Okay... so this question is half inspired by Phineas and Ferb (104 days of summer vacation... being how the theme song starts;) and half just trying to wrap my head around how things have changed in other areas.
When I was a kid growing up Memorial Day Weekend marked the First day of summer, and Labor Day marked the Last day of summer vacation. I remember distinctly the first year that school started before Labor Day (my mum had a week long snit about it). I'm OFTEN now coming across schools that don't let out until June 21st, and start back up again just 6 weeks later in the 2nd week of Aug. (YIKES! 42 DAYS?!?! of summer vacation? What happened to 104???)
Our school district (we homeschool, but most of kiddo's friends area awayschoolers) is slowly getting longer again... but it's still only 70-80 days depending on the year. A whole month shorter than when I was a kid.
Thwibbt. (As a rabid fan of summer, I protest.)
How 'boutcha'yall? How long is Summer Break in your neck of the woods?
my kids get out around June 21st and go back to school Sept. 6th this year. I wish it was shorter. My kids are soooo bored now and it's just too hot and humid to go outside
We got out June 17th and go back on Sept 2nd. The only things that bugs me about it is that they start on a Friday to have a 3 day weekend. I mean really...Why not wait until the next Tuesday?
My kids go back in a week and a half. What I find funny is even with the longer year they still go on about snow days. Probably because they built in a mess of teacher BS days. I would rather school start a week later than deal with random days off during the school year. :(
My oldest went until almost the last day of June....(thank you mother nature for the insane amount of snow) because of all the snow days. They go back august 31 not enough time if you ask me. I'd love to have them home from memorial day until labor day. We have to go a certain amount of school days and I think the reason for starting before labor day he is to hopefully leave enough time in June for all the snow days because it's also in the teachers contracts that they can't go past June 30th some winters are worse than others. We've had to cut into feb and April vacations to make sure we got the 180 school days in before June 30th.....stupid snow!
My son's pre-school operates from mid-Aug thru the Fri before Memorial Day. He gets about 10 weeks of summer vacation, which, in my opinion, is plenty. I do love summer, but I also love structure and was a latchkey kid, so I know that too much unsupervized downtime can go horribly awry. Most kids are not fortunate enough to have their moms home with them all summer.
From the teacher side of things, I found it EXTREMELY difficult to cram all the required curriculum into the school year. I could have used an extra 3-4 weeks to finish up.
Doesn't the US have one of the shortest average school years compared to other developed nations? Most advanced nations only get a few weeks off, and go to school 6 days a week.
Here in Texas... the legislature says there needs to be 188 days of curriculum.. Then teachers must attend training and workshops every year to fulfill their "annual continued educational training", holidays and snow days are also worked in.. Also teacher/parent conference days.
So the year can seem long.
I used to remind parents to look at the school calendar and schedule some small trips on the days off. The school calendar for the following school year is usually available by the end of Jan.. Do NOT plan these trips on Conference days.. These are the days you have a chance to meet with your children's teachers.
FYI, Want to help plan the school year?.. Join your school districts "Calendar Committee", I have heard it is very eye opening to be involved in setting a school district calendar. ,..
74 days here. LOL, we want 104 days too. Especially since we've had such a cool summer in our neck of the woods.
I know that the school district here has a shorter summer. Children still get the same amount of days off but they space them differently. Instead of 1 you get 2 weeks of for Spring Break for instance. There are some more days off for teacher parent conferences and the like. It just isn't in the big block over summer time like it was when I was young.
Ours get out around the June 21st date and go back 2 days before Labor Day weekend.
We were sheduled to be out first week of May, but with all the snow days (some of which there was even no snow on the ground!) we didn't get out until the very last friday in May. We start back up on the 16th.
Stupid snow days!!!!
Elementary school, June 15-Sept 5. State law says public schools cannot start until after Labor Day. Something about about not having employees for the State Fair and for the resort industries, but I wish they would get out earlier and start earlier.
Middle school, June 7-August 30. Charter school can decide their own school year calendar. Seems about right to me. It would have started June 4, but they had to make up snow days.
Growing up my school didn't let out until the third week of June and we went back the Tuesday after labor day. That was in New York. Here in New Mexico the school year is 8/15 to Memorial Day. Many private schools don't start until labor day, so I guess it really is the full 104 days of summer.
70 here in southern Georgia. My son started back last Thursday. I think it's ridiculous.
In some areas the school year is 3 months on 1 month off, for instance they go to school Sept - Oct - Nov -- off Dec. Once parents get used to the schedule they say it's better because the kids retain more and if their schedule gives them the months off in Jan or Feb their vacations are so much better because the vacations destinations are less crowded.
But back to the holidays, I keep wondering where they all went. Instead of holidays being a day to spend with your family, many parents have to work. When I was a kid stores were closed on all national holidays and Sundays. The day after Thanksgiving was a time to hang out with family and start preparing for the Christmas holidays. Baking cookies and other holiday delights, maybe going to visit a favorite aunt and uncle or grandparents. Now it's become a rush to go shopping and get everything you can before someone else gets it. Day after Christmas the same thing. The Fourth of July we still celebrate with fireworks but only after we run to the mall and get those great deals.
Don't even get me started on Football on holidays, to me that is what started the destruction of our holidays. If the men where gonna sit around watching games all day the women may as well go shopping.
Personally I do not go shopping on holidays. I want holidays to remain holidays, a time to spend with my family.
Our school starts Aug. 25th and goes until the 1st week of June.
Here:
Summer started/last school year ended: May 26.
This school year: just started August 1st.
This is for public school.
My kids got out June 9th and go back August 23. It doesn't seem long enough for me. I love having my monkeys home.
I know your in Washington so there will be some difference, but in Oregon the public school system has one of the shortest school years in the country - and it's continually getting shorter due to budget cuts! I too remember summer vacations like you from when I was a kid (class of '95 baby!), but I also remember having a 4 day week be a rarity and a treat! A true holiday! Not like now where there are 1-2 4 or 3 day school weeks a month!!! Honestly, a shorter summer break is probably better for the kids anyway because (in theory) there will be a less loss in their material retention at the beginning of the year.
Currently our school year is from June 17(ish) to Sept 7(ish) so we're around 81 days of summer vacation, and during the 41 week school year the kids have 31.5 days off and 1 hour late start every Wednesday (which is the equivalent of another 6 days less of instruction).
