BYA vs. Rav Meir vs. Masores vs. 18th Avenue

amother

Thu, Mar 02 2023, 2:00 pm

We're looking for a well-run Brooklyn elementary school that's academic in both Hebrew and English, and fairly yeshivish but not ultra-yeshivish.

How do these 4 elementary schools compare in terms of academics, parent body, administration, warmth, and any other important differences I should know about?

ETA: I know I'm too late for next year. This is for the year after next, just starting to research in advance

amother

Poinsettia

Thu, Mar 02 2023, 2:02 pm

I wouldn’t call masores yeshivish it’s JPF. BY 18th Ave and drav meir are both great schools. BYA changed a lot since the change in principal a few years ago. Not sure how it’s doing now.

amother

Jetblack

Thu, Mar 02 2023, 2:06 pm

Lol you're not too late for next year. The only school that's probably full is 18 ave. The rest are happy to have more students. This is bklyn where schools don't fill up anymore.

18 ave is the most yeshivish of the list. Masores the least yeshivish. Other 2 prob somewhere in the middle.

amother

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 8:09 am

Thanks for the responses. So a little more info about us: DH is to the right of me and would probably choose 18th Avenue (if we could get in). I am probably more in line with BYA/Rav Meir and really don't want to go that far to the right, unless I would hear that 18th Ave. is head and shoulders better than the rest in terms of being well-run and academic, which I'm not hearing. I could even deal with Masores, but I don't think DH would go for it.

So that leaves us with BYA and Rav Meir. Can anyone give me more insight into the differences between them as far as parent body, academics, and administration, or any other important procs and cons? Thanks!

amother

Pansy

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 8:40 am

I had a very bad experience as a child in D'rav Meir, but I hope things have changed since then. Growing up, I was impressed by what I heard about BY of 18th Ave from my friends.

amother

PlumPink

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 9:11 am

This is very much a generalization and there are exceptions in all the schools, but the parent bodies in Masores and BYDM (elementary) seem to be wealthier than in BYA. The clothing, vacation pressures are likelier to be felt stronger there for those more susceptible to social pressures. Downside of 18th Ave is that there is only one class per grade so if the dynamics in the class are poor you can’t mix or switch classes.

amother

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 10:38 am

amother PlumPink wrote:

Thanks for this info. I had definitely heard about the wealthier crowd in Masores, but didn't realize that BYDM is similar in this regard. So the thing is that we BH can afford the clothes and trips, and we definitely have our splurges, but we prefer them to be "our" splurges and not the class's splurges.

I do like the sense I get that BYA is a little more of a toned-down crowd in that regard. But as wonderful as Morah Blau was, I also wonder how things have changed since her passing. Any other insights on BYA vs. BYDM elementary?

amother

Carnation

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:11 am

amother OP wrote:

Very quickly- it’s D’rav Meir, not “rav Meir”
And if you went there, it’s only “bais Yaakov drav meir” lol
Iykyk

amother

Feverfew

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:17 am

amother Carnation wrote:

Very quickly- it’s D’rav Meir, not “rav Meir”
And if you went there, it’s only “bais Yaakov drav meir” lol
Iykyk

Kabbalah time !! Lol

amother

Rainbow

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:18 am

My info might not be up to date but BYA used to be a chaim berlin crowd. (I graduated [not from there] about 15 years ago and have not been in the Brooklyn school scene since)

bsy

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:29 am

amother Rainbow wrote:

My info might not be up to date but BYA used to be a chaim berlin crowd. (I graduated [not from there] about 15 years ago and have not been in the Brooklyn school scene since)

Not really. Chaim berliners send to bnos yisrael, 18th Ave, yob, BYBP

amother

cornflower

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:33 am

bsy wrote:

Not really. Chaim berliners send to bnos yisrael, 18th Ave, yob, BYBP

I attended BYA (granted, I graduated 15 years ago), but it absolutely was seen as a “sister school” of sorts to Chaim Berlin. Most of my classmates had brothers who went there.

amother

Jetblack

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 11:40 am

amother Carnation wrote:

In my day bya was a very very Chaim Berlin crowd

It is not anymore. I heard directly from the principal of BYA that "chaim berlin doesn't send there anymore." Majority of chaim berlin go to bnos yisroel or 18th ave

amother

DarkViolet

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 12:33 pm

We all really miss Morah Blau, but bh we are very happy with the two new principals that took over. My girls have such nice, wholesome friends.

amother

Fri, Mar 03 2023, 1:18 pm

I feel like I know more about BYA, but not so much about BYDM. Where do those girls live, and where do their brothers go to school? Does one school have more secular media (TV, videos, internet)?

And besides the parent body, how does the education compare in both Hebrew and English - is one more academic, and does one have better teachers and administration?