If I could teach at your school I would be unable to resist sending Froggy there as well

Everything is Jewish, huh, Amy?
I loved this, especially the idea that everything is really, everything. Time is the gift that allows you to figure it out for yourself rather than have something jammed into you/told to you/deemed important. Lovely.

We’ve chosen to send our children to Jewish day school (my son is in second grade and my daughter will start kindergarten there next year), and although we make a lot of financial sacrifices to do it, my husband and I have never regretted our decision.

I would love LOVE to send my kids to Jewish Day school…but our Eliahu academy closed just as my oldest was starting kindergarten. It was a huge blow to our community, and has left a gaping, Gan-sized hole. Unfortunately, not many Jewish families here wish their children to attend full-time Jewish school. Its left us without much choice.

I wish there was a Day school where a live.

What Sarah said.

Excerpted from this post (http://www.edibletorah.com/2009/10/16/scenes-from-simchat-torah/):
The high point of Simchat Torah came, for me, before the big song and dance number. Just before the ark is opened, many congregations participate in what I can only describe as a prayer version of “button button, who’s got the button.” A series of blessing “soundbites” – single lines from various prayers – are sung by various individuals around the room, and then rest of congregation sings the same line back. There’s no pre-arranged selection of readers. People just shout it out when the mood strikes.
In the middle of listening to our skilled congregants, I heard a young voice call out one of the lines. It was only halfway through this that I realized the singer was my 9 year old son. “Who’s been teaching this kid?!?” I joked out loud, to nobody in particular. Confident and proud, he sang a phrase I had never heard before in a tune that was unique to this particular day in the Jewish calendar.
So who’s been teaching this kid? These folks: http://www.grossschechter.org/
Just one year ago my two youngest kids started at a Jewish day school program with little more than public school education and a few sporadic visits to Junior Congregation during Shabbat morning services. In one short year, they have gained confidence, experience and fluency in both Judaics and general studies. My older son takes every opportunity to lead tefillah (prayer) both in and out of school. On his way down to Junior Congregation now, more often than not I hear him asking “Can I be the Rabbi this week?”. Each week at oneg, as the “old war horses of the shul” lead the the kiddush blessings, you will find my son standing along side them, cup of grape juice in hand, belting out “V’shamru”.
Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said that Jews build cathedrals in time where other religions build cathedrals in space. To that I would like to add that Jewish day school programs nurture souls who will feel at home in their Judaism, not just in a particular synagogue, community or movement.

I had SO MANY of these moments while my kids were in Jewish day school. Two still are, though in high school, it gets way more academic.
Nevertheless, as religious day schools shift to the right, I’m sure there are quite a few that wouldn’t include Chinese New Year, or would consider time spent looking at trees to be just as silly, un-Jewish, and a waste of time as that afternoon-school principal did. That is one reason I’ve chosen to homeschool, rather than think about all the things I value that the school might not.
Apropos of Edible Torah’s comment, one of my favourite programs my older kids’ Orthodox day school used to do was an annual mishloach manot exchange – with the Reform day school right next door. That’s what it means to be at home with your Judaism, not just a particular movement; setting aside the BS to build bridges.
The Board of Jewish Education here also hosts intramural sports among the various denominational schools, as well as an annual Zimriya songfest and writing contest. There are too few of us in the world for us to NOT kick each other’s butts on the basketball court!

Jennifer, I just want to clarify that Rabbi Rembrandt didn’t think it was silly or un-Jewish. I think she genuinely “got it”, but couldn’t justify it as part of a limited religious school curriuclum.

Love this–especially your inspired decision to fit in Purim connection— and completely agree. One of my favorite books is Maxine Handelman’s “What’s Jewish About Butterflies?” It’s for Early Childhood Educators, but parents (and Supplementary School educators) can learn a lot, too. Everything is Jewish.

I send/sent my daughters to Jewish preschool and then public elementary school. I chose the preschool knowing they’d go on to public school and wanting them to have some Jewish background.
I feel very strongly about public school – my daughter’s kindergarten class has celebrated or will celebrate St. Martin’s Day (German), Sukkot (courtesy of yours truly), Chinese New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, and Purim (me, again, and some others), all because of parents coming into the classroom. That’s what I love about public school! (And I don’t know any other day schools that celebrate Chinese New Year.) This weekend (on Shabbat) we enjoyed the school’s International Day – children and their parents set up booths with information and crafts from their country of origin, there was great food, and an international fashion show.
For me, day school is just too insular. When my now-kindergartener was 4, she was shocked (not in a bad way, just very surprised) when I told her that most people in the world are NOT Jewish. I think that’s an important lesson to learn – and to live, every day.
I do regret that their Jewish education will not be as deep as if they had gone to day school but for me, that is outweighed by the advantages of (NYC) public school.