Academic Girls Elementary in Lakewood

amother

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 9:23 pm

My daughter keh is very academically gifted( her pediatrician and current teacher both wanted to skip her though socially she wouldn’t fit in to older grade)

I am looking into elementary schools and it seems like the only schools known for academics are ‘impossible to get in to without major pull’.

Can anyone give me any leads of an academic elementary school that is remotely possible to get in on my own accord?

amother

Cerise

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 9:37 pm

My girls are in Bnos Hadassa. They definitely challenge them and teach them a LOT. I’m not sure how it ranks compared to others but I am extremely impressed so far.
They do have a very yeshivish/chasidish crowd though and you’ll only get accepted if you full under those categories

amother

Cyan

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 9:49 pm

Sadly, you may be best trying to hire an outside tutor to teach her more than she's learning because your only going to get accepted where you fit in and not somewhere just because its your preference academically..
(The 1st school that comes to mind with regard to academia is bnos yaakov... )

amother

Periwinkle

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:15 pm

My daughter is in bnos Hadassah. High academics, yes. But that is not enough for a gifted child. My daughter is gifted, and still struggles in a mainstream classroom. The truth is that there really aren't any options for the gifted or twice exceptional child in the yeshivish/heimish community. I don't think it would make a bit of a difference what school she went to. In any school she will have read the entire reader the first week and she will know every single vocabulary word. In any classroom with 20+ children, she will be bored. She will still hate writing because her mind works much faster than her hand. And she will still struggle with paying attention in class and doing boring work. (My daughter has ADHD which is quite common in noticably gifted children.) However, the school does work with her and I think it's the best I could get even if not perfect.

amother

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:21 pm

amother [ Periwinkle ] wrote:

This sounds very similar to my daughter. Based on what she knows I am concerned she will be so bored. Can you please give more info on Bnos Hadassa? We are litvish and on yeshivish side but not super right wing extreme

amother

Cerise

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:27 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Bnos hadassa is super right wing. They don’t want mothers having smart phones period and don’t allow smart phones into their building, ask that fathers enter the building wearing their hats and jackets etc. They aren’t nasty about enforcing the rules but that is the crowd they look for these days

amother

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:29 pm

amother [ Cerise ] wrote:

Thank you for response. So we are super frum and my husband wears white shirt and jacket but we do both have smart phones (he needs because he works)

Any other suggestions that might make more sense for us?

amother

Periwinkle

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:34 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Bnos Hadassah's parent body is a mixture of heimish, yeshivish-chassidish and some yeshivish. Most of the mothers attended typical bais yaakovs and not chassidish schools. One thing you might want to consider it's that, although your daughter may be gifted, a highly academic school might not be what you are looking for. Most schools who put a strong emphasis on academics are often also quite rigid in the classroom, in teaching methods and expectations etc and it's often not the ideal environment for gifted children. Sometimes a lower key school might not have as much of an issue with a student who spaces out or fidgits or needs to take frequent breaks or is unorganized, and although there learning may be on a lower level, it may be a better fit. No mainstream classroom in any school is going to be on a high enough standard to not bore your daughter. Most of the learning she will do will be in her own through reading and other independent methods of study. In the ideal world there would be the equivalent of a self contained classroom for gifted children. There would be ideally 6-8 kids and they would not sure in desks. They would learn on their own pace and wouldn't be stifled. B but that's not happening any time soon.

amother

Periwinkle

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:36 pm

amother [ Cerise ] wrote:

They don't like smartphones but acknowledge they are a reality. When I have meetings with the principals and therapists, I take notes on my smartphone and no one blinks. Might also be because I'm not "cool" so they might not care what I do.

keym

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:37 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I would really look into Bais Faiga. The academics are not as intense in the younger grades, but stimulation is available. As the grades get older, the academics really ramps up. (7th grade finals in BF is notorious).
It's a huge mix- a real OOT BY feel.
But because it's so large, they have resources and awareness of really how many children learn so there's much less boxing the kids in.

amother

Crimson

Sun, Jul 14 2019, 10:41 pm

Happy with Shiras Chaim academically. DD is very intelligent, I don't know how one gets classified as gifted, (everyone who has interacted with her since she was 15 months old has commented on it) and while she isn't necesarily challenged there, she isn't bored and they work with us.

Chayalle

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:37 pm

I was going to say, another school that has high academics and may not be impossible to get into, though not easy, would be Bnos Esther Malka. Maybe not as impossible because it's newer....but the principal came from Bnos Yaakov which is tops academically, and the curriculum is supposed to be similar.

If you have a hope of getting into Bais Faiga, OP, I would definitely take advantage of that. They really have alot to offer, there are so many extra learning opportunities, plus they are great at addressing the individual student within their huge school. It's amazing. They also have seen it all, and don't get so fazed by a student who is not in the box.

I also totally agree with Periwinkle. OP, you need to address your total child, and academics is only going to be a smidgen of it.

I have a sibling who is brilliant B"AH and got her high school diploma before the age of 16 (skipped a grade, took all her regents in 3 years because it's fun to read chemistry and biology on your own and take the regent, why wait till the year the school teaches it....etc...) and I don't think the school's academics made such a difference. I think had they considered her in total and looked at her whole person, it would've made a difference to her more....

If your child is really that gifted, there are other areas where she can be developed to keep her interests, and no frum school offers that.

mha3484

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 3:18 pm

I would PM you because I am not in Lakewood so I cant recommend a specific school, but I also have a child that is exceptionally intelligent. When we had him evaluated for ADHD, he was way under medicated and tested in the 99% for verbal expression. They do a kriah scan each year and he reads 2x as fast as his classmates. Its really hard to navigate these types of issues!

I was also very worried he would be bored in school but I have found that the years he has good teachers, he is engaged in the lessons and finds them interesting even if he knows the material already. I would look for schools that have teachers known for being engaging and creative so that she will at least find the lessons entertaining enough to pay attention. When my son was in 4 year old nursery, he knew all of aleph bais but he loved the crafts, songs and other modalities the teachers used to teach aleph bais.

In pre1a they did hilchos shabbos with real life props. 1st grade was our really bad year. Second grade, his rebbe told tons of stories and made up a whole fictional character that he used during the year and tied it into different things they were learning. These types of things can keep a kid like this engaged and enjoying class even if they are academically ahead of their peers.

amother

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 3:23 pm

debsey wrote:

from what you've posted, Bnos Yaakov sounds like it would be a good fit. It is hard to get in there, though. I wouldn't give up before trying.

I was considering it but then heard that they are extreme in terms of exact skirt and hair length even for the younger graces and not allowing any non Jewish books whatsoever . Would you know if that is true?

Chayalle

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 3:42 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Bnos Esther Malka might be more your type then.