Information About A New Junior High School Track for Religious Boys

 

Information in English: Dear parents of dati sixth grade boys,   As those of you with older boys already know, the transition to a junior high dati yeshiva curriculum is often shocking and daunting at best and overwhelming and debilitating at worst. This is particularly true for boys with mild learning disabilities or mild AD/HD. The extensive limudai kodesh program, with many hours in Gemarah is too hard for some boys to manage. Yet they stay there and "sink or swim" because we want our children to study in a "dati" environment and alternatives don't exist.   In addition, as some of you are painfully aware, the reality exists that a sixth grade boy may not be accepted to any local "yeshivati" schools, which each have their own set of standards for acceptance.  In the Beit Shemesh area, only one school - Amit Feurst/ Dvir is an ironi (district school) and required to accept all dati boys who apply and for many families this school is not an acceptable option.   For these reasons there are more and more young boys who are being forced to constantly struggle through Junior High School or are being unnecessarily placed into a kita mekademet.   Agaf HaChinuch in Beit Shemesh recognizes this problem and wants to do something about it!   Last week I met with Klemo Buznach, Head of Education for the City of Beit Shemesh, to discuss this very issue. After much debate and deliberation, we agreed to work together to TRY to build a track or "netiv" within an already existing dati boys upper school for seventh grade boys who would benefit from a different type of program.   In order to move forward we need to know if there are parents out there who want to see this happen. We need to know how many dati boys may be at risk for "falling through the cracks" and who could benefit from a different type of program.   Please send me an email and let me know if you would think your son could benefit from this idea.   Best wishes, Gayle gayle@partnerswithparents.org.il