[RBS] Important notice to parents of sixth grade boys!

[Gayle Shimoff]

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 and/ 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 many of us want our
children to study in a "dati" environment and alternatives don't exist
locally.
 
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" (dati - dati
leumi) school, since each school has their own set of standards for
acceptance. In fact there is only ONE school in the Beit Shemesh area, Amit
Feurst/ Dvir which is required to accept all dati boys who apply. 
 
For these reasons there are many boys who are struggling through junior high
school. 
 
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 however we need to know if there are parents who
want to see this happen. We need to know how many dati boys may be at risk
of "falling through the cracks" and could benefit from this new initiative. 

Please send me an email if this is of interest to you. Please forward this
email to friends or neighbors!

Best wishes and Tu B'Shvat Sameach 
Gayle Shimoff 


PS. I will be posting this email to the Hebrew community lists as soon as
possible. I would be very appreciative if someone could come forward to
translate it for me.  Thank you.


Gayle S Shimoff, MA 
Learning Disabilities and Reading Specialist 
Gayle at partnerswithparents.org.

Partners with Parents, R"A, 
A non profit organization in Israel 
www.partnerswithparents.org.IL 
"Helping children with learning disabilities in Israel succeed!" 
 
Phone: 972-2-999-4817, 
Fax: 1-532-999-4817 
Toll Free from the USA: 1-866-563-6915