Baltimore Midwinter Break

amother

Kiwi

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 7:45 am

amother OP wrote:

Thanks! Is this elementary and high school? I know BY is both- are they on the same schedule?
Looking into elementary schools specifically...

TA and BY are elementary. The others are boys highschools. TI and Bnos (the other boys and girls school) likely have the same winter break weekend. ohr Chadash I think has a break Dec 25-jan 1 (its not yeshivish. so depending what schools you are coming to see this may or may not be applicable)

amother

Pear

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 8:41 am

amother Kiwi wrote:

I'm a TA/Bnos family and my husband teaches at OCA.

TA, Bnos, BY, TI, Cheder generally have the same break schedule.

OCA and BT tend to follow the county calendar.

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:06 am

Thanks. I am thinking BY and TA may fit us best. I hate to use terms like "yeshivish" because it means something different to each person. We live out of town but I cover my hair fully, my daughter and I always cover elbows/knees with tights/socks etc. But we aren't in kollel and husband doesn't dress black/white during the week.
Can someone tell us about the schools? Do they have resources rooms? How large a class?

Still undecided if we are going to move to Baltimore but this has been so helpful. Work may be transferring husband so don't know if that is happening.

Maybe I should start another thread but can people tell me about Baltimore? What is it like living there? I mean I visited years ago when we did a DC trip but what's it like moving there?

amother

Slategray

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:17 am

TA and BY are both large schools with a diverse group of families. You will fit into both of them, no problem. They both have resource rooms and lots of available services for kids, but I don't have personal experience with that, so I can't offer details.
TA class sizes are usually between 18-21. I don't have daughters in school yet, so can't answer for BY, but I think it's pretty similar. TA usually has 4-5 parallel classes in a grade, while BY has 5-7 classes in each grade. They are both well established and organized schools.
Come and check it out!

amother

Yellow

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:20 am

amother OP wrote:

BY and TA both have resource rooms. I only have girls in school so far so I can tell you about BY. BY has lots of classes per grade, but they keep the class size down. One of my girls has 22 in her class and she says how her class is massive. Knee socks are manadatory starting in third grade but truth is most girls wear much earlier, especially if they have older sisters. Uniforms start in kindergarten. BY takes vouchers. Hot lunch is full price or reduced or free, depending on income. I think you’d be comfortable with the other parents and fit in. I think most of the fathers started out in kollel.
People are also very happy with the chassidish girls school. I’ve heard really good things about it. And there’s also Bnos, which is a small school that only accepts two classes/50 girls per grade.
We’re very happy with BY.

amother

DarkGray

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 1:18 pm

This is Baltimore. There is no school (other than maybe OCA or the chasidish school) that has one hashkafa.

I know people in TI, TA and YTS (toras simcha) that the fathers are/were in kollel and others that never were in kollel. Same for BY and Bnos. The schools are a mix -- and that's the beauty of Baltimore.

TA is the biggest of the boys' schools, but not much bigger than TI. YTS is the smallest as it's the newest with their pioneer class graduating 8th grade this year. Each has it's own flavor and length or school year. TA does a 10 month calendar whereas TI and YTS have 11 months (the last month being a mix of school and camp). But a huge mix of hashkafa in the parent body. Some of the schools have less of mix (TA probably has the biggest mix of very yeshivish, jpf, and more modern) but every single one of them has a mix of hashkafa in the parent body. Where they go for highschool/yeshiva is big mix. I know boys in TA and TI who landed in very yeshivish places and from BOTH schools that landed in more modern/less yeshivish places. The seder hayom is different. For example TA ends kodesh probably 12/1ish (depending on the grade) and starts teaching chol in preschool. TI ends kodesh closer to 2:30 and doesn't teach any chol until 1st grade.

BY is significantly bigger than Bnos. My daughter's grade in Bnos is the largest in the school with 47 girls (2 classes) and that is considered huge and generally unheard of for Bnos. The same grade in BY has 7 parallel classes. Again, a huge mix of hashkafa. You'll see mothers that cover their hair and the kids wear tights from age 3 and you'll have mothers that don't cover their hair nor wear socks in the summer in BOTH schools. There are rules and expectations of dress (tznius, etc) in both schools.

amother

DarkGray

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 1:19 pm

Quote:

BY takes vouchers? I think you're talking about Child Care Scholarships or BOOST? That's different than vouchers. Maryland does not offer traditional school vouchers.

I believe their daycare takes vouchers. I know people who pulled out of local playgroups because they got vouchers to BY daycare.