Robert is 12 years old and has just finished his first year at JFS. Here he writes about what it was like to start secondary school.
Last September I started at JFS and my experience there has been completely different to that of primary school. There are barely any similarities that I can think of between the two, other than the subjects taught and the fact that they are both schools.
Even before term started there were big changes.The school uniform at JFS involves a blazer, tucked-in shirt and a tie which took many days to master and still confounds a small percentage of the year. This detailed dress code can lead to trouble, as a tie that’s too short, an untucked shirt or an undone top button can result in a uniform detention, although I’ve only ever seen the head of year give one of those out. Usually you just get a light telling off. Also, unlike my non-Jewish primary school, a kippah is compulsory to wear for the boys which is a real pain when running and brings lots of brief moments of panic when you think you’ve lost it but it is just on the top of your back pack.
Like most secondary schools, the teachers are stricter yet I haven’t found any teachers at JFS who have given out punishments unfairly. Actually, maybe I could find a few! But most of the teachers are genuinely really good and I’ve learnt a lot of new skills and information, especially in English, science and geography. ITAM subjects (art, technology, IT), although fun, have been low on teachers (probably as there are 300 kids per year) and this results in one or two groups of kids not having the best time in lessons and doing nothing whilst other groups are making awesome things and having fun. Our food tech group didn’t cook food for eight weeks!
However, moving away from the bad things, like the extra-short summer holidays or a few teachers, let’s talk about the good things connected with Jewish secondary schools.
Firstly, you don’t have to take time off for the festivals meaning you don’t miss any important lessons, and on other festivals you celebrate at school with your friends – like Purim. On Purim, the school hired awesome fun-fair rides and organised loads of fun stalls where you can buy food, take part in activities or get raffle tickets. It was one of my favourite days of the year and not only because I was allowed to come to school in an onesie.
For other festivals like Rosh Hashanah or Tu Bishvat, the school organised tables outside the lunch hall with free food and music playing. It was really nice and happy. I especially liked Yom Haatzmaut, when the school sold candyfloss and popcorn and all the kids were singing and dancing outside. Teachers say "Shabbat Shalom" on Fridays which, although is just a small thing, gives a really nice feeling.
The facilities at JFS are amazing. There are so many places to do sport (on the astro-turf, field, sports halls or basketball/tennis courts) and there is also a massive library filled with books, lots of music-rooms filled with instruments and groups of computers scattered around the hallways for students to “work” on. There are so many clubs and opportunities at the school from philosophy to photography to Korean to drama. Nearly everyone is part of at least one organisation or club and those who aren’t are really not taking advantage of all the opportunities presented to the students.
Learning JS and Ivrit is probably the biggest difference between Jewish and non-Jewish schools. Personally, I have found Jewish Studies really interesting and learnt a lot about my religion from it and whilst I can’t say the same about Ivrit (I’d prefer to learn drama, which is not timetabled) it is still fun and useful for Jewish life. Lunch is much smoother now that I don’t have to worry about the rules of kashrut. At a non-Jewish school I wouldn’t be able to have the jelly or chicken soup, but at JFS I can.
Overall, I’ve had a good first year at secondary school. Just looking at the positives and negatives to do with Judaism, I would say that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and that for me, going to a Jewish secondary school was a good thing.
