School schedule - what's yours?

[Gumbo4x4]

Yet another school thread, what's your schedule? What do you like about it? What would you change (if you could)?

My kids are in public school. This year, they started August 20th, will be out around the 20th of May, with ~2 weeks off at Christmas.

There's a day off in September, 2 in October, the days before & after Thanksgiving, and a 5-day weekend at Easter assuming no snow days. All the traditional holidays are off; there's no Spring Break.

I like the long Summer. I know many would prefer more & longer breaks throughout the year, but for us this is the time of year to be off.

I'm glad to give up Spring Break in favor of an earlier Summer start. The weather isn't that great that time of year here, and any travel destinations will be packed.

I like the fact the semester ends at Christmas break instead of carrying over into January as it did when I was a kid (it was so awkward).

For dislikes, the Christmas break is too long. Weather sucks here & again travel destinations are either expensive, packed, or have equally crappy weather.

I do wish we had a break for a full week in October. I'd gladly go back a day or 2 early in August to get this, and/or cut days out of Christmas break. Great travel time & the weather here can be beautiful as well.

 

[Poohforyou]

My dd will be a junior. School starts next week. We have the Jewish holidays in September; a few days in early November; a few days for thanksgiving; about 10 days for Christmas; MLK day in January; a long presidents weekend; 1 week in early April; long Easter weekend; memorial day. School gets out around June 22nd or so.

It's a pretty good schedule.

 

[mom2rtk]

Gumbo, our schedule sounds very similar to yours. I also wish we had a longer break in October (4 day weekend).

 

[Colleen27]

This year, my girls went back Aug 24 & 25 and that was way too early (normally it is the Wed before Labor Day). We're finally getting summer weather after a fairly cool, somewhat disappointing summer and they're in school and melting for lack of a/c instead of being able to enjoy it. One is out the 3rd of June, one on the 9th. Then there's my public schooler, who doesn't start until Sept 8 and whose year ends June 16.

Besides start and end dates, the calendars are similar. We don't have any breaks before Thanksgiving. Then we have two weeks at Christmas, a 5 day weekend for Presidents Day, and a week at Easter. I wish we could drop Presidents Day break, when the weather in Michigan is miserable and even flying out at that time of year can be iffy because of the snow/ice, and have a fall break in Oct when the weather is mild and the leaves are turning colors instead.

But my biggest complaint is that our school schedules simply don't line up with one another. With three kids, I have three different start and end dates, slight differences in our Thanksgiving and Presidents Day breaks, and entirely different Easter/spring breaks. I expect minor differences between public and private, but since the private school contracts food service, transportation, and specials though the public district it seems like they'd try to line things up a bit more closely.

 

[leebee]

School started September 1 (yesterday!).
Single-day holidays off: Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day.
Single early-release days in October, January, March
Vacations: full week of Thanksgiving (Monday is parent/teacher conference day), a full week in February, a full week in April.
We get out at 11:30am on Dec 23 for Christmas break, go back on Jan. 4th.
Last day of school is an 11:30am release on June 9th... but I am sure there will be 3 to 5 snow days to make up. We have to attend 175 days by state law.

I'd rather go to school longer in June (I teach) and start after Labor Day. In June, we are lucky if the temperatures get into the low 70s. This week and next, we are expecting mid-80s all week- and there's no a/c at school. It's going to be nasty...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just back to school this week. A day here and there in Sept, Oct, Nov (plus Thanksgiving), Jan, March (Easter break). Still have a week off in February and a week off in April, as well as a week long December Holiday break. Out in mid June, but mine are seniors so they'll be done in May this year. (This past year our schools went till almost the end of June because of all the snow days > record snow in this area. They talked about it last year but they didn't change anything during the year because of snow.)

 

[maryandtyson]

We have a unique schedule. Our school system offers a traditional calendar school (starts August 24, 2 weeks at Xmas, 1 week of spring break, out in June).

My kids go to our year round calendar option. Start July 27, then they go 9 weeks in, 3 weeks out, until end of June. We love this schedule. It enables us to travel in October, January, April and July without missing school.

This is our last year for this schedule as it's not offered in High School. We live in NC, so summer can be too hot to do much outdoors here. We love the fall and spring breaks.

 

[clori]

My dd11 6th grade started Tuesday September 1st. High school had a teacher workshop day on Tuesday, Freshman orientation Wed and Thursday all 4 grades go (my sophomore dd starts in the morning)

all grades are off Friday/Monday for Labor Day Weekend
grades k-8 get primary day off in September teacher workshop day
October - Columbus Day off
Nov - Election day off teacher workshop, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Friday off, get out at 11 day before Thanksgiving
Dec - out at 11 Dec 23rd
Jan - go back Monday which I think is the 4th, MLK off, 1 day in Jan teacher workshop day
Feb - Presidents Day week off
March - no days off
April - Patriots Day week off
May - Memorial Day Monday off
June - out June 13th no snow days (add a day to school year for each snow day)

 

[fly girl]

Started Aug 13th.

Out May 20th. (pending no more than 5 snow days)

Typical holidays off, including 2 weeks over Christmas & New Year, and 1 week spring break. Although we add in 2 holy days (Catholic school).

I would prefer a later first and last day, but it's not a huge deal.

My biggest gripe would be I wish school started later in the morning. It's 7:30-2:30, I'd much prefer 8:30-3:30, but all catholic schools in our area use the 7:30am start time. Bus picks up at 6:50am. So early for elementary school. JMHO.

 

[cvjw]

In Metro Atlanta.

Started school August 3rd
week off in September
week off for Thanksgiving
2 weeks off for Christmas
week off in February
week off in April
out of school before Memorial Day

Love this school schedule. Lots of time for vacations, although we do go back to school very early

 

[mnrose]

We start one week from today and are done the second week of June. Nice for us. About one week at Christmas, one week for Spring Break and assorted other holidays and breaks the remainder of the year. We do get a week off in mid-October for MEA (Minnesota Education Assoc meeting for teachers).

 

[mommasita]

My Daughter is in her last year of Private HS.

She started back Monday. Other than one day for Labour Day and Thanksgiving, there are almost no days off here and there, Two full weeks at Xmas .
they get 2 weeks off for Spring break, which is the last week of February, first week of March (Europe Grad trip=No missing class)
Good Friday/Easter Monday, The Queen's Birthday in May, I believe there is one other school day off (miracle) that month.
June they are finished full time class the first week, they go in to write their exams until June 20th or so.

They reserve 3 days for Snow Days, one was used last year , the first time her school used one in 10 years.. LOL.. They will add in some days for them after April.

 

[Vicki926]

We start tomorrow, though generally it's the Wed. after Labor Day.
Off Monday for Labor Day, off the following Monday for Rosh Hashana, off the following Wednesday for Yom Kippur.
No days off in October.
The Thursday and Friday after Election Day off for teachers convention.
Off Thursday and Friday Thanksgiving.
Full day 12/23, then off until Jan 2nd, unless that falls on a Friday, in which case we get it off and don't come back until Monday.

MLK day, Presidents Day and the Tuesday as well.

Depending on how early Easter is, sometimes we get the week including Good Friday, sometimes we get Good Friday and the week after Easter.
This year we get GF, but because it's in March, we don't get either of those weeks.

 

[bethbuchall]

We always go back the Wednesday after Labor Day. It's late this year, so school starts September 9th.
There is a 4 Day weekend for Columbus Day in October.
We get Veteran's Day and 3 days for Thanksgiving in November.
Christmas Break is about a week to a week and a half depending on when Christmas Day falls. This year we go through December 23rd, so we get Thursday, Friday, and the next week off.
We get Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January.
We get a 4-day weekend in February for Presidents' Day.
Easter Break is the week before Easter. Some years we get the Monday after Easter off as well, but we don't this year.
We get either a 3-day or a 4-day weekend for Memorial Day.
We get out at the end of June. This year graduation is June 25th. The elementary and middle school students will go to school until the 23rd or 24th. The high school students only go in on days that they have tests for about a week and a half before graduation.

Depending on the year, 3 to 5 days are added for snow days. If we exceed the allotment, they start pulling from Memorial Day and Easter break.

Fall sports start back 3 weeks or so before classes begin.

I do like that we start after Labor Day, but I really wish that we were out a week or so earlier.

 

[monsterkitty]

I'm a teacher and our district has been in session for students since August 18 (teachers went back Aug 10)
We have the following breaks:
Labor Day
Thanksgiving we get Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Winter Break we have off 10 schools days
MLK
Presidents Day
Spring Break is the last week in March
We get out May 29 for students and May 31 for teachers

We have 9 snow days build into our school year but we rarely use even just one.
We do our Professional Development before students start for the year and then during early morning meetings. We do not do early release days and we don't have teacher work days. I'm in a low income district and our kiddos need to be in school as much as possible!

 

[Lilliputian]

We're homeschoolers. We school year-round, except for when it's convenient to take some days off, and then we take off.

Okay, it's not quite that disorganized. I live in a state that requires that they do school for 1,000 hours a year. I set goals for how many hours I want to have completed for every second month and keep my eye on our progress to make sure we won't fall behind. We manage to take a lot of breaks, some for big exciting things like major vacations and Christmas and others for things like family visiting or just going to the park when the weather is extra nice. Still, every year I make it to 1200 hours at least a month or two before the school year is over, and then I get lazy and stop recording hours but continue to do school.

 

[Neesy228]

This year we started on September 1st and with the expected snow make-up days we won't get out until June 14th.

We have off 4 days at Thanksgiving -- including the first day of deer season (hunting) - which I think is insane.
From December 23rd to January 2nd for Christmas.
Two days in October for teacher conferences
Two days in March for teacher conferences
And several random days throughout the year.

We are in PA and now there is a big press every spring leading up to the standardized PSSA testing in April so we have very little time off from January thru the end of the year.

I wish they would give us back our fall and spring breaks in exchange for all of those random days off and I wish we could start after Labor Day. They got rid of both of those things about 3 years ago and it stinks.

 

[Ava]

We're in NYC, public school. First day of school for students is next Wed, Sept 9th. We don't get out until June 28th but we have a lot of days off throughout the year.

School is closed for students:
Sept 14-15, & 23 for Jewish holidays
Sept 24 for a Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha (new day off added this year)
(Which means they only have 3-day weeks for the first 3 weeks of school. Kind of nutty.)
Oct 12 Columbus Day
Nov 3 Election Day
Nov 11 Veterans Day
Nov 26-27 Thanksgiving
Dec 24-Jan 1 Christmas break (back on Jan 4)
Jan 18 MLK Day
Feb 8 Chinese New Year (another new one added this year)
Feb 15-19 Presidents Week
March 25 Good Friday
April 25-29 Spring Break
May 30 Memorial Day
June 9 & 14 for teacher work days

I wish we got out a bit earlier in June, but I like that we don't go back until after Labor Day. I also wish we were closed, or even had early dismissal, on the day before Thanksgiving & Dec 23rd. My kids will miss those days of school every single year, because we travel to see family for those holidays and I refuse to drive on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve.

I do like Spring Break being later in April this year. Last year it was the week after Easter, but they moved it later this year so that the kids are finished with standardized testing before they go on break. I hope they keep it that way, because the weather is nicer by late April and if we travel anywhere hopefully it will be less crowded since it seems the majority of schools have their breaks earlier.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We live in one of the two German states which have the latest summer break. I like that we have time off year round and that there is time to travel in off season in early September. I hate that July drags and is so hot for the kids at school (no a/c) and that DS's cousins in the US are almost back in school before he is off, so even on the years we fly to the US they hardly see one another. DS hates that he has a 225 day school year, instead of the 180 most Americans do.

September 14 is the first day of school

Holidays are: one week at the start of November, 3 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter, a four day weekend in early May (for Ascension Thursday) and 2 weeks in late May (around Whit Monday).

July 27 is the last day of school

 

[bcwife76]

We're in BC, Canada.
School always starts the Tuesday after Labour Day (so Sept 8th this year).
No holidays in September.
Thanksgiving in October
Remembrance Day Nov 11th
Two weeks off for Christmas vacation
Family day in February (3rd Monday)
Spring Break in March (2 weeks)
Easter 4 day weekend (Good Friday and Easter Monday)
Victoria Day (3rd Monday in May)
School gets out end of June (24th or 25th in 2016)

They also get one Pro D day (teacher instruction) every month except December. Early dismissal (1hr early) about 3 times a year for parent-teacher conferences.