Parent Handbook

Oholei Menachem/Bais Chaya Mushka is a private school established by the Rubashkin family. It was founded as a Chabad institution and continues to hold its meanings and customs. Our philosophy and practices, such as the Nusach davened, follow the Chabad tradition. However, our student body stems from many different backgrounds and so it is our goal to make all of Oholei Menachem/Bais Chaya Mushka families as comfortable as possible. All our students share their different Minhagim so that we can all learn from other Chassidim. We have the students share stories of what they do in their homes.

We thank the Friedman Educational Foundation for helping our school with much needed funding.

In keeping with the philosophy of the school, if a Halachik, chinuch-based, or other questions should arise, a Chabad Rav will be consulted.

Mission

The school philosophy is that every child is taught "Al Taharas HaKodesh". All activities and studies are set up with this standard in mind. We teach our children the value of Ahavas Yisroel, and to be Ohavei Yisroel through example. To develop his/her potential to its fullest, to give them the skills necessary to become self-learners. We want to instill a love for learning and to inspire chayos in their lives to be a Chosid and to continue the chain with Yiras Shamayim.

Vision

Our vision is to bring our mission alive for our students and families. We want them to experience hands-on what is expected of a Jew, so that they can carry it with them in their lives. We hope to be a leader amongst small community schools on how it is possible to reach our stated goals with our limited resources.

Non-Discrimination

All children are equal. School personnel will respond to children with respect and consideration, and treat all children equally, without regard for sex, race, religion, disability, or culture.

Objective

"Derech eretz kadmah La'Torah"

Educating our precious students takes a great deal of Siyata D'shmaya and work from both the parents and the faculty. As such we must take this tremendous responsibility to heart and do everything in our power to work in unison to reach the ultimate goal of being mechanech our children to grow into Chassidishe, Yirai Shomayimdike mentchen.

Hashkafa

The school's Hashkafa is that a child is a CHAYAL in G-d's army. We believe that outside influences are not what our young Jewish minds need. We strongly urge all parents to work with us toward this goal. We suggest that children should not be using the Internet.

It is extremely important that parents and school work in tandem.

Students cannot bring smart watches, mp3 players, tablets, or cell phones to school. This includes old ones that are used as toys, etc. If a student is found with any of the above, it will be taken away. The parents will be able to redeem it for a $20 fee.

Registration takes place during the summer months. Tuition agreements must be met before the start of the school year.

All new students will be interviewed by the principal for approval. If necessary, the principal will reach out to the board to determine if the school can provide the proper resources and education to satisfy all parties.

A child must be 3 years old by September 15th and fully toilet trained before entering nursery.

Accreditation & Vouchers

As of the fall semester of 2025 our school is accredited under the WASC accreditation agency. This enables parents to receive voucher money from the Department of Education, towards tuition and school fees. Please read the new attendance requirements to make sure your child qualifies.

Tuition

• Nursery & Pre-K – $3,630
• Kindergarten – $11,456
• Elementary – $11,576

Discount Chart per Family

# of kids	Shochet	Mashgiach/Chinuch
3	–	$1,115
4	–	$2,860
5	$1,850	$5,400
6	$4,350	$8,700
7	$5,600	$11,200

Book Fee

• Elementary grades – $250 per child in Bais Chaya Mushka, $200 per child in Oholei Menachem
• Kindergarten – $150 per child
• Pre-K – $75 per child

ספרים and textbooks that are not returned or are given back in poor condition will need to be replaced. Students/parents will be charged a replacement fee.

Lice Fee

$20 per child, which includes 4 lice checks throughout the year.

Tzivos Hashem Fee

Grades 1st–6th/7th grade – $65

Optional Fees

• Library – $25 for 1, $50 up to 3, $60 for 4+
• Chidon for grades 4th–8th

Trips

A general permission slip is required to be signed by parents with their registration. This permission slip will be valid for all trips throughout the school year. Parents will be notified before a trip as a reminder.

"A Chossid iz a Mesudar"

Oholei Menachem

Grades 1–5	Sun. 9:45–1:00	Mon.–Thurs. 8:45–4:00	Fri. 8:45–12:30
Grades 6–7	Sun. 8:15–1:00	Mon.–Thur. 7:30–4:00	Fri. 7:30–12:30
Grade 8	Sun. 8:15–1:00	Mon.–Thur. 7:30–5:00	Fri. 7:30–12:30

Bais Chaya Mushka

Nursery, Pre-K, Kindergarten	Mon.–Thur. 8:45–3:00	Fri. 8:45–12:30
Elementary (Grades 1–8)	Mon.–Thur. 8:45–4:00	Fri. 8:45–12:30

Please take extra measures to ensure that your child is in school on time every morning. Consistent and on-time attendance is important both for your child and for the entire school atmosphere. Beginning the day with a "late" consequence can put a damper on your child's entire day!

According to the law, a child that misses school too often has to be reported.

Students may miss 75 unexcused hours of school throughout the school year. This includes the time when a student leaves early or comes late.

Excused absences are not included in those hours. Excused absences include:

• Appointments with a doctor's note
• Illness over 3 days with a doctor note
• Illness that's less than 3 days that's called into the office before 10am
• Travel with advanced permission with a set schedule for makeup work

Please be sure to inform school before a student has an appointment or will be missing school.

Attendance will be taken at 8:45 by line up. All BCM students that come after 8:45 must come through the preschool door to receive a late note to get into class. All OM students must stop at the principal's office to receive a late note. This is considered an unexcused late that will be part of their 75 hours unless otherwise noted.

Unfortunately, if a child is absent for more than 75 hours, they are at risk of losing their voucher money.

For more details on these rules see the "Attendance Policy" included in the registration packet.

All preschool children must be brought to their classroom by a parent or an upper elementary sibling or relative.

If there is a change in a child's transportation schedule, parents must send in a written note, text or call the school or fill out a "Change of Dismissal" form. Oral messages from the students or to teachers will not be honored.

Please send coins with your children for Tzedaka. As part of our curriculum, we teach about the act of giving and practice this act before davening.

In our ever-changing world, new requirements constantly arise concerning the safety and well-being of our students. To this end, the school has implemented some new procedures.

• We have installed buzzers on all outside doors. A small camera will show who is ringing and the secretary will buzz them in. This will apply to ALL outside doors, upstairs and downstairs.
• We have instituted the kid safety program into our curriculum. It will be reviewed each year in all the classes.
• Minyan. The shul is open during the minyan time only to the community. Adults may not remain in the shul after the minyan is over.
  • Minyan times: Shachris 7:30 AM–8:30 AM, Mincha 4:05 PM
  • Time frames depend on the season.
• Parents should not be loitering around the school building during school hours. If a parent needs assistance they should call the school office.
• If a child forgets their lunch, the school will offer the child matza with peanut butter and/or jelly. The school will no longer call parents for a parent to bring the lunch.
• If a parent notices on their own that a lunch bag was forgotten, they may deliver it to the school office. Parents may not deliver lunches every day.
• Children who receive tutoring may never be left alone in an area where there is no supervision.
• If a parent needs to pick up a student early, please call the school office. We will arrange for the student to wait at the appropriate door.
• Due to safety concerns, electric scooters will not be allowed on school property. If a child comes with one, it will be confiscated and a $50 penalty fee will be required for it to be returned to a parent.

Parking Lot Rules

• The only people allowed to park in the elementary lot are school faculty.
• All drop-offs and pick-ups must be done through the pre-school lot. If you walk your child to class, please use an actual designated parking spot only. This should be done in the preschool lot or the lot across the street. The preschool lot is "one way." Do not enter or exit the wrong way.
• Do not send your preschool children walking alone to any door at any time.
• If you are dropping off an elementary student you may pull up to the door, have the student(s) exit, and then leave the parking lot.
• Please reverse with great caution when leaving your parking spot and drive at a very slow speed.
• Dismissal is monitored by a teacher. Please follow his/her directions.

Dismissal Rules for the Cheder

Children whose parents wrote on their registration that their child can walk or bike home, the child will be told not to linger in the Cheder parking lot to keep everyone safe, בעז"ה. If you sign this note, please speak to your son(s) about it. The boy's parking lot is one way. Please make sure to enter and exit with caution.

No exceptions will be made for boys to be picked up at the girls' parking lots.

The school is not responsible for any bicycles stolen.

Please make sure to pick up your children on time. If your child(ren) needs to stay in daycare due to late pickup, there will be a charge of $5 for every 15 minutes.

School Calendar and Schedule

Each year a calendar for the upcoming school year is created. It is available at the time of registration. Generally, the calendar is final, but the school reserves the right to make changes during the year if needed.

Weather

On rare occasions, school is forced to close, begin late or dismiss early, due to inclement weather. Parents should check for any WhatsApp or text messages on the BCM & Cheder announcements group. Morning changes will be posted by 7:15 AM. If school needs to be dismissed early, parents are responsible for ensuring timely pickup for their children.

Health

For each child to maximize their potential for a productive school day, we recommend that breakfast should be eaten before coming to school. When children are hungry, they are unable to concentrate on their studies.

Students who do not feel well should be kept home from school. A child must clear 24 hours without fever before returning to school. If a child is contagious, he or she cannot come to school. The parents will be notified if their child falls ill C'VS during the school day and asked to come pick them up.

If a child has allergies resembling cold-like symptoms, please inform the school in advance. The school reserves the right to request a doctor's note for any condition of concern.

Lice

The rules for lice/nits are very specific. Every student must be checked for lice before the school year begins and after extended vacations. A child cannot be in school with nits or lice! After a lice infestation, the student and siblings will be required to be checked for up to 3 weeks. When returning from a trip abroad, or any prolonged trip, parents must have their child's head checked for lice to avoid infestation. If lice are found, please notify the school office immediately.

Any time a child is checked outside of the 4 paid routine checks, professionals will be called on to check the child and a fee of $5 will be requested from the parents.

Oholei Menachem

• Shirt – Light blue or white polo shirts and/or button-down shirts are permitted.
• Pants – Navy blue or black only.
• Shoes – Black.
• Sweater – solid-colored sweaters without any pictures or appliqués. (Turtlenecks may be worn under the button-down shirt. Tzivos Hashem, Chidon, and Yiddishe camp sweaters may be worn, as well.)
• Hair – A chassidishe haircut, using the same number cut all around, with the required payos length is allowed.

Bais Chaya Mushka

• Jumper/skirt – Grades 1-3 must wear a jumper. Grades 4 & up may wear a pleated skirt. Only navy skirts and jumpers are permitted. (This coming year the 3rd/4th combined class will be allowed to wear skirts.) Skirts and jumpers must cover the knee.
• Shirt/Blouse – Over this year we are phasing out the light pink shirts. Students may use them if their burgundy shirts are unavailable. Please do not buy any new light pink shirts. Any burgundy polo shirt with collars can be worn as part of the uniform. During winter months, a turtleneck is allowed under a jumper.
• Students of BCM need to bring a tzniusdike tee-shirt/polo shirt to wear during gym time. They will change into it before gym class and change back into their uniform after.
• Legwear – Tights or knee socks are permitted. Short socks are not allowed unless worn over tights. Leggings are not permitted at school. If girls are found to be wearing leggings to school, they will be asked to remove them, and parents will need to bring an acceptable change.
• Sweaters – Solid-colored sweaters may be worn. There should be no words or slogans. Tzivos Hashem, Chidon, and Yiddishe camp sweaters may be worn to school.
• Hair – Hair that is below the shoulders must be pulled back or tied in a pony.

Students are allowed to wear tzniusdike clothing (no denim, no slits) to school on Rosh Chodesh, select chassidishe yomim tovim (which will be announced in advance), and their birthday. If clothing does not conform to school rules, the parents will be called to bring a uniform.

The school engages in a positive reinforcement model wherein appropriate behavior is encouraged and rewarded. Our teachers have been trained in the "Nurturing Yiddishe Hearts" program, which is based on positive reinforcement. Students come to school to learn and grow. Students are expected to follow their teachers' instructions as to what is appropriate behavior in the classroom. If a student is having difficulties controlling his/her behavior, parents will be notified to help identify the root of the problem. Open parent/teacher communication is essential for the positive growth of your child.

Students are also expected to uphold a mutually safe environment for their peers. If a student repeatedly breaches the safety of others, disciplinary action will be taken to ensure the safety of other students, faculty and the student in question.

Healthy nourishing lunches and snacks should be sent to school daily. All dairies should be Cholov Yisroel and Mezonos should be Pas Yisroel. All food should have an acceptable Hashgacha. Due to food allergies and different levels of kashrus, we do not share food in school. Feel free to call the school office for examples of acceptable hechsherim. If anything is unfit kashrus wise, the school will take it away and it will be returned after school.

Please label all lunch boxes and backpacks.

Suggested List of Snacks

Fruits, vegetables, pretzels, baked goods, popcorn (not under age 5), rice cakes/thins, cereal/granola bars, dried fruits, crackers, nuts (not under age 5), cheeses/string cheese, hard-boiled eggs.

Please Do Not Send

Bisli, candy, gum, soda, sugar drinks, fruit roll-up/gushers.

Home-baked goods are not allowed in school for any occasion (parties, etc.). Cakes can be brought from a kosher-certified bakery. Another option is to prepare in the school kitchen, with our utensils, and with ingredients checked by the administration. Please arrange this with the office in advance.

Any food part of a "pekele" or party bag must be clearly labeled with an appropriate kosher symbol. Please bring a sample to the school office, at least one day before the party, for approval.

When there is a hot lunch provided by the school, Lubavitch shechita will be served. A message will be posted on announcements to the parents if their children are fleishig.

Parents must inform the school of any known special needs so that we can work together on making the experience successful. The school reserves the right to demand evaluation from an outside agency at any time. If parents do not honor these requests the school reserves the right to refuse the ability to attend.

We value a healthy and open line of communication between parents and school. We welcome parental input and anticipate a great year. We are looking forward to working together so that we can reach our fullest potential.

Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTC)

At the beginning of the school year, we host a back-to-school night where teachers will present an overview of their curriculum and expectations for the upcoming year.

In addition, there are 2 formal meetings between parents and teachers throughout the year. The first one will take place in the middle of the first semester, to touch base with parents. There will be a second PTC at the end of the first semester to discuss progress and/or improvement. A parent that does not show up for their 1st appointment will not be able to sign up for an appointment at the next PTC evening. A parent can come that evening and see if the teacher has any empty slots where she/he can meet the parent. If at any time you feel the need for another meeting, please contact the teacher to set one up.

Pre-school parents are welcome to come with their children the day before school begins to meet their Morahs and get comfortable with their new surroundings.

Preschool teachers will send home a daf kesher each week and a Progress Report twice a year.

Please be in touch with your child's teacher with one week's notice if you would like to have a birthday party in school. The school has a policy to ask all parents in the pre-school to donate a toy from our wish list when having a birthday party in school. You may buy it on your own or give the school money to buy it for you. These toys will be used in your child's current class.

Homework is given in all grades as part of their classroom experience. Please review the work with your child and sign when necessary.

Many notices are posted throughout the school year. Parents should check the school WhatsApp group and possible emails for such information.

Our community is relatively small and retains many aspects of a close-knit family. However, this can lead to a very casual attitude when dealing with teachers and students who are also close family friends.

The school's policy is that school matters should be handled with privacy and in a professional manner. Any concerns that may arise should be discussed between parents and teachers privately and respectfully. To reach the most effective way in teaching, guiding and discipline, the school and parents must be the best of partners.