Tuesday, September 4, 2012

104 Days of Summer Vacation

Ok, more like 80 by my count.  [Anyone know how Phineas and Ferb got 104?]  I understand that kids need a break from learning but 2 weeks should be more than enough to rest their fragile little brains.  If we had school through the summer maybe we could shave a couple of years off the education part of our lives & spend a bigger portion being productive.  As it is now many people are in some form of school until age 25 & then retire at 62 & live till 80.  So that's less than half of our lives being productive.  And we are competing with countries like China that have school through mid-July with much of the rest of summer vacation taking summer classes or studying for entrance exams.

Anyhoo, I'm glad at least the "School of the Future" is taking a small step in the right direction by starting classes today rather than tomorrow as the other YDS's are. Yasher Koach to the teachers and staff for working hard last week to get everything ready so we don't need to waste more days with the kids at home watching cartoons or staring at their ipods.  Especially now that all camps and mini-camps are over.

By tonight we should find out if we have in BC the Greatest Educational Model ever created or the biggest train wreck since the Shalom Academy Charter School.  Or just a normal modern orthodox Pre-K to 1st grade. I'm thinking that 3rd option is most likely.  Teachers have said that the computer-based learning will be phased in after the chagim.  And this recent article in the Jewish Standard quotes the Principal, Rabbi Gralla as saying that "he expects first graders to spend 20 minutes a day on the computers for English or math. (Younger students will use them less.)"  So it's a pretty small component of the day & doesn't seem to be a major cost-saver.  Perhaps in the older grades, which are more costly to run, there will be more Blended Learning which will result in cost savings, though I still haven't gotten a good explanation of how.

Good luck and G-d bless to He'atid and BPY today!

To the parents and staff of the other schools, enjoy isru chag Labor Day!  Thank you for those who are working hard setting up the classrooms. Good luck and G-d bless tomorrow!
Posted by at 10:10 AM

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End Welfare's avatar

End Welfare · 655 weeks ago

All I have to say is this community owes so much to those who put in countless hours getting Heatid off the ground.
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JS (hello)'s avatar

JS (hello) · 655 weeks ago

Doesn't matter to me how He'Atid can afford to charge so little. Even if it is entirely subsidized by generous donors the only real downside is that the model isn't necessarily replicable.

I don't understand why the schools and camps don't coordinate their schedules so that schools start after the chagim and run later into July. In other words, start school this year October 10 (or October 15 if you want a Monday) and run camps and mini-camps till that point. Instead of ending school in June, go another 3 weeks.

You'd have uninterrupted learning when the kids go back to school instead of this joke of a month when the kids are in and out of school every other day. Plus, the camps/mini-camps are all Jewish camps anyways for the most part, what does it matter when camp starts or ends?
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Guest's avatar

Guest · 655 weeks ago

Where is the shout out to BPY who also started school today??
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Miami Al's avatar

Miami Al · 655 weeks ago

Increasing the school year (universally, not necessarily in your micro-economy) would disadvantage your children. Some of the studies show that during the school year, wealthy and poor students make comparable gains, it's during the summer when poor students regress MUCH further. That's because wealthy students spend their summers doing enriching activities while poorer students are mostly parked in front of the TV eating junk food.

So a move to year round schooling would take away one of the ways that you are helping keep your advantaged children advantaged...
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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 655 weeks ago

Kudos to BPY as well! They will get another kudos on chol hamoed Succot, another inexplicable vacation.
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JS (hello)'s avatar

JS (hello) · 655 weeks ago

"...wealthy students spend their summers doing enriching activities while poorer students are mostly parked in front of the TV eating junk food."

What are yeshiva students doing during the summer to keep up their supposed competitive advantage? Sleepaway camp with some gemara?
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End Welfare's avatar

End Welfare · 655 weeks ago

I second YD's comments. I think BPY is clearly the most working-parent friendly school of all the legacy schools. The other legacy schools will quickly follow BPY's lead. You heard it here first.
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Sora's avatar

Sora · 655 weeks ago

Except that BPY is one of the most expensive schools out there in BC (not sure how that makes it friendly for parents at all) - and it still has fewer days than He'atid
1 reply · active 655 weeks ago
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End Welfare's avatar

End Welfare · 655 weeks ago

Please (re)read my comment. I was comparing BPY to the other legacy schools - not to Heatid.
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M. Hunter 's avatar

M. Hunter · 655 weeks ago

BPY has a total of 4 fewer days than He'Atid...and BPY is the only one with school on Chol Hamoed Succot. Before you trach BPY, take a look at the other yeshivot that have between 4 and 8 days less than BPY. And if you really want to see shock and awe, look at the high school calendars! There are some months they have less than 1 week of school .
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Sora's avatar

Sora · 655 weeks ago

no one is trashing BPY - just stating facts. it indeed is one of the more expensive schools in BC and still has fewer days than He'atid. That doesn't sound very working parent friendly to me.
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Funtimes's avatar

Funtimes · 655 weeks ago

I think on a per day basis Bpy may be cheaper than some of the other legacies.
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Proud He'atid Parent's avatar

Proud He'atid Parent · 655 weeks ago

I am a He'atid parent and look forward to our close to 180 days of school this year. But I want to give a shout out to BPY which stepped up to the plate this year with their calendar. Appalling that the other legacies are not starting til today after weeks and weeks of vacation - and more appalling that the EC depts are not even really starting until Friday. My kid at He'Atid started preK with a full day yesterday and was just fine. This staggered start at most legacies is really ridiculous!
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Guest's avatar

Guest · 655 weeks ago

Your Pre-K child may have been fine - but mine wasn't ( nor were many others I saw at my child's school). The staggered start was very helpful to her as not overwhelm her and make her completely anxiety ridden. Sometimes the children's needs have to come before a parents work schedule.
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End Welfare's avatar

End Welfare · 655 weeks ago

"The staggered start was very helpful to her as not overwhelm her and make her completely anxiety ridden."

We coddle our kids way too much. Just saying.......
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Teaneck Res's avatar

Teaneck Res · 655 weeks ago

Agree on this one with End Welfare. Public schools don't have staggered starts and public schools don't make themselves nut free either.
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Guess my name's avatar

Guess my name · 655 weeks ago

End Welfare: You think your kids are coddled? Send them to public school. That will toughen them up.
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Proud He'atid Parent's avatar

Proud He'atid Parent · 655 weeks ago

Guest - I completely disagree. It's the staggered starts, 20 mins here, an hour there - that can produce anxiety. Unless this is their very first time in a program (which in BC is highly doubtful - kids are in programs by age 2!), then just let them start. It's all the coddling, hand-holding, parents taking them in, that can make the separation hard. Of course there are exceptions, but those kids who have troubling going in are going to have trouble no matter what the set up is. It is our job as parents to prepare them, reward them or whatever for a smooth start. Parents don't realize how much they project their own nervousness and anxieties on to their children.
1 reply · active 655 weeks ago
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Guest's avatar

Guest · 655 weeks ago

I guess we can agree to disagree. My child has been in a program since age 6 weeks old. It doesn't mean that a new unfamiliar situation in a big school with many unknown faces will be comfortable for her. Sorry if i think my 4 year old should be "coddled" on the first day of big school. My child had trouble on the 1/2 day orientation day but was very confident on the first full day. she knew where she was going, what was expected of her and knew some children in her class.
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HeAtid Parent's avatar

HeAtid Parent · 655 weeks ago

I agree. My child came home and couldn't wait to go back the next day!
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Proud He'atid Parent's avatar

Proud He'atid Parent · 655 weeks ago

Guest - I think we're saying the same thing. I too agree that there should be some sort of orientation. He'Atid did theirs on Thursday and then started full day Tuesday. I guess maybe we just disagree on timing. Most of the legacy schools do not have a full day for EC until tomorrow! (and it's not even a full day). Besides dragging things out for the child, what is a working parent supposed to do for a week, after already having two weeks to fill between camp and school?!
I don't see why the schools can't get all their orientation, slow starts, whatever they call it done before the first day so that the first day can really be a first day. (as opposed to a first hour!)
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Yannai Segal's avatar

Yannai Segal · 655 weeks ago

Our school (Akiva Academy, Calgary, Canada) started on the Wednesday before Labour Day. This also a results in a 3-day week and then a 4-day week easing the kids (and teachers) into a 5-day schedule.

Minimizing burden on working parents is definitely a concern here (school is open on H'M Sukkot). The biggest challenge is putting the right amount of days off around Pesach to accommodate vacation-constrained working folks and parents/staff that need to travel.

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