Family Handbook 2018-2019

Parent Involvement
through the front office.
BAR- AND BAT-MITZVAH CELEBRATIONS
B’nai mitzvot are wonderful celebrations for
OHDS’s 12- and 13-year-olds. These occasions
are celebrated in diverse ways by our families.
However, in order to avoid exclusion and hurt
feelings, please consider the following guidelines:
• Invite the entire class, so that no child feels
omitted.
• As needed, help children arrange overnight
accommodations that will allow them to walk
to and from the ceremony.
• Avoid scheduling parties until after sunset
on Saturday. The time for the beginning and
ending of Shabbat may be found on the OHDS
calendar.
• If possible, serve only kosher food at Bar- and
Bat-Mitzvah celebrations that include OHDS
students. If this is not possible, please provide
kosher food for all OHDS students.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Children enjoy having their birthdays recognized at
school. You may wish to provide a special treat for the
birthday child to share with his/her classmates. We
encourage non-food items such as pencils, erasers,
stickers, etc. Edible healthy treats, which meet our
kashrut requirements, are also acceptable. Please
refer to the kashrut section of this handbook. We
encourage treats that do not require washing, cutting
or serving on plates, so that your child is able to pass
them out. Please do not send birthday cakes unless
you come along to cut, serve, and clean up.
Birthday parties outside of school are enjoyed by all.
However, in order to allow all children to participate
freely in these activities and to avoid hurt feelings,
please adhere to the following party guidelines:
1. While it is not necessary to invite the entire class
to all parties, no child should be singled out for
omission. Therefore, we ask you to invite a small,
intimate group of four or fewer friends, or to
please invite all boys, or all girls, or all children.
Please try to keep the feelings of all the children in
mind.
2. Only kosher food should be served at birthday
parties that include OHDS students. Kosher food
can be ordered from kosher establishments such
as Oakland Kosher. Kosher ice cream cakes can
be purchased at Baskin Robbins. Please see the
OHDS kashrut guidelines for further elaboration.
3. Birthday parties held in public eateries should be
limited only to kosher establishments.
4. Parties should not be scheduled during Shabbat
(Friday evening after sunset or Saturday before
sundown), or on religious holidays. The time for
the beginning and ending of Shabbat and holidays
may be found in our school calendar.
There has, in the past, been occasional confusion
about these guidelines. Please keep in mind that these
guidelines are intended to help avoid exclusion and
hurt feelings, and not to impose undue burdens on
our families. Please feel free to email Bat Sheva Miller
at bmiller@ohds.org if you have any questions about
these guidelines.
Parent Involvement
We encourage all families to present a book to the
school library in honor of the child’s birthday. If you
need help selecting a book, please contact the OHDS
librarian or your child’s teacher.
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
We welcome parent visitors in our classrooms. In
order to ensure an effective exchange of information
without disrupting the teaching process, however, we
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