soliciting suggestions from the faculty. In order to enable our collection to grow, the library relies on gifts and donations.

Gifts: The library appreciates gifts. However, it reserves the right to use or not use them as it deems in the best interest of the library. Donations: The library appreciates donations. Donors may earmark their donations for books or supplies.

FINE AND LOST BOOK POLICY

Overdue books:

1) The charge for overdue books is 5 cents per day per book.

2) If a book is one week overdue, a letter will be sent home informing the parents.

3) A student with an overdue book may not borrow a new book.

4) Maximum fine for a book is 50 cents.

Lost books:

1) A book can only be claimed as lost when both student and parents advise us.

2) Students are responsible to pay replacement cost for all lost books.

3) Replacement cost is determined by data in "Books in Print", or other available catalogues, plus $1 for processing.

4) If the lost book is found after its replacement has already been ordered, the donation of the found book would be appreciated.

5) If the lost book is found before a replacement has been ordered, the money will be refunded except for the $1 processing charge.