Frustrated over school calendar

[itsreally4mommy]

Yet again, it feels like we get jipped. I don't see how it's possible, I mean all schools must be in session 180 days. But we start w/the rest, end after, and no extras in between. No fall break, only Wed, Th Fri for Thanksgiving, no true Easter break (just optional Good Friday if no bad weather). Our Christmas vacation doesn't even start until 19th if you count Sat.
The girls are getting older where it's too hard to allow 1 or 2 extra days tacked onto a holiday. But the thought of maximum crowds in the sweltering heat of Jul/Aug-
I keep trying to keep my eye on the prize w/hopes and dreams of more Disney trips/DVC, but it seems to become harder to do with each year.

 

[plymouthmom]

I hear you! I have four kids and each year it gets a big tougher! My problem my high schooler. Grades are cut if they miss school so that cuts out tacking on days to regular breaks. PLUS we have the sports component which makes it tough to find a time to go. Right now we are thinking of a trip for Spring Break of 2011 ( we just went in Jan). But that will depend on our travel basketball players! Egads!

 

[rowbear]

Yet again, it feels like we get jipped. I don't see how it's possible, I mean all schools must be in session 180 days. But we start w/the rest, end after, and no extras in between. No fall break, only Wed, Th Fri for Thanksgiving, no true Easter break (just optional Good Friday if no bad weather). Our Christmas vacation doesn't even start until 19th if you count Sat.
The girls are getting older where it's too hard to allow 1 or 2 extra days tacked onto a holiday. But the thought of maximum crowds in the sweltering heat of Jul/Aug-
I keep trying to keep my eye on the prize w/hopes and dreams of more Disney trips/DVC, but it seems to become harder to do with each year.

I can't even imagine going in July or August but people do it and they seem to have fun.

 

[florep1]

I fell your pain. We have high school age kids as well in AP classes so taking them out of school is out of the question. Holidays? What holidays. Club soccer obligations make WDW holiday trips a no go unless you count the Disney showcase around New Years when everyone and their cousin is at Disney. Spring break is playoff time for high school season so we're stuck with summer vacations for now. How fun.

 

[RLRDA]

I can't even imagine going in July or August but people do it and they seem to have fun.

We'll be going in August for the 2nd time next month (actually 3rd time if you count a trip to SW/Universal in '06). It's a trade-off of sorts. Yes, it is hot (but it's also hot in Sept/Oct as well) but the crowds during the last two weeks of August really thin out because the Florida students go back to school mid-August. We'd rather be hot and have lower crowds then go at, say, February or April vacation time when the weather is more pleasant but the crowds are insane. We would never consider going in July or early August because then you get heat and crowds. Plus the DVC points season goes down in late August, too .

 

[itsreally4mommy]

I don't know about other areas and activities, but many girls' things run through summer (competition, recitals, practice) so really can't bank on summer. I suppose there is Spring Break, but that means no driving and jam packed trip. I guess we could suck it up and count on Christmas- it's lovely that's for sure, but paying out the wazoo, and trying to get time off (DH is a fireman and I hopefully will be working at a hospital) not so much. LOL

Oh and we start back Aug 24, so much for late August. LOL Oh well, no sense in being all Eyeore about it.

 

[Corinne]

We have visited every summer for 15 years. We did not want to take our boys out of school when they were younger, and once they were in high school, varsity sports prohibited them from going away during the school year. Personally, I love WDW in the summer months.

 

[florep1]

We actually just came back from a 2 week WDW trip. Yes, it was hot but coming from Texas, we're used to the heat and humidity, and it was cooler in Orlando at that time. We spent a lot of time at the pool which we didn't get to do much of when we visited Christmas week of 08.

 

[Starr W.]

Yet again, it feels like we get jipped. I don't see how it's possible, I mean all schools must be in session 180 days. But we start w/the rest, end after, and no extras in between. No fall break, only Wed, Th Fri for Thanksgiving, no true Easter break (just optional Good Friday if no bad weather). Our Christmas vacation doesn't even start until 19th if you count Sat.
The girls are getting older where it's too hard to allow 1 or 2 extra days tacked onto a holiday. But the thought of maximum crowds in the sweltering heat of Jul/Aug-
I keep trying to keep my eye on the prize w/hopes and dreams of more Disney trips/DVC, but it seems to become harder to do with each year.

Ha, our Xmas break doesn't start until 12/23 this year! I just wonder how many kids will be in school the 21st and 22nd .

We do get a full week at Easter, but I only do Vero Beach at that time!

We don't get a fall break, but we do get 4 day weekends for MLK and Pres. day. We've done MLK the last two years and if you want to hit the parks it's a great time to do it.

I really think our district figures that people are going to be gone those 2 days before Xmas break and the Mon/Tues of Thanksgiving week. It's funny to talk to the admins at school level and they wonder what the school board is thinking when they come up with the schedule of a 2 day week b4 Xmas or when coming back.

Eagerly awaiting the 2010-2011 calendar, as Easter is 4/24 that year!

 

[rowbear]

We'll be going in August for the 2nd time next month (actually 3rd time if you count a trip to SW/Universal in '06). It's a trade-off of sorts. Yes, it is hot (but it's also hot in Sept/Oct as well) but the crowds during the last two weeks of August really thin out because the Florida students go back to school mid-August. We'd rather be hot and have lower crowds then go at, say, February or April vacation time when the weather is more pleasant but the crowds are insane. We would never consider going in July or early August because then you get heat and crowds. Plus the DVC points season goes down in late August, too .

We go in February all the time and we usually don't even need fastpass.

 

[randomiam79]

unfortunately, i think?, FL public schools in our county are starting August 26th this year. We were that way forever, then about 8-9 years ago I guess is when they started school earlier and earlier and letting out earlier and earlier.

A couple years ago a group called SOS "Save our Summers" rallied enough support to get legislation passed that FL public schools cannot start more than 2 weeks (i believe) before Labor Day. That means that slowly but surely, we are getting closer to the rest of the country by starting in late Aug and letting out mid-June.

not that it matters I guess

 

[itsreally4mommy]

We don't even get Presidents' Day, much less a 4 day wknd for it!
Only a 3 day for MLK.

I remember a while back a lot of rumors and fuss to get school pushed back to Labor Day. Really, it makes sense with the triple digits in August, I can't imagine the elec bills. We go Aug 24- June 4 so we can't even slip in during May.

 

[rowbear]

Aren't some school systems experimenting with year round classes with long semester breaks?

 

[FoxberryJam]

We go every year during the last week in August to 1st or 2nd day of September, leaving right before Labor Day. Yeah, it's hot...but that is actually not a 'big crowd' time period at all. For us, the heat is the lesser of 2 evils over big crowds AND the kids dont miss any school, so it works well for us.

 

[Starr W.]

Aren't some school systems experimenting with year round classes with long semester breaks?

I wish our district would, statewide in OH there has been talk about extending the school year. My 7th grader heard about it at school! He said it sure didn't sound popular with his teachers.

We have one Catholic K-8 that does an extended yr. They get a fall break, 1 week off mid-semester in the spring, then Holy Week off. They start about 2 weeks before we do and get out the same time. Xmas/NYE is the same. My tax accountant's girls went there, she really liked the fall break, as she could actually go away then.

 

[rowbear]

I wish our district would, statewide in OH there has been talk about extending the school year. My 7th grader heard about it at school! He said it sure didn't sound popular with his teachers.

We have one Catholic K-8 that does an extended yr. They get a fall break, 1 week off mid-semester in the spring, then Holy Week off. They start about 2 weeks before we do and get out the same time. Xmas/NYE is the same. My tax accountant's girls went there, she really liked the fall break, as she could actually go away then.

Figures. Teachers get cranky if they don't get their summers off. The rest of us are doing great if we can have an entire weekend off more than once a month. It was April this year before I got my first day off.

 

[Starr W.]

Figures. Teachers get cranky if they don't get their summers off. The rest of us are doing great if we can have an entire weekend off more than once a month. It was April this year before I got my first day off.

I just find it somewhat unprofessional for them to whine to their students.

 

[Starr W.]

We don't even get Presidents' Day, much less a 4 day wknd for it!
Only a 3 day for MLK.

I remember a while back a lot of rumors and fuss to get school pushed back to Labor Day. Really, it makes sense with the triple digits in August, I can't imagine the elec bills. We go Aug 24- June 4 so we can't even slip in during May.

I think it's law here OH, it's the first time in years that the kids have gotten a 4 day for Pres weekend. MLK falls around the end of our semester, the Friday before is a teacher's work day.

We usually head out Thurs. late afternoon, so I pick the kids up early and you can't fit too many more parents in the office to sign kids out.

We've stared the last Wed. in August since the late 70's. It gives us a cushion if we get too many snow days(we can miss 5 days here in OH without having to make them up) and have to tack on days. School in Ohio has to be finished by June 21 or somedate in that area. If you have a major storm and start after Labor Day, Spring Break would have to go.

We have parents who like to bring torches and pitchforks to the School Board meetings and complain about really stupid things,so it's probably best we start when we do.

 

[MrsNick]

I just find it somewhat unprofessional for them to whine to their students.

Agreed.

Also, I think it's a matter of time before year-long school catches on. The school year evolved with long summer "vacations" because we used to live in a primarily agrarian society where the children were expected to assist with farming and harvesting.

I don't know of too many kids nowadays who work at farming and harvesting (granted I don't live in a rural area). But the point is, I don't think this applies to the majority of American school children.

I think year-long school would be beneficial to both parents and children. I think parents may have more say and more flexibility in when they can pull their kids out of school (whether that is for vacations, other educational opportunities or family obligations). Kids would likely have better retention of what they've learned. I know I forgot an awful lot of stuff over summer vacation

But, to get back on point. Yup, I think teachers are not gonna like it, but they don't need to be sharing that with the kids.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I can take my vacation days any time, but I travel with a school teacher. So, we're pretty much locked into doing Disney in July or August. He's just finished his 31st year of teaching. So for different reasons, we're both counting down to his retirement. He's just tired of teaching. I'm looking forward to Disney in cooler weather and cheaper points.