Monsey High Schools for Girls

amother

Turquoise

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 8:06 am

My decision is to send her to a BY school and hope as she matures or continues her schooling, she will pick up the skills she needs.

I would be interested in hearing from people who either went to BYR or BYM recently or had a child who went to BYM or BYR recently to hear the positive or negative experiences.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 9:08 am

amother wrote:

Do you know why your niece switched? Is she happy at BYM? What did n't she like about BYR?

She went to BYR because her older sister had gone there. Though she felt it was a great school, she didn't find her place socially.

Most of her friends had gone to BYM. In a big school, there's more of a range and it's easier to find your place, whether you come with friends or not. In a smaller school, if you don't find your place then that's all there is - even though the girls were friendly, and the Hanhalla was really nice.

She loves BYM. She does find it a bit harder academically, but she's a bright girl B"AH and is managing fine.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 3:03 pm

amother wrote:

Anyone have anything to say about BY Monsey? Do you feel like a number? Do you have connections with the hanhala or the teachers, or is it all about academics and friends?

It's a bigger school, so the individual attention is not going to be the same as in a smaller school. In terms of connection to the Hanhala/teachers, it will depend on if your daughter WANTS a connection and if she seeks it.

I personally did not have a strong connection to the Hanhallah/teachers there, and I'm not necessarily blaming them for it. My sister was/is close to Rebetzin Paretsky and also one of the teachers there - she developed the connection and they were very responsive. This teacher told me that she does not actively run after the girls, but those who come to her she makes time for them and is very close to some of them. My sister discussed her shidduchim with this teacher, and they (teacher and husband) were involved in checking out boys for her (she's married now.)

When I was there under the Rebetzin, the emphasis on academics was very big. I think it's less intense now, but still there.

anotherima

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 7:06 pm

I have sent to BYM and BYR. Both are great schools but I personally thought BYR was more my "cup of tea". I felt comfortable with the staff (and Rabbi Kramer who is the administrator) and I could call them about anything. I wish I had another daughter to send there. Good luck with whatever you decide.

amother

Maroon

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 7:39 pm

My sister is in BYM right now, and we had a discussion about why its better than any other school in Monsey just this past shabbos!

Several of her friends went to BYR, and two of them switched to BYM this year because they had a hard time socially. I hear that the current grades in BYR and Breuers are quite cliquey.

BYM is amazing! The girls do not feel like a number at all. Nearly every one of the teachers are very warm and approachable. Its like someone commented above- if the girls want a relationship with a teacher, it is quite easy for them develop a meaningful one. They will have to take the initiative, though.

Rebbetzin Paretzky, the principal, is superhuman. The girls respect her to an insane degree, and for good reason. She constantly tells them that she is always available to advise them about anything.

That's something that I really want you to know. The staff is unbelievably caring. They've been known to have girls move in with them for several years, or take girls from dysfunctional families shopping before the school shabbos if need be.

There are 100 girls in each grade ranging from ultra yeshivish to MO at BYM, so your daughter will have a much easier time making friends there than in any other school in Monsey.

About the schoolwork, there is an excellent remedial program if need be, and girls can be given modified tests without anyone in their grade knowing about it if they need it and are embarrassed about that. There is an excellent credits program, btw.

I would definitely recommend BYM.

gold21

Wed, Nov 18 2015, 9:01 pm

BYM is a standard bais yaakov type school. Right wing, yeshivish guidelines. Academics, though, is more intense than many comparable bais yaakov schools.

BYR is kind of "laid back bais yaakov" style. Its right wing and yeshivish, but it's more laid back than BYM. Academics is definitely easier as compared to the intensity of BYM.

Breuers is also kind of "laid back bais yaakov" style, it's right wing and yeshivish, but more laid back than BYM. Academics are somewhere between BYM and BYR- not as intense as BYM but more intense than BYR.

There's also Ateres Bais Yaakov, which identifies as to the left of the 3 schools I mentioned above. It is not modern but it is not yeshivish. I'm not sure about the academics. I have had cousins and friends that went to the 3 other schools I mentioned, but none went to Ateres, as it's a newer school, so I don't know as much about it it.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 9:44 am

gold21 wrote:

There's also Ateres Bais Yaakov, which identifies as to the left of the 3 schools I mentioned above. It is not modern but it is not yeshivish. I'm not sure about the academics. I have had cousins and friends that went to the 3 other schools I mentioned, but none went to Ateres, as it's a newer school, so I don't know as much about it it.

I also have a niece who recently graduated from Ateres (and one in elementary school). It is definitely modern. It's also an excellent school - the staff is really good.

amother

Pearl

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 9:59 am

amother wrote:

I also have a niece who recently graduated from Ateres (and one in elementary school). It is definitely modern. It's also an excellent school - the staff is really good.

I went to ateres and it is not modern. Anyone who calls it modern does not know what modern is. Also it is not so new any more the highschool opened over ten years ago and the elementary 3 years before that. It is an amazing school. They truly care about the students and students build connections with teachers. The academics are not high but they actually do teach you to think for yourself there is no spit back of information.

amother

Lavender

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 10:10 am

gold21 wrote:

I know staff at both schools. BYRDH is the harder school. The name isn't Breuers already.

I applied to Ateres in elementary school and their tuition was 30% higher than anyone else's.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 10:32 am

amother wrote:

Everything is relative. My niece had a boyfriend in high school (the school knew about it and worked with her). I saw her friends and they do not dress according to the tznius standard I've seen to be more prevalent in the other Monsey schools. Their out-of-school activities are not what's accepted in other BY's.

I'm not saying there might not be some girls there who are not modern...but my overall impression is that it's modern.

Agree it's an amazing school where they care about their students.

amother

Pearl

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 11:20 am

amother wrote:

You're right is definitely relative but I personally don't define modern by what is accepted in by schools. And FYI you have the same things going on even in by monsey. They just hide it better whereas in ateres they will try to help girls as you said they were working with your niece.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 11:37 am

amother wrote:

No question if she'd been in BY Monsey she'd have been worse off. It's always better to be in a school that is a good fit for you, and where the staff knows how to understand their students. In Monsey the kids like this don't belong, they would be kicked out not worked with (I personally know someone who was kicked out of Monsey because she was into boys, and she's not frum today.) My niece is frum and the school gave her guidelines so she was able to get thru the turbulent teen years.

But the overall outlook does affect the school as a whole. If someone is looking for a BY-type school Ateres might not be the best choice for them. And a girl who fits what Ateres offers would not be served well in BYM. There can be some overlap, for sure, but not on the whole. They are catering to a different clientele.

amother

Pearl

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 11:55 am

amother wrote:

Definitely. No school is perfect for every student.

gold21

Thu, Nov 19 2015, 12:21 pm

The information I posted is accurate to the best of my knowledge. To the poster who knows staff in the schools, why do u assume I don't Wink

I also know current students in the schools.
You can nitpick what I wrote, no prob, but I think it's fairly accurate.

Ateres is not modern, I don't like using that term since it's so relative. You can just say it's to the left of a standard yeshivish bais yaakov. I don't consider than to be modern.

Bais yaakov of Monsey is known to be very intense academically. You can argue or disagree with me, but I still think it's harder than BYDRH.

I think it's best to disregard the negative comments about Ateres and BYM on this thread, since in my humble opinion it's not the whole truth.

Anyways.... bye.