Why are Flatbush BY Elementary schools off this Friday???

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amother

Whitesmoke

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 7:37 pm

It's not just about the burden it places on working parents (which, to be clear, is considerable).

It's about the fact that I send my children to school to learn. Why shouldn't my daughters have even one day to learn about Sukkos? Why does anyone think it's educationally sound to deprive children of yet another day of learning this month? And what does this on-off schedule do to children who crave structure and routine?

(I don't understand why children should need to start an hour late the day after YK. If someone needs the delayed start, they can come late. But the majority of elementary school girls can handle being in school on time the day after YK IMVHO.)

amother

Saddlebrown

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 7:37 pm

amother [ Snowdrop ] wrote:

The rationale I've always heard is that girls are expected to be home helping their mothers prepare. Isn't that why they get off earlier than the boys before Pesach?
*Of course that harkens back to the time years ago when women made most stuff from scratch and were mostly not working outside the home. Back then, I guess it made sense.)

Nowadays unfortunately it sounds like people don't expect their kids to help around the house, so I guess we should rework the school calendar

amother

Jasmine

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 7:44 pm

I live in Brooklyn and all my kids have school and playgroup. One of my kids goes to school in Queens and they have school too

bsy

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 7:46 pm

Which schools are off that day? My kids have school

amother

Amaranthus

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 8:13 pm

amother [ Stonewash ] wrote:

*The day after yk begins an hour later. School starts @10 Friday dismissal is at 11:30 or 12.
*Many ppl are going away for yk already.
*No transportation
*Just because.
* rebbis need to build their sukka.
* other communities are also doing this, don’t want to be different.

You choose.

Most of these excuses are not universal. In no particular order:

*Schools where I live don't have a delayed start after YK. Never heard of that before.
*Rebbeim can build their succahs on Sundays and/or in the evening just like everyone else does. DH put up both our succah and his parent's succah yesterday.
*Why wouldn't there be transportation? It's not a legal holiday so schools that get bussing through the public school districts should have no issue with transportation and if the schools that have their own buses are in session then they should be providing bussing as usual.
*Schools are off Sunday (boys) and Monday so there's no need to give off Friday for traveling. If people want to take off the extra day then that's their prerogative. Schools already give off isru chag for traveling.
*What do other communities have to do with anything? That excuse sounds like the old canard, "If you're friends all jump off a cliff would you jump too?"
*Just because is not a good enough reason for parents scrambling to find childcare.

Disclaimer: My girls have school that Friday as do my elementary school boys but for some reason my son in kindergarten is off.

nicole81

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 9:04 pm

Thanks for posting. I thought my elementary daughter had school!

amother

Maize

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 9:21 pm

I'm going to answer about my school.
We're not in Flatbush. And our reasoning doesn't apply to most other schools, but I'm putting it out there anyway.

We originally put that day on the school calendar. After all, there's so few days of school this month, let's make the most of the time we have.

But then...all of our Hebrew teachers are single out of towners that live "in-town". So after deliberating, and speaking to them about their Yom kippur plans we realized it's only fair to give off that day and not make them travel back in to town post fast, just to teach 3 hours.

I know for most schools this is not the reason. But I'm showing another side to school administration. There were many things I said that I would do differently than other schools when I got involved in the administration if this school, but slowly I am realizing that there is rhyme and reason for many things, not just because it's always been done that way. (For example, there was a part of the dress code that's standard in many schools that I said let's not make part of our uniform. After the first year, I went back in my word, and realized that there is a reason it's a standard. Not going into details, just giving an example).

amother

Razzmatazz

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 9:47 pm

Preschool Morah here . Our school is closed and I’m very unhappy . I feel under the gun to teach about Yom Tov and have barely anytime to do it . Can’t believe I’m actually saying this but I wish we did have school.

amother

Seagreen

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 9:53 pm

I'm a preschool teacher OOT. We happen to have school this Friday, but many of my fellow teachers feel we shouldn't. And no its not so that working parents go crazy, its because of how hard it is for a kid, having school and a routine for a few days, then not. And its just not worth throwing off their schedules for a day of school. They are confused enough as it is.

amother

Pink

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 9:57 pm

amother [ Butterscotch ] wrote:

All frum schools everywhere are off. There usually isn't school between yom kippur and succos especially when the only day is friday.

Lol no. My kids have school.

amother

Bone

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:02 pm

bsy wrote:

Which schools are off that day? My kids have school

I think Bais Yaakov of Boro Park has off

amother

Hyacinth

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:05 pm

My son has off too.
If they wouldn't, he would be on the bus for a hour and in cheder for 15 minutes.
Makes no sense to do that.

Last edited by amother on Wed, Dec 22 2021, 4:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Stonewash

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:12 pm

amother [ Amaranthus ] wrote:

I didn’t say they were The reason or even good ones. I just listed what I heard.
That’s why I said you choose.

nicole81

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:12 pm

My son apparently has school. I can't figure any of this out.

amother

Tiffanyblue

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:13 pm

SafeAtLast wrote:

My son has off too.
If they wouldn't, he would be on the bus for a hour and in cheder for 15 minutes.
Makes no sense to do that.

He has 15 minutes of school every Friday?

My boys are thankfully starting regular time and having close to 4 hours of school. Yes, the kids need every day of school they can get this month, no matter how hard it may be for the teachers.

Ema of 5

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:17 pm

amother [ Butterscotch ] wrote:

All frum schools everywhere are off. There usually isn't school between yom kippur and succos especially when the only day is friday.

If by all frum schools you mean all right wing schools, you may be right. I have one kid in rw Yeshiva high school, one in jpf Yeshiva, and two in more MO schools. My high schooler is off, my youngest is off, I have to look at the calendars for the other two. I’m pretty sure at least one of them has school on Friday.

bsy

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 10:31 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

I think Bais Yaakov of Boro Park has off

By18th ave has school so far. though with the busing fiasco they are likely to cancel. The cheder has school

amother

Mulberry

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 11:03 pm

My son in lakewood has school Fri regular start time and even Sunday till 12:30 the girls last day is tomorrow and everyone resumes Friday after sukkos girls high school and both girls and boys elementary school bh bh

amother

Crocus

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 11:23 pm

amother [ Seagreen ] wrote:

I work in a school and was gonna say the same thing (I work with kids who have learning differences so even more so...)

amother

Glitter

Mon, Sep 13 2021, 11:48 pm

I am not a teacher and I'm happy that my girls have no school. My boys do and I'm dreading getting them out the door in the morning after a yom tov. Peeling them out of bed in time for their buses on Tzom Gedalia was not fun, I'm not looking forward to it honestly. I feel so bad for waking up overtired and kids and sending them to sit in school trying not to fall asleep...

BTW, that excuse of needing to build sukkahs isn't being used, at least not in Lakewood. Boys have school on Friday and on Sunday this year, only erev Sukkos is off.

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