So frustrated right now - school start date change

[smitch425]

Obviously some years they start before and some years they start after, based on the date of Labor Day. But what I'm saying is; look at schedules for previous years for the district when Labor Day started that late, and see what they did then. They'd likely do the same. That was what I did, and how I avoided this problem.

My previous comment was in response to your comment of...

"I can't believe that this would be the first time ever that a school would start prior to?"

 

[Ginny Favers]

I am 42 years old and school has never started before Labor Day. The earliest it has started would be the Tuesday following Labor Day instead of the normal Wednesday start. Starting before labor day would be a shock to me!

It happened in my kids' school district in 2009 and 2010. They weren't in school, then, but I just did a little research because I didn't want them to miss the first week of school.

 

[smitch425]

We've always started well before Labor Day. I can't even imagine starting after! Lol!

 

[mjkacmom]

I've lived here my entire life, and this September will be the first time school will start before Labor Day in at least 43 years. I'm betting a lot of vacations get cancelled.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Around here, it's been very common to start the Wednesday after Labor Day. Our town actually waits and starts on Thursday most years. However, with Labor Day as late as it is this year, I did look back. And the one time--6 or 7 years ago--that this same thing happened, we did go back before Labor Day. In addition, we've always had a week in February and a week in April for vacation--that goes back to when I was a kid in the 70s!!! But this is the first time I'm hearing talk of doing away with the February week for next year.

So my point is that things are so up in the air right now, I can't even imagine trying to book vacation at this point. It's killing me!!!! I've made a bunch of ADRs for different days, just until I figure out what the schools are doing. I have a long stay booked, knowing I don't need all those days and, again, will cancel some as soon as I can confirm dates. I haven't book flights and I know prices are probably going to continue to go up. But basically the schools have me in a holding pattern for another month or two!

 

[rotlex]

OP stated that sometimes they start before and sometimes after. It would seem like they knew this could be a possibility, but still booked the trip.

The problem is, while this is true to some degree, we went from post Labor Day for YEARS, to pre Labor Day for one year only. The parents and teachers complained so much, they switched it back again just last year, only to change AGAIN this year to post with only 5 months notice.

Anyway, with all that said, thanks again for the replies on this. It's interesting to see the varying thoughts on the situation. We had some good conversation at the dinner table last night after learning this is affecting quite a number of neighbor\bus stop regulars as well. (Our corner\garage is the bus stop so all the parents know each other fairly well from over the years). My wife was also volunteering at the school yesterday and discussed it with a number of teachers, and the one we already know my son will be getting next year for first grade, and was told it shouldn't be a problem at all.

After all this, we have pretty much decided to just stick with our plans, and let them miss the first 4 days of school. The consensus at the school is that the last time they did this, there were so many kids out, they didn't do much of anything that first week anyway. (Besides the schedule going only Monday thru Thursday with a 4 day weekend for labor Day). Our daughter agrees in that she was in that situation 2 years ago. Lastly, we learned that supposedly this is now the final time this will change, meaning we will be pre-Labor Day starts for the rest of eternity, so vacation planning will be kind of set date wise.

 

[sharona]

Ours schools start on the Tuesday before Labor Day with Friday off so 3 days the first week, 4 days the second week (due to Labor Day off) then 5 days the third week. It is a nice way for the kids to ease back into a regular schedule.

OP - I have no issue with kids missing a few days of school for vacation BUT, I would not want mine to miss any time the first week. Too much happens socially and with learning the classroom routine.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I guess things have changed a lot since I was in school. My parents used to pull us out of school for vacations at times. We missed up to a week, it was never a big deal.

It's 4 days, the way people are going on about how no way they'd do that and omg no they'd be so lost, you'd think it was 4 weeks! I'd imagine within the next week or so of being back, it'd be like nothing happened.

Especially since your 8th grader will have a 4-day weekend after the first week to catch up if she needs it.

When I was a kid, pulling a kid out of school for vacation was all but unheard of

 

[FINFAN]

The first week is a big deal. Open house, teachers going over their class rules and schedules, friends start pairing up, sign ups for activities for students and parents. If you miss sports or bands or clubs will there be consequences regarding participation and play time?

This is pretty much what I was going to say. 8th grade here is kind of a biggie as our kids attend Middle school 6, 7 and 8. They are the "seniors" in 8th and the social stuff rules in their eyes. If your 8th grader has a solid posse of friends and doesn't mind missing back to school events and can get assignment/syllabus/textbook info ahead of time I would lean toward going. Some teachers give exams week one and around here if you do poorly or land in a hole it is tough to dig out grade wise.The 1st grader, if he was in all day kindergarten, and same goes for already connected well with friends, same thing~but those first few days of the lunch room set the tone for the playground etc. I feel for you, I really do. My DS missed orientation and day 1 for his Sophomore year as we were moving DD to college out of state. It wouldn't have been TOO big of a deal except our zone was transferred to a new high school and he was in the first graduating class so EVERYTHING was a "first". You would not believe how much happened socially that week we were gone. It was like everyone was going to be ruling the school come h or high water and if you weren't there from the get go, buh bye.

 

[smitch425]

When I was a kid, pulling a kid out of school for vacation was all but unheard of

I've seen several people comment that they missed school for vacations back in the day, but the difference is back then, things weren't being taught as quickly. My 4th grader is doing math that I did in jr high, and my 6th grader is doing math I did as a sophomore. In 6th grade, they do a math test about every two weeks, sometimes less, so missing a week of instruction would be a big deal.

 

[MrsDuck]

I am a teacher and there's no way I'd want my kid to miss the first week of school. I'd try to reschedule.

 

[barkley]

our school starts midweek before labor day-always has, and for the upper grades (8-12) the first few days are when the teachers do the overview of the class (rules, expectations, review syllabus, establish groups/lab partners...), there are sign-ups for clubs, band establishes who is first chair, second chair..., class representatives are selected, and anyone who needs/wants to change a class/adjust their schedule does it. first few days is also when lockers are assigned, school handbook is distributed/has to be read/signed and returned (by students and parents), books are handed out, and there are at least 2 all school assemblies held where allot of information is provided. so the first 2 days end up being very much of an orientation such that day 3 is full bore instructional with homework that's due the day after labor day. as far as extracurriculars-any team sports for the fall that didn't start over the summer start immediately having afterschool sessions (tryouts).

w/my kids by the 3rd year they had it down to a science, and with the exception of a glitch in scheduling classes (which is usually caught at the end of the prior term but can happen if a class time/teacher changes) it's very routine. when it was their first year and esp. their second (b/c then it was high school) it was something that if they missed they would be less informed than their peers, and playing catch-up with all the housekeeping issues for a week or so after they returned (school wants them there the first week and doesn't make it tremendously convenient to do all the administrative things after the fact). later years-they knew what the deal was and probably could have handled missing it better.


op-the one thing I would suggest is finding out what the policy is on class assignments. with some schools if there's a waiting list for a particular class failing to attend the first couple of days (absent a medical note) loses the student their seat and they are left to make alternate arrangements upon their return to school.

 

[Wishing on a star]

If I couldn't move the trip up, then I would consider moving it back.
Maybe Labor Day or Fall Break. I would rather do that than miss the beginning week.

That having been said, we had always considered it a HUGE perk that, since our son was not enrolled in the school system, we didn't have to deal with this, and having to try to plan our trips on their schedule. We used to travel a lot on time-share exchange, and this sometimes meant planning many many months, if not as much as a year, ahead.

To get the new schedule, right now, in March, is not quite so bad.
I am not sure if our schools have their schedule posted or not?
For any school system who thinks it is good/okay to wait until April or May for people to plan summer or fall vacations.... wow???

 

[Mizzoufan]

We've always started well before Labor Day. I can't even imagine starting after! Lol!

I know we always start the middle of August.

 

[sharona]

It's definitely a geographical thing. In the northeast schools let out for the summer anywhere from mid June to end of June depending on number of snow days. If you start the middle of August you must start summer break much earlier?

 

[sam_gordon]

It's definitely a geographical thing. In the northeast schools let out for the summer anywhere from mid June to end of June depending on number of snow days. If you start the middle of August you must start summer break much earlier?

We start in the middle of August and are scheduled to be done before Memorial Day (because of weather, we've been extended to June 1).

However, we don't have our schedule for next year yet either.

 

[smitch425]

It's definitely a geographical thing. In the northeast schools let out for the summer anywhere from mid June to end of June depending on number of snow days. If you start the middle of August you must start summer break much earlier?

The current school year started Aug 19, and our last day is June 3. This fall, we start Aug 11, and our last scheduled day is May 24, 2016. Our schedules are posted a year in advance (usually in May, so just over a year), but can change slightly after it is initially released.

 

[sharona]

Not having 2016-2017 schedule in place at this point would drive me crazy! Just out of curiosity I looked to see when ours was posted and I'm surprised to see that it was not approved by the School Committee until 12/9/14. I would have expected to see it earlier. Having to guess when school will start is not good. One year we were headed on vacation one week after school let out. We had so many snow days that we ended up having to leave the very next day and it was so stressful and rushed that now I give us a much larger cushion.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not having 2016-2017 schedule in place at this point would drive me crazy! Just out of curiosity I looked to see when ours was posted and I'm surprised to see that it was not approved by the School Committee until 12/9/14. I would have expected to see it earlier. Having to guess when school will start is not good. One year we were headed on vacation one week after school let out. We had so many snow days that we ended up having to leave the very next day and it was so stressful and rushed that now I give us a much larger cushion.

Heh. I just checked. Our calendar for this school year (14-15) was approved 4/17/14. So we've got another month probably before we find out next year's schedule.

 

[Colleen27]

Don't forget to throw in select sports. Between school sports, select sports and the fact that I have to start school a week and half before the kids return, we have only one week to go on vacation during the summer. It's been that way for 6 years now. This is our last summer to work our vacation around sports. Can't wait! Not mention more money to go on vacation, because we won't have all the travel expenses that are involved with sports. That being said, we leave this Thursday for NYC, yup sports related! My DD is running in the New Balance Nationals Meet. We are tacking on a couple extra day and staying until the following Tuesday. So she and I will miss the first two day of a new six weeks. She misses a ton of school in the spring, almost all sports related.

We've resisted select and travel sports largely for that reason. We value our family time and our vacations, and aren't interested in one kid's activities dictating when and where we take our family vacations. DD13 tried out for and made a very competitive softball team only to turn down (by her own choice) the invite at orientation after hearing about the schedule - it would have made traveling with DH impossible, because much of our family travel budget would have had to go towards tournament travel at times when he can't be away from work, as well as getting in the way of other activities that matter to her. She decided to stick with Little League until high school so that softball is/will continue to be limited roughly to the spring/early summer season.

I guess things have changed a lot since I was in school. My parents used to pull us out of school for vacations at times. We missed up to a week, it was never a big deal.

It's 4 days, the way people are going on about how no way they'd do that and omg no they'd be so lost, you'd think it was 4 weeks! I'd imagine within the next week or so of being back, it'd be like nothing happened.

Especially since your 8th grader will have a 4-day weekend after the first week to catch up if she needs it.

I pull my kids out for vacation nearly every year, though not for full weeks now that I have one at a public high school with very unforgiving absence policies. But I think being there for the first week if at all possible is important - a lot gets covered that first week, in terms of class syllabus, grading standards, fixing schedules if needed, learning locker combinations, etc. and I think that's harder to make up for than missing a few days of regular instructional time. Like someone else said, there are weeks I avoid when I'm pulling the kids out of school - the week of and week prior to finals, first week of the school year or of a new semester if that bring a change in classes/teachers, and any testing weeks. That's why my first thought was not to push the trip up into earlier August, knowing the cost associated with doing so, but rather to push it back a bit to the first or second week of Sept. when the deal would probably still be available.