Barkai school in Brooklyn? school options in kew garden?

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 1:31 pm

We're relocating because of DH's job and now need to look for schools for DD (8th grader), DD (4th grader), DS (pre-k). They currently go to OOT community day school but we top up ivrit and limudei kodesh at home. Someone recommended Barkai school in Brooklyn as a school with solid ivrit program which is important for us.

Can someone tell me about what the school is like, and what types of families send there, is it all MO or would a yeshivish family stand out? How good are secular studies and where do children go to high school? (If it's a new school, are they going to add high school?) Is it the same building for boys and girls but separate classes?

We are also looking at Kew Garden but can't find anything about the school there. Any school information (elementary and middle) would be great.

Mommy3.5

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 3:21 pm

If its the school I think it is, its majority sefardi,.teaching sefardic tradition. It is also very much on the modern side. With some families who are not fully shomer shabbat. If your yeshivish our right wing mo, its likely not for you. Its also only boys afaik.

Cookies n Cream

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 4:28 pm

It's Sefardi and modern.
Yeshivish Ashkenazis would definitely not fit in.

ETA: Are they open?
I think I remember hearing that they may be closing down, but I may be wrong.

bookworm10

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 6:42 pm

There are a few schools in Kew Gardens, Queens. There is Bais Yaakov, mainstream regular mix of yeshivish to more modern. There is also Bnos Malka, a smaller school. Then there is Sharei Zion, a Sefardi school as well as Ohr Haim (I forgot the name of the girl's division), also sefardi, a little more to the right. For boys there is Tiferes Moshe and Yeshiva Ketana of Queens. Tiferes Moshe is a little more modern orthodox to Chofetz Chaim, with Yeshiva Ketana being more Yeshivish. Yeshiva Ketana is also not in Kew Gardens, it is about 10 min away.

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 7:24 pm

It's definitely more of a sefardic school. They speak the sefardic havarah. Majority of school is shower Shabbat but a lot of women don't cover their hair. I know that it's definitely more zionistic also. If you are Ashkenazi you will not feel comfortable in this school.

mommy of boys

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 9:20 pm

It's boys and girls in the same building but different classes (on the same floors).
Very Zionistic.
Great hebrew/english curriculum and their teachers all have teaching degrees.
Most mothers dont cover their hair.
I think It's considered a step down from magen David (less frum)

Aetrsnrady

Wed, Apr 10 2013, 12:37 am

It's very modern, mostly sephardi, and some not shomer shabbos. Very strong academics in limudei kodesh and general studies- high pressure. Not much support/tolerance for struggling or even slightly below average students

The schools in Kew Gardens/ Kew Gardens Hills are quite different than barkai hashkafically. Even YCQ, the coed day school (separate classes starting in 4th) seems to me to be significantly to the right of Barkai.

OP, can you tell us more about what you're looking for hashkafically and otherwise? Also, are the grades you listed the grades your children are currently in, or the ones for next yr? If DD is currently in 8th, she'll need a high school for next yr

amother

Wed, Apr 10 2013, 3:55 pm

Hi it's OP. Thanks very much for information, very helpful. The top criteria we're looking for is good limudei kodeish and chol and a school that's not too huge. We strongly identify as DL, may go back to Israel some years down the road and have strong preference for Lk in Ivrit, so that's why the friend recommended Barkai. Both my family and MIL are sephardi so we're ok with it, daavening would be a bit hard to switch but we prefer non ashkenazi pronunciation. I'm ok with MO crowd but assume girls have tzniut uniforms right? We're open-minded yeshivish (DH wears velvet kippa but color shirts or poloshirts on sundays) and our kids are now in community day school.

Can you tell me more about the two sephardi schools you mentioned in Kew Gardens? Do they have boys and girls divisions? How are their academic standards? The oldest DD is now 7th grade going on 8th grade.

Aetrsnrady

Wed, Apr 10 2013, 4:50 pm

Shaarei Tzion- mostly bucharian, mostly chareidi, not so strong academically compared up the other schools here. I think Or Haim is more of a kiruv school.
The boys schools, Tiferes Moshe and Yeshiva Ketana do not have the Ivrit you are looking for. Are you able to come see the schools for yourself? I think you should look at Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ.) Day school, Zionist, ivrit, separate starting grade 4- mix of people. 4 classes of about 22-24 on each grade.NY schools are going to be large. YCQ has a lot of resources and support staff that will help ease the transition fir your kids. If you were interested in sending 8th grade DD to a small school, you may want to look into Bnos Malka in Forest Hills