Alabama passed some new law saying when schools could start & end for the year. So our schools have re-organized their calendars for the 2012-2013 year. They took out a LOT of off days to accommodate the new law, which is making them start later than we used to.
I'm just curious if your school systems have a similar schedule & how that works for the kids & teachers. It seems like they are going to get overwhelmed with not as many breaks.
Here's this year's schedule:
August 20 - first day of class
September 3 - off for Labor Day
November 12 - off for Veteran's Day
November 21 - 23 - off for Thanksgiving
December 24 - January 2 - off for Winter Break
January 21 - off for MLK Jr Day
March 25 - 29 - off for Spring Break
May 23 - last day of class
They used to get a week off in October for a Fall Break. And there were a few other individual holiday days they would have off, as well as some weather days built in during the Spring.
I also worry about not having the weather days. We are in north Alabama. We don't have the equipment & things that states up north have for handling winter weather & the roads. Therefore, they often have to cancel or delay school during the winter. We were out a whole week once for snow! We are living in the county now, and they are more likely to delay or cancel more than the city schools due to the rural roads.
Any experiences from a similar schedule?
I don't have a problem with it - yet. I worry about them getting "burn out" without the breaks we used to get. Was just curious how this schedule worked for others.
They will not get overwhelmed.
It is what it is.
My kids start the next school year at the end of July.
We have Hawaiian Holidays here and there. ie: "Statehood Day" and others.
And:
Labor Day
Veteran's Day
Winter Break Dec. 18-Jan,1.
Spring Break March 18-22
Fall Break Oct. 1-5
Election Day
Thanksgiving Nov. 22 & 23
MLK Jr. day
President's Day
Good Friday
May 24 Last Day of School
Not all schools have a "Fall" break
We have never had a fall break. It sounds very much like our schedule. Obviously they don't schedule snow days but this year since we didn't use them they got out a week early.
If you get too many snow days they just add them to the end of the school year.
This is our schedule
August 7 .First Day of School
September 3 Holiday/Labor Day
November 6 Student Holiday/Teacher Professional Learning Day
November 19-23 Holidays/Thanksgiving
December 24-January 4 (inclusive) Holidays
January 21 - Holiday/Martin Luther King Day
February 18 -Holiday/Presidents’ Day
April 8-12 -Holidays/Spring Break
May 21 - Last Day
We have more days off, but we also start 2 weeks before you do.
They've had to write in teacher work days etc here as well as teacher furlow days .
I think they will be fine. The biggest thing I worry about is that stretch after spring break to the last day of school . THAT'S the burn out time that I worry about. But we will manage the best we can.
Looks like our schedule, basically, except that ours starts in September and ends in June. I've never hear of a week off in October. For what? Kids are pretty pliable and adaptable.
They won't be overwhelmed. This is similar to the schedule that was in place when I went to school. We didn't have any spring break or whatever they call it. We had 4 days at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at xmas and 1 week at Easter and then a couple of Monday holidays. We did just fine.
Our schools schedule is similar to yours. We've never had a fall break. I don't see the need for it. Why does the school need more time off? Isn't the goal to teach? How does time off help reach that goal.
Our schools do have more time off in that they have a two hour planning day once a month for which school starts 2 hours later. And they have 2 day work days just before report cards coming out. And the school year has been shortened by a week or so because of budget cuts.
As to weather causing no school. It used to be that the school made up for that lost time by taking time away from breaks or extending the school year. Now, because of budget cuts, the time off is just absorbed into the schedule.
I don't really understand why you have a problem with this schedule. I don't understand how less time off would be overwhelming. School days are a routine. Do we have more time off as employed adults?
We in SoCal have never heard of a "Fall Break" ; ) We start the year around the end of August/Labor Day (haven't seen next year's calendar) and end in early June. Our kids don't get days off when the skies are full of smoke from wildfires, and are expected most of those days to go outside and play and breath it all in :( In your case snow days will be added to the end of the year.
Kids are resilient and adaptable and get up and go to school when we tell them to, and usually don't make much of a fuss about things unless we parents do and bring it to their attention...think of it as preparing them for the real world when they go to work and get only a couple of weeks off a year!
In MI we don't start until the Tues after Labor day and end in June. My daughter ended on June 6 - this is relatively a little early considering we didn't have many snow days this year. They pretty much have the same amount of days off that you posted. Even when I was a kid we never got a Fall break, my kids don't either.
*This was my daughters dates to remember for this past year 2011/2012 They also had a few half days mixed in there that aren't listed for conferences and In-service days
SEPTEMBER 2011
6 First Day of School
NOVEMBER 2011
24 Thanksgiving - NO SCHOOL
25 NO SCHOOL
DECEMBER 2011
22 Last Day of School Before Christmas Vacation
JANUARY 2012
3 School Resumes
16 NO SCHOOL - Teacher Work Day
APRIL 2012
2 Spring Break Begins
10 School Resumes
MAY 2012
28 NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
JUNE 2012
6 Last Day of School - 1/2 Day
That seems like a normal schedule. Do not see why they would get burnt
out. Fall break never heard of it. Kids up here would love to be out May 23!
We are in KS and that looks like our schedule. Although, Winter Break seems short. Ours is usually Dec. 18-Jan 2, or so.
Ours looks a lot like yours. I wish more schools would go to "year round" or the "balanced calendar." My sister lives in Arlington, VA, and her kids begin in August and go through the end of June. They get a week or two off after each quarter. I think that's perfect for grade school kids. Do they really need 3 months off in the summer? My niece and nephew love it! The school even offers workshops during the breaks. My sister had to pay a fee for those, but the kids looked forward to those. I'm sure that was very helpful for working parents.
I'm sure the kids won't get too overwhelmed, but I think a balanced calendar would really help with burn-out. Right now my kids are home for the summer, and it's not always easy keeping them active. Fortunately they've only said, "Mom, I'm bored," a couple of times :-)
I wish we had this schedule. I was looking at our calendar the other day and was appalled at the days out of school this coming year.
We start school August the 8th, in Oklahoma, in 100+ degree weather.
Out a day in September for professional day, out the normal 2 days in October for Fall Break.
Out for teacher/parent conferences the Monday of Thanksgiving week, so let's just take off the rest of the week too, heck, the kids don't need to go just 2 days...said with sarcasm of course.
Out the 2 weeks for Winter Break, out for MLK day, February 1 and again on February 18.
Spring Break in March, plus a snow day on the 29th, 2 days in April and 3 in May. It seems like a 5 day school week is going to be a thing of the past.
The nearby schools that have their own district are all starting at least a week later if not 2 weeks later. We are going to have to start classes and the studio/gym a full 2 weeks after our school starts so that it will start after schools are all back in session.
I wish the kids were going to be in school more steady. I feel bad for child cares, they are going to have the school kids so many full days this coming year.
I am in Arkansas and we have a similar schedule except we don't get most holidays (like Veteran's Day) off. And last year we had a lot of bad weather and had to go until June 7 I think! Shortest summer ever. Then this year we had no bad weather and now we have been out for 2 weeks already. I guess you just get used to it. Oh, the kids complain and all but it is just the way it is, I guess...
Michigan passed a law taht we start the day after labor day. We do consistent Winter break (2 weeks) Spring break (1 week first week in April) adn a mid winter break (3rd week in February.)
Many if not most kids.. are in day care if school is out. so a break from school means a day at day care. So not such a big deal.
how many days total? We go 186 and typically start during the last week of August and out during the second week of June. No real breaks but for Christmas-Easter is only 3 days.
Must be nice to get out May 23! No PA schools get out that early-at least not around me.
