On February 25, 2010, an e-mail was sent out to all Yavneh parents about the 2010-

2011 school year. The e-mail was from Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, principal of Yavneh Academy.
Rabbi Knapp went right into the announcement- school next year
for the Middle School will end at 4:40 as opposed to the current
time of 4:25. This new schedule will have some benefits for the
Middle Schoolers, however. The new model will give students a
good amount of time for breakfast. This has been a heavy
discussion topic in the Middle School for quite some time, now.
This will hopefully give students time to have a quick bowl of
cereal, fruit, or drink before classes begin. The new schedule
will also put Mincha, the afternoon service, into the middle
of the day, as opposed to its current place at the end of the day. According to Rabbi Knapp, this
will “highlight the importance of Tefillah [prayer] and not making it seem like an afterthought to
be rushed through as the buses queue outside.” Next, the new timetable will give a little more
time for lunch/recess. This is very important for Middle Schoolers. Kids have been pushing for
this for years, and it is finally going to be a reality.
There is one last issue that the new construct will
address: there are currently two times a day where
students attend a cycle of four uninterrupted class
periods. This can prove difficult for many, as that
totals four classes, each forty minutes- a sum of 160
minutes of straight learning! Middle school kids
need to have unwinding and reflecting time just as
adults do, and
this schedule will
address that
need. Therefore,
there will be a
midmorning and
mid-afternoon brake/snack time. All after school clubs,
activities, and sports schedules will be factored in to the
arrangements. Some feel that by making these changes,
Yavneh Academy is showing its ability to be a school which
is constantly trying to make whatever adjustments
necessary to keep up with the academic and social needs of
its students. Others are frustrated that their school day will
be extended, as public schools and even some other Yeshivot are dismissed much earlier in the
day. As soon-to-be graduates, two 8 th grade girls, who requested their names be kept
anonymous, said that this decision is “brilliant! It’s good for educational purposes, as children
need breaks in order to nourish the mind.” A 7 th grade boy who also did not want his name to
be published, shared that “It’s a bad decision because you get less time at home to play around
and do homework, but it’s good because you get more breaks and time outside during school.”
7th grader Elisheva Fridman has an alternate suggestion; she believes that “if Yavneh would
shorten class periods to 38 minutes instead of the current time of 40 minutes, then there would
be over 15 minutes for all of the benefits of the
new schedule, without extending the school day
one minute!” Obviously, some are opposed to
this decision, while others are comforted that
Yavneh is taking many important factors of
student life into account and giving more
opportunities for them in the school day. Clearly
this decision has aroused much disagreement
among the students of the Junior High School.
Only time will tell what kind of environment
these changes will bring the the Middle School.
We’ll see on September 1st!