August 2016 ISJL Education Newsletter Back to School Edition

Back to School!

It’s that bittersweet time of the year again when we trade in our beach bags for backpacks and get ready to take on a new school year. The freedom and slow pace of the summer is hard to see go, but we are equally excited about what a new year brings. You’ll notice for us that the new year brings a new and improved format for our newsletter. Don’t forget to make sure that all of your teachers are signed up, as well as any board members or education committee members that you want to keep informed.

The first day of school always feels exciting. Teachers start fresh with a new class and friends are reunited. Getting to that first day though takes a tremendous amount of planning! We at the ISJL love planning and finding ways to make this process as easy for you as possible!

We have ideas for how to set the tone for the year, how to execute excellent teachers trainings, how to set parents up for success, checklists galore and more. We hope you get some great inspiration here and that you will reach out to your Education Fellow for anything you need!

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​Chai Lights: Conference 2016

​ This year's conference was full of life! Here are some of the "chai" lights of our time together... and enjoy the image collage to re-live each great moment! Read More...

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Creating A Culture of Parental Involvement

Every religious school educator knows that the few hours spent in a religious school classroom each week is not enough to provide students with all of the Jewish education they need. While it certainly provides a foundation, these hours fall flat if families are not bringing Judaism back into their own homes at the end of religious school. So how do we do that? Read More...

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​What Is Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning is one of those “trending topics” that has been popping up in everyone’s social media newsfeeds and in all sorts of communal conversations as the next big thing in Jewish education. But what is experiential learning and how do we bring it to our classrooms? 
Experiential learning is actually exactly what it sounds like, learning through experience. So it’s not really the NEXT big thing, since lots of things we already love – like summer camp and retreats! – fall into this category. Read More..

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Spotlight On: Galveston, Texas

With everything else we have keeping us busy all summer, how can we stay connected with our religious school families as Back-To-School approaches? 

One of our ISJL Education Partner Communities, Congregation B’nai Israel in Galveston, Texas, has found a way to bring their religious school families back together before the start of the traditional religious school year—and we’re shining a spotlight on it because it’s something more schools might want to try!  ​ Read More..

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​Teacher Training Makes All The Difference

As we head into a new school year, it’s critical to equip both teachers, as well as students, with the skills to succeed. Before the semester starts, it's helpful to think about who your teachers are, what you can offer them, what you should expect from them, and how to make the most of everyone’s time. Read More...

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​The ISJL Program Bank: Making Your Jewish Education Dreams Come True! 

Have you ever wondered what sort of crazy ideas and programs the Education Fellows have created? Every program that is requested or dreamed up by a Fellow is placed in the ISJL Program Bank. The Program Bank is full of over 700 fully scripted programs that can be sent or brought to any community, whether your Fellow is around for the event or not.  Read More...

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Space Jam: Making Physical And Emotional Room for Learning

As the school year fast approaches, it is time to start planning the set-up of both your physical classroom space and the feeling you want to create for your community. Creating a setting that is conducive for learning is crucial whether you are a teacher preparing the room for students or a director preparing a space for teachers. Additionally, setting clear expectations for both teachers and students is essential to creating a positive and productive learning environment. Read More..