August 2, 2022
Dear Families:
Welcome to Kol Shalom’s Neshama School registration for 2022-2023/5783! Our school strives to provide a quality, fun, engaging and meaningful Jewish learning environment for our K-7 students and their families.
Neshama means soul in Hebrew, and it is the Jewish soul in each child and parent that we strive to nurture with our new program. Parents and educators, volunteers and staff have worked together to create an approach to Jewish learning that connects tradition with our modern lives. Students will encounter t’filah (prayer), middot (values), g’milut hasadim (acts of loving kindness) and much more in their time with us. Our overarching goal is to imbue children and families with a love of being Jewish and the tools to participate in our shul and the larger community.
Our new structure provides educational and social opportunities for all of our students. Learners will benefit from individualized Hebrew instruction on the weekdays and in-person classes two Sundays per month. There will be Shabbat and holiday services and programs as well as occasional field trips open to the entire Kol Shalom community. Please consult the calendar for dates and times.
Sundays from 9 am – 12 pm in-person for grades K-7 select Sundays.
-Classes will be combined: K-2nd; 3rd-5th and 6th-7th grades.
-Students will have classroom time every Sunday with their teachers to build community and participate in specific lessons on Hebrew and prayer.
-Each month a different midah/value will guide our learning as teachers plan a wide range of engaging activities connecting children to the Jewish and larger world around them. Art, music, debate, stories and hands-on projects are just some of the methods we will use at the Neshama School. Special community guests will visit as appropriate, too.
Midweek on-line, Hebrew/t’filah lessons
-Students in grades 3-7 meet individually or by small groups with a Hebrew teacher to focus on reading, comprehension and singing prayers.
-These sessions meet weekly
-Small groups will be determined by age and skill level, as well as by families’ schedules.
As we look forward to the new year and new opportunities, we are also aware of the continued challenges presented by COVID-19 and the difficulties of disrupted learning. Our primary concern is the health and safety of the entire community, which includes paying attention to the physical health and the emotional needs of our students and their families. We plan to continue to follow MCPS COVID-19 policies which can be found on their website: MCPS Coronavirus Information. We will update parents of Kol Shalom’s community policies via email.
To register for the Neshama School 2022-2023/5783 year please follow this link. Below is the tuition schedule for Neshama School. Kol Shalom is dedicated to working with families for an affordable Jewish education. If you are in need of discussing payment plans, reduced tuition or other financial arrangements, please contact Alissa Messian, Executive Director at exec@kolshalom.com or 301 309-9110. All conversations will be kept confidential.
Please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns.
B’Shalom,
Rabbi Tirza Covel
Director, Neshama School