Darchei Noam Montessori, Tashbar, Lamdeinu (TA) - Baltimore

amother

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 12:17 am

Can you tell me about both Darchei Noam Montessori school and Yeshivas Toras Simcha - both in Baltimore. (I'm asking for a boy specifically.)

EDITED TO INCLUDE TASHBAR WHICH I HADN'T HEARD OF BEFORE. DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE INFO ABOUT IT. SIMILIAR QUESTIONS TO THE ONES BELOW.

ALSO EDITED TO ADD LAMDEINU/SMALL CLASSROOM IN TA - BUT FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL BOY.

How big are the schools and the classes? Are they established/solid schools? Financially stable? What type of people send to both hashkafically/what kind of mix of parent body? (I know about TA and TI in general as the more standard school options.) Why do people mostly end of sending to these other schools (not TA or TI)? What kind of kids do they end up serving better (what type of learning or other differences.)

Is Yeshivas Toras Simcha just through 5th grade (that's what it seems like from the website, unless it's not updated.)

What is the tuition like and how are they with tuition breaks?

Any other info about these schools would be super helpful!!

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 12:19 am

amother OP wrote:

Can you tell me about both Darchei Noam Montessori school and Yeshivas Toras Simcha - both in Baltimore. (I'm asking for a boy specifically.)

How big are the schools and the classes? Are they established/solid schools? Financially stable? What type of people send to both hashkafically/what kind of mix of parent body? (I know about TA and TI in general as the more standard school options.) Why do people mostly end of sending to these other schools (not TA or TI)? What kind of kids do they end up serving better (what type of learning or other differences.)

Is Yeshivas Toras Simcha just through 5th grade (that's what it seems like from the website, unless it's not updated.)

What is the tuition like and how are they with tuition breaks?

Any other info about these schools would be super helpful!!

I dont know much about either school as my boys go to TA.
but I do know that Toras Simcha goes into middle school. This year their oldest grade is 7th grade.

amother

Blush

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 8:42 am

Most people are very happy in all of the schools you've mentioned. Darchei Noam just moved to a better space. You should know, those families who chose to leave Darchei Noam have a very hard time getting the kids into the other schools. Just something to think about... if you start there be prepared to stay there all the way through.

amother

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 8:50 am

amother Blush wrote:

There's a reason I'm asking about Darchei Noam and Tashbar for this child for if all was 100 percent straight forward with this child, I would likely have sent to TA (or Toras Simcha - don't really know about it just that on Imamother somewhere someone wrote that hashkafically parent body is between TA and TI).

I appreciate what you wrote about Darchei Noam and transferring to other schools. Do the schools just refuse or there are specific issues like gaps in the child's education or he can't deal with a regular classroom? This child's situation is complicated right now which is why I'm asking about more "alternative" schools. This situation can very well change after some time at which it's theoretically possible that we'd consider a more mainstream school, especially if it would be best for this child.

amother

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 9:39 am

advocate wrote:

Tashbar is not a school; families enrolled in that program must register their students as homeschoolers.

You can contact mdsnap@jewishconnect.org for more information on schools and other programs.

What is the organization/email that I'm supposed to contact? I'd like to know who I'm reaching out to.

I had a sense Tashbar is something like that, would be happy to get hear more as well. In case someone from Baltimore sees this and knows more. I do have some contacts in Baltimore that I will start reaching out to soon as well, but I often learn a lot from this site and there are so many helpful Imas! Great starting place.

amother

Blush

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 9:40 am

amother OP wrote:

Re: darchei noam, I can't write the reason it's hard for people to go to other schools, as it's honestly lashon hara and just based on what 5 families I know very well told me was their experince and why it happened.

re: Ta, I am a proud TA mom. I have 2 kids there, neither of whom are 100% straight forward. TA has AMAZING programs and resources in place for our kids. They have a program called Lamdeinu which is extra but every penny worth it. My son was in the Lamdeimu program from 2-5th grade and now in 7th grade, he is able to not only be mainstreamed, he is in honors. For math, he still needs more help so he is in a state funded program called the Gold program and the goal is to be mainstreamed for next year. TA also has "small classroom" for those who need it, which is amazing. The regular classroom size at TA is already half the size of any brooklyn/monsey/lakewood school. I would not take TA off your list so quickly.

amother

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 9:57 am

Rubber Ducky wrote:

My son is a Rebbe at Darchei Noam Montessori (and my wonderful DDIL also teaches there and my grandchildren are students there). Would you like to speak with him?

I'm not ready to speak to people yet, but thank you! I definitely will keep it in mind for when/if I'm ready. I appreciate it Rubber Ducky!!

amother

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 10:01 am

amother Blush wrote:

Okay, I'll have to find out about what you're saying from others (I didn't yet reach out to my Baltimore contacts). Thank you for the heads up, it's very important to me.

Thank you for your info on TA, it's great to hear. I'm not sure if he's ready for it yet (had to be out of school for a while) and I heard from a friend about her relative that did NOT have a great experience at TA with the kid with an IEP (at least not in middle school, l think was good through 5th grade) so I was concerned that it's "all good on paper" but that follow through isn't actually happening.

Smiles613

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 1:01 pm

amother Blush wrote:

You may as well write the reason.
You implied there's a big issue lol
That makes people wonder more and implies worse things.
Usually it's best not to write a response or write a nuanced compassionate response rather than a hint to something bad.

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 1:16 pm

amother OP wrote:

Its not just general studies that has lamdeinu at TA. There is also a really amazing Rebbi in the middle school who teaches small groups of boys for one-third of the morning adn te rest of the moring they are with their regular class. Its for the boys who are struggling with starting gemara. He gets them to a good place and then they can move back into the mainstream class for the full morning when tehy are ready. My friends son is in his class and she says he is unbeleivable.