Oros vs. Aderes | Imamother

amother

Leaf

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 9:24 am

Chayalle wrote:

I used to drive DD's seminary carpool with two Oros girls, and this was their experience. I would guess different girls experience high school differently. They found seminary to be vastly warmer than high school. Maybe comparing seminary to high school is comparing apples to oranges, though.

My daughters found Oros to be unbelievably warm. There is amazing school spirit, and the school works very hard to avoid cliques and other social issues and to give all girls a chance to shine. They have little of the Bais yaakov dogmatic approach and far more inspiration and developing critical thinking that the typical Bais Yaakov.

They will have initiatives for girls to trim longer hair, and plenty of technology programs but they don’t ram it down the girl’s throats by any means, they inspire. In the 12th grade they gave employment advice to the girls about choosing careers that are appropriate and allow girls to maintain the standards they learned over the years. They didn’t just spout info. They had former Oros students (I think) in various fields talking about their choices and the potential pitfalls along the way.

Mrs. Epstein is the heart of the school and is simply out of this world. Her Biur Tefilla classes inspired my girls. She exudes warmth and energy and is not above jumping onto the stage and dancing away with the girls. The hashkafa and outlook made them feel like they actually already had a lot of the seminary hashkafa by the time they got to E”Y while other girls from other high schools were wowed as if they had entered a new inspiring world they never come across before.

To give an example their twelfth grade essay in one of the classes was to write a “19 letters” style letter to an imaginary non frum cousin who had a series of questions about Judaism and hashkafa using the material they had learned through the year.

The school has ongoing shiurim for alumni at different points during the year and many girls from my daughters class actually arranged their own shiur with a teacher weekly.

My daughters and their friends can’t stop talking about Oros long after graduation. They were from the higher achievers academically and leaned to the more yeshivish side of the grade (we chose between Oros and Bais Yaakov for our oldest, the second daughter wasn’t even a question!) but by no means the most yeshivish if that helps.

keym

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 9:37 am

amother Leaf wrote:

My daughters found Oros to be unbelievably warm. There is amazing school spirit, and the school works very hard to avoid cliques and other social issues and to give all girls a chance to shine. They have little of the Bais yaakov dogmatic approach and far more inspiration and developing critical thinking that the typical Bais Yaakov.

Mrs. Epstein is the heart of the school and is simply out of this world. Her Biur Tefilla classes inspired my girls. She exudes warmth and energy and is not above jumping onto the stage and dancing away with the girls. The hashkafa and outlook made them feel like they actually already had a lot of the seminary hashkafa by the time they got to E”Y while other girls from other high schools were wowed as if they had entered a new inspiring world they never come across before.

To give an example their twelfth grade essay in one of the classes was to write a “19 letters” style letter to an imaginary non frum cousin who had a series of questions about Judaism and hashkafa using the material they had learned through the year.

The school has ongoing shiurim for alumni at different points during the year and many girls from my daughters class actually arranged their own shiur with a teacher weekly.

My daughters and their friends can’t stop talking about Oros long after graduation. They were from the higher achievers academicly and leaned to the more yeshivish side of the grade but by no means the most yeshivish if that helps.

This is very much my experience though my daughter is still in HS so I haven't experienced it "after".

I will say that the girls relationship with Mrs Epstein really evolves and it takes maturity over the full 4 years.
9th graders don't appreciate her and do see her as cold and reserved.
12th graders, its a whole evolved relationship.

amother

Freesia

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 9:44 am

keym wrote:

Agree! It’s very warm but it evolved over the 4 years along with the hashkafa which is what makes it real, slow and steady is easier to maintain

amother

Bluebonnet

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 10:06 am

I think in every school you will have people who have amazing experiences and people who were unhappy. I have 2 DDs in Aderes, we are quite yeshivish and they both have terrific, frum friends from very good families. Still it probably wouldn't be a fit for a super sheltered girl, and my DDs are both in older grades,
not sure what younger grades are like. We have found it to be a very warm school with an environment that encourages individuality, but again, that was just my experience. I know tons of people who sent to Oros - some were thrilled, some much less so. Your best bet is to find the people who sent to both (I know 4 off hand so there are probably quite a few) and ask them to compare.

amother

Blush

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 11:21 am

Both these school experienced changes in their student body. They’ve had better and not such good years ( more visible in oros as it is around longer) it’s hard to gauge one over the other based on pols experience as it depends when their daughter attended.
Look at the school currently. Look at their 12 th grade and look at their 9th grade. That may help in understanding the direction of the school.
What is most important to your daughter/you? Hashkafa ? Teachers warmth? Crowd? Academics?
Then ask a few current students if their mothers in each school what they like most about their school and see which one seems to be a better fit

amother

Cognac

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 11:42 am

amother Leaf wrote:

I have the same experience with my 2 Oros graduates - one last year, one a few years ago. ( Im on a boy streak but beH sending another dd soon.)

We really appreciated the toned down "pressure"....on clothes, accessories, trips, "social life", even grades. While it has a reputation for being academic and is, the school is machshiv girls regardless of grades and modified status.

Also have the same feedback as others on "middle of Lakewood yeshivishkeit". When my girls where there It had a pretty decent solid range in both directions. Not sure how that is changing with the new schools.

amother

Chambray

Mon, Mar 11 2024, 1:04 pm

amother Cognac wrote:

Definitely love the toned down atmosphere.

I find it hilarious that people consider it so academic because as someone who has a child who needs the modified program, I find it really incredible. Instead of having to pay for a tutor out of school, I can pay for someone helping her in school and even though she's officially being taught specific, modified subjects, her teacher will also help her if she's having a difficulty in a regular non-modified class.

The funny thing is that despite my daughter claiming to be non-academic, every single week by the shabbos table she talks about different topics of discussion that they had in school and repeats over midrashim, Rashis etc and can hold her own against her very smart Brothers. She never had this interest in elementary school and I credit it 100% to the teachers & school.

The mechanchos of each grade are also really great.

amother

Denim

Thu, Mar 14 2024, 12:52 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

Dd in younger grade aderes and her grade is also quite yeshivish. And the ones that aren't yeshivish are very frum.
There's a small group of maybe 5 or so girls that might have a smart phone which is looked down upon by the girls. But youll find this type in every school including bais shaindel.