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August 27, 2008 • 26 Av 5768Family First Issue 105
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When a child has been bullied, he or she develops an aversion to the scene of the crime. Children don’t want to go back to a place that has proven to be hurtful and unsafe, and who can blame them?
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As summer vacation comes to an end, silence and order are returning to homes across the globe — except for those homes that play host to the phenomenon of homeschooling. This innovative educational approach — where the parents serve as teachers and the family home substitutes for a schoolhouse — enjoys a diverse following among the global frum community. Riva Pomerantz talks to several satisfied homeschoolers, who share their tips, methodology, and some fascinating stories
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Vultures have a bad reputation. They are seen as cruel, merciless creatures preying on helpless animals, but in fact, the vultures’ seeming cruelty is a part of the devoted care they give to their chicks, providing them with fresh meat. Just so, Hashem’s seemingly harsh treatment of the nations of the world is because of suffering they caused the Jewish people, showing His concern for us.
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Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper
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If the history books record nothing else about President George W. Bush save for his “war on terror,” they will certainly remember his valiant attempts to shore up slumping American educational standards by insisting on children’s readiness for promotion. President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” is a clarion call, an attempt to perform emergency surgery on an ailing school system that is producing less proficient learners than many of the United States’ Western and Eastern counterparts. Where do our children fit into this model? What criteria should parents use to make decisions about putting children ahead or keeping them behind? And what can schools and parents do to insure the best chance of positive school experience for their children? Family First consults a panel of chinuch experts in the chareidi world, to weigh in on these and many other issues as the school year heads back into full swing. Family First’s panelists include: Rabbi Hershel Fried, founder of Chush; Mrs. Ziva Kriger, educational evaluator in Lakewood; Dr. Rachel Diamond, psychologist in Brooklyn; and Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg, Dean of Torah Academy in Minneapolis.
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What do a madcap elementary school teacher, a Yeshivas Ner Yisrael menahel, an oddball high school physics teacher, and the grandson of Rav Shimon Shkop of Grodno, ztz”l, have in common? They have all made an indelible impression on their students
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Say the letters “PTA” to a yeshivah parent, and you will evoke one of two images: 1) standing in line for hours on parent-teacher conference night, schmoozing with fellow parents as you wait for those three short minutes of nachas or embarrassment, or 2) watching a group of smiling ladies come to the school to distribute peckalach for Tu B’Shvat or packages for the annual chocolate sale. Both types of “PTA” have received their share of criticism, but both hold the potential to get parents involved in their children’s schools and education. In fact, without them, one might well ask: Would parents have the chance to get involved at all?
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Shopping for school supplies
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There we were, two good friends, hesitantly making our way into the classroom. A bit shy, a bit unsure, glad to have each other for moral support as we began this new venture.