yeshiva ruach chaim

reportrmom

Wed, Jun 06 2012, 7:13 pm

I have only good things to say. We moved my son to this yeshiva last year after a couple of YEARS of bullying at a different school. It is an awesome place. I got a call from the rosh yeshiva's wife after we came. She heard my son had food allergies and she wanted to know what foods she could put on the menu that he could eat. I wanted to cry. Who does that?
The rosh yeshiva and menahel really know every single boy and work with him accordingbto what he needs.
There is such an open policy where they encourage parents to call all the time with any questions.
Somebody said to me that we saved my son's life by moving him here. I really feel so grateful to them. Who knows what would have become of him if we left him at the old place. He is thriving here Anything you want to know please ask me.
Excellent English program also BTW.

mummiedearest

Wed, Jun 06 2012, 7:22 pm

are the teachers open to discussion on how to handle the students? any "my way or the highway" teachers? teacher to student ratio? general safety policies? do they consistently hire substitutes if the teacher is out? has your child ever had a medical emergency at school, and if so was it handled in a way that was conducive to the child getting the appropriate care without confusing you? what's their stance on secular literature? do they constantly tell the kids stories with the "non jews=bad, jews=good" moral?

reportrmom

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 7:15 am

Teacher student ratio: the sizes of the classes really vary. My son's class is only six boys, but I think some classes have up to twenty. I don't know the situation in those classes as far as assistants. The teachers seem to be very open to discussing any issues, suggestions, so far we haven't had any "my way or the highway."

If a rebbe is out, them usually somebody else from the staff, even the menahel or another rebbe may substitute. If an English teacher is out, it seems to me that staff will substitute usually, but my son's teacher had a baby this year and they did get a regular substitute for her maternity leave.

As far as medical emergencies, he was sick a couple times, and once he fell and fractured his foot. They called me right away and I came to get him.

My son EATS books. They encourage reading, even secular literature, although he is only in fourth grade, I have no idea if this is true in the older grades as well.

I haven't really noticed any jews=good non jews=bad moralizing.

I did notice a lot of chassidish stories that he comes home with for shabbos. We aren't chassidish but it doesn't bother us at all.

reportrmom

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 7:20 am

Also I was thinking this over about what else I can tell you. The only downside I can really really think of is that maybe the learning doesn't go as fast or cover as much material as they do in the yeshiva that we left. But we think it is so much more important for him to be in a positive environment. My husband tries to learn extra with him to make it up.

They have a fabulous program called Yachad which teaches social skills like eye contact and how to read body language. The boys have to do something like interrupt a class and ask the rebbe for a candy, while being polite and making eye contact. Or the menahel will point out another boy on the playground and say, See that boy? I want you to go have a conversation with him for five minutes. Or they might have to go to the kitchen and ask for something. They learn to speak up, and clearly, and shake hands, etc.

Also, I don't know if you care, they have a HUGE yard. They dont' have to play on the sidewalk or in the street, there is plenty of room to play ball and stuff. The building used to be a public school, so u can picture the size of the yard.

mummiedearest

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 6:39 pm

when your son fractured his foot, who called you?

I ask because my son needed stitches and my husband (the second emergency number listed) received a frantic call from an assistant who couldn't tell him whether it was an emergency or not, and asked my husband how to handle it. he told her to call hatzolah if it didn't stop bleeding in two minutes. instead, she threatened my son that if he didn't let her put a band aid on it, she'd call hatzolah. he hadn't previously been afraid of hatzolah, mind you. she didn't have anyone on staff look at it, just called us and covered it before anyone else could see it. I want to make sure that wherever my son goes, the staff is well enough trained to know a)not to put a band-aid on a deep cut b)have the office staff handle this kind of thing so the rest of the class aren't left to their own devices, and c)follow parents' instructions on emergency procedures if said instructions have been requested.

the principal of this school insists that everything was handled appropriately and that there is nothing wrong with having no subs. the assistant was left alone with 12 pre-1a kids that day.

so, are their staff trained in emergency procedure?

mummiedearest

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 6:41 pm

oh, and what do you mean by slower learning? I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, just want to clarify. I agree that the kids' comfort in their environment is more important. and I'm really curious about which school was your son's previous...

reportrmom

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 6:54 pm

I can't remember if it was a secretary or the menahel who called me. It wasn't immediately evident that it was fractured, it just really hurt him. I did definitely speak to him the next day so it's sort of running together in my mind and I can't remember who called. I don't know about special training. My son said there was a boy who banged his head a couple of weeks ago and then said he felt dizzy. The rebbe took him to the office and they called hatzolah right away. Then his parents came to get him. It doesn't seem like any hysterics.

I don't know how to quantify exactly how fast the learning is. I know from speaking with a parent from his old class that at least last year the previous school had mountains of homework from the rebbe. In Ruach Chaim not so much which is just fine with me. Also my husband feels he is capable of covering a lot more, that maybe they spend a lot of time on review in class. But we didn't tell him that of course.

Last edited by reportrmom on Thu, Jun 07 2012, 6:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

mummiedearest

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 6:59 pm

reportrmom wrote:

yup, that's what I call handling it appropriately. and I prefer not to have mountains of homework, certainly.