Introduction Letter & Time Away for High Holidays
So, you’re wondering how best to make your child’s teachers aware of the High Holidays at the start of the school year. JCRC Bay Area recommends sending a quick email to introduce your family and share about the scheduling concerns.
The goal of this communication is both to build an initial positive relationship with your child’s teacher and to share that your family is Jewish. It is also an opportunity to communicate that your student will need to be absent for high holidays. With any luck this will help the teacher be attuned to community concerns.
Below, we provide two templates for you to use.
Notes
- This email should be sent to all of your child’s teachers as well as the person in the office who tracks attendance.
- Prepare to send both an early email as well as reminders the week before each absence.
- Keep an eye on the school/classroom calendars to catch and address any concerning overlaps early.
- For the high school level, we recommend that students who are comfortable begin to advocate for themselves by sharing an introduction with their teachers.
- Please ensure you customize the email to reflect your family’s plans.
Templates for 2025:
