Dear School Administration,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the midwinter break policy that was implemented last year. As you may recall, the school introduced a rule restricting students from traveling to Florida during the break.
What struck me as interesting was that, coincidentally, one of the school heads was spotted in Florida during that same break. While I’m not writing to point out any perceived hypocrisy, I do want to highlight the underlying issue.
The fact is, students and families need breaks too. We work hard throughout the year, and the midwinter break is a much-needed opportunity for us to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with our loved ones.
By imposing rules on what we can and cannot do during our break, the school is essentially dictating how we should spend our personal time. This can be frustrating and feels overly restrictive.
I understand that the school may have had good intentions behind the policy, but I urge you to reconsider and trust families to make their own decisions about how to spend their break.
We appreciate the hard work that the school does to provide us with a great education, and we’re not asking for much. Simply, we’re asking for the freedom to make our own choices and enjoy our break without unnecessary restrictions.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our perspective.
A student.
TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to letters@thelakewoodscoop.com
This has nothing to do with Florida being a bad place. It has become out of hand that you are “nebby” if you don’t go to Florida for mid winter break. And then Florida becomes nebby because we moved on to bigger and better, so if you don’t go to Cancun, Panama or the Bahamas, you’re a loser. This is not a new thing, it’s one of the reasons you wear uniforms, are not allowed to wear jewelry or makeup to school.
The boys are not allowed to invite their classmates to their Bar Mitzva. It hurts when you’re a kid but you will understand it when you are a parent.
The fact that the school head was in Florida has nothing to do with anything, unless they have a kid in the school and brought her along.
Flehtboosh is just as bad as Florida .
It’s just a matter of time and there ins no more money coming from there.
Letting children and families do what they think is right is exactly what their chinuch is supposed to teach them. We have a mesora that our leaders know better and we follow their way. We are taught to trust that they too have all the facts before them and reviewed them and came to this conclusion. It is for that reason we should be listening and parents should not be bypassing them.
I think it’s just the opposite. A school can say where they want their students to go to. It creates a like-minded group. The problem is that when you have a school head breaking the rule! So the rules are in place for me, but the ones running the school don’t need to follow?? Are they not the same mindset as the school?? When things like this happen then you can’t expect the student body to follow what the school teaches. The leaders of this gene need to lead and not just preach. Lead by example not from the pulpit.
Dear Parents
according to my knowledge this rule in in affect during certain weeks while many schools have off which is called YESHIVA WEEK. hanging around in Florida during this time can be dangerous since there is much taaruves
this is in addition to adding kinah for the families who can not afford such a trip. if you need this break do it not during those weeks perhaps when it’s not creating kinah. if you really need the break i’m sure the school will understand. we are not dictator we are just trying to help you.
The world over is filled with taaruvos.
thats why during the school year we ask all bochurim to leave lakewood as there are many girls going to and coming back from school throughout the day and its a big problem of taaruves!
Time stamped video of said administrator in Miami or it didn’t happen!!!
“Time stamped video….or it didn’t happen.”
Is this what we’ve become?
You sound like another group. Yes he’s been convicted of stealing catalytic converters 3 times. Yes he was caught by the police holding a catalytic converter 3 houses down from a car missing their catalytic converter but if you don’t have a picture of him holding the catalytic converter, his birth certificate, social security card & state ID then “He didn do nuffin!”
Who says that administrator was there with his/her children? Thrre is a significant Jewish community in Florida. They could have been visiting parents, attending a simcha (or shiva…), or fundraising! Yes. Running a school needs financing! That’s why you have to be דן לכף זכות.
Yes but there is also a concept of maris ayin. If school said not to go to Florida,school administration should also not be in Florida.
The school rule is just one that makes the students and parents laugh at the school. It doesn’t matter if the rule makes sense – it’s not working. It can’t be monitored, it can’t be followed through. Parents taking the kids to Arizona or Myrtle Beach instead or going the week after just makes the school look pathetic. It doesn’t matter if this is right or wrong – it’s what’s happening. A smart school would state their wishes and leave it at that – now you just have everyone laughing at you. When they laugh for one thing it leads to them laughing for another …..
I think it is ridiculous kids will find anything to be jealous about we need to work on ourselves and teach our children so they aren’t jealous and preparing them for the world. What about people who have massive, gorgeous houses maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to have them. What about people who have fancy cars? It’s the same about the kids shoes I was pressured from the school once about buying shoes in a Jewish store and not buying UGGs cause it also puts peer pressure. Let me tell you something I answer very easily. I can’t afford to buy shoes from a Jewish store but I can’t afford to buy UGGs, especially when I’m a bargain shopper and get them for an amazing price. We need to start changing our mindset. I believe it the children are going to Florida or anywhere on vacation with their families and there should be no problem. I do see a problem if high school kids are going on vacation by themselves. But by trying to forbid Florida, so they’re going to other exotic places, which is ridiculous. Especially with someone like me who has lots of family in Florida I can’t get to see them any other time. And just remember, we have beaches here also so if somebody really wants to do it, they’re not supposed to be doing or hang around by beaches. They could do that here all summer long all spring. And just cause someone goes to Florida doesn’t mean they’re rich. People need to understand that you can get amazing deals on tons of stuff especially if you’re using points
Wow, a bunch of smart comments
I hate to say but 50% of people that want to go on these crazy trips are not paying full tuition (or at least paying what they made up with the school)and complaining that they have no money but they just found cheap tickets to Florida put that money towards your tuition and your kids will be more Matzlach
Do away with mid-winter break all together so there’ll be nothing or no one to worry about. Full steam ahead!.
Shouldn’t it be called No Yeshiva Week?
Notice who signed the letter.
To common sense that’s not true and I only have two kids left in school and I pay tons and I am not rich and I Didn’t pay one thing for my flight tickets were my points. I didn’t have to pay to rent a car. My brother-in-law is lending us one and I didn’t have to pay a penny for a place to stay. And people going to Florida it’s the most affordable place to go
Points has money value.
Sign rules you figure it out. Many people are paying out-of-pocket.
I love the double standard. The same head of school who screams internet is their has a smartphone. He won’t accept parents because the women wear long sheitels but his wife can. Its their to go to concerts not for him. Parents should not have do many gashmius needs and pay full tuition. Yet when it comes to spending he must have the most expensive building for himself. No we don’t care for the imported marble or hcac systems that are used for hospitals. Cut the fluff. The schools that are run by Mechanchim don’t have this issue as much. It’s mainly the private schools. I can personally attest that the schools that are run by Mechanchim try their best to minimize costs. It’s the private schools that run like cooperate buissness. An old admin said it used to work we want extras if we have money good if not unless we fundraise it ain’t happening. Never was the motto we need let’s figure out. I remember as a kid in Camp Stolin a parent approached the faculty and asked why there wasn’t ac in bunks. The faculty responded if u fund it great we aren’t we have basic bills to pay first. The parent sponsored ac for all bunks and electric. Today tge admin says we need ac let’s fo it then figure it out. A lot if old admins ran it bare bones and paid all staff on time. They didn’t take big salaries like 350 a year. If there wasn’t money we don’t do it. I wish all admins look at a school like orginal satmer on Madison that manages to charge less and refuses to do a building campaign. The Owner has every dollar accounted for. We need to turn back the clock and go barebones. Pay Rebbes great salaries they deserve. Cut all pride expenses.
Schools should not try to control what PARENTS decide to do with their kids during vacation.
Sorry, somehow you figured it out but most didn’t
the point of the rule is that everyone should go but now they wont talk about it with their friends that will get jealous because then the school will find out and send them flying!
going to florida for me- is cheaper then snow tubing in the poconos. snow tubing is expensive for only couple hrs and its bitter cold. i have cheap tickets to florida and a place to stay with family. yes-i have to rent a car. my husband pretty much hangs out in a shul most of the day and i am with my two daughters warming up in the sun by a private pool. whats wrong??
some genius came up with this new chumra. please note, the schools are supposed to be the shluchim of the parents and NOT the other way around. please post
As many people have pointed out, one thing has nothing to do with the other.
This “rule” was put into effect due to the intense peer pressure (coincidentally, many parents complain about this expense during tuition meetings), while Roshei Mosdos travel for all sorts of reasons (90% of which are fundraising).