stupid, stupid school year!

[taximomfor4]

So I just became aware that the distict's school calendar is really stupid. It has the kids going to school for ONE day, the week before Christmas. Just coming to school on Monday.

So I was venting with other parents, and the spouse of a teacher mentioned something interesting : there is accidentally an extra day in the calendar (184 instead of 183 or something like that). Soooo....we are all really, really crossing our fingers that the day that gets removed is that stupid Monday before Christmas.

If it doesn't, I predict that no teacher will bother to have lessons that day (most don't like to test on Mondays in general, and it's dumb to start a new lesson and then take 2 weeks off of school, lol). AND -- most parents won't bother to send their kids to school. If I were going away for the holiday, I'd be leaving the Friday before, right after school. I would NOT stay in town 3 extra days so the kids could attend a monday of school before Christmas, learning nothing.

Everyone, quick, CROSS YOUR FINGERS! I hate stupid, illogical school calendars, lol.

 

[erincon23]

I wouldn't just sit there crossing my fingers -- I'd start a parent petition, double-check the 183/184 number, attend school board meetings with everyone I could drag along with me! The powers that be aren't going to do much without pressure -- "that's the way it is, oh well" is generally the pervasive attitude. Good luck!

 

[Pigeon]

Our kids start next Wed, and get the next day off for the Jewish holiday. Who comes up with this stuff?

 

[taximomfor4]

I wouldn't just sit there crossing my fingers -- I'd start a parent petition, double-check the 183/184 number, attend school board meetings with everyone I could drag along with me! The powers that be aren't going to do much without pressure -- "that's the way it is, oh well" is generally the pervasive attitude. Good luck!

we already started a letter-writing campaign. Many people didn't look that closely at the calendar, I guess. I know the teachers are starting to pursue as well. I heard that the other possibility is adding one more day to Spring Break. Obviously, it won't alter my entire life's path, etc, I just don't understand the point of having a single Monday of school the week before Christmas. I don't get how ANYONE setting the school calendar for the year thought that was a good idea?!

 

[SC Minnie]

ours are out of school the Fri before Halloween for a teacher day, go to school the next Monday then have Tues off for Election day.

 

[msmayor]

I don't know how much stock I'd put in the 183 vs. 184 days of school. At least here in NJ, the law requires 180 days.

But our school calendar is 183 days: 3 built-in snow days. If we don't use them, then there are extra days off in the spring - prom day and the Friday/Tuesday that sandwich Memorial Day weekend.

Perhaps your district built in an extra day for snow cancellations. Considering the brutal winter we had last year, some schools may want to allow for it now rather than extend the year later.

 

[kristilew]

ours are out of school the Fri before Halloween for a teacher day, go to school the next Monday then have Tues off for Election day.

That Monday, our kids have a half day, then off on Tuesday for the election.

Then in January, they have Monday the 17th off, go T,W,Th, Have a half day on Friday and then are off the following Monday. It's crazy and impossible to travel with that schedule. Most people I know are pulling their kids the whole week to go skiing, but that's a tough time of year, at the end of a grading period. Scares me to have DD miss too many days then.

My BFF is on the calendar committee for the school board and says their hands are pretty much tied between mandatory days on/off, mandatory teacher trainings and cumpulsory start and end days.

OP, I would not hesitate to miss that Monday before Christmas. So the kids won't do a holiday word find and won't eat an extra ton of sugar. Those last days like that are really just day care.

 

[barkley]

I don't know how much stock I'd put in the 183 vs. 184 days of school. At least here in NJ, the law requires 180 days.

But our school calendar is 183 days: 3 built-in snow days. If we don't use them, then there are extra days off in the spring - prom day and the Friday/Tuesday that sandwich Memorial Day weekend.

Perhaps your district built in an extra day for snow cancellations. Considering the brutal winter we had last year, some schools may want to allow for it now rather than extend the year later.

that's what happened here last winter. we had doozie winters in '08 and '09 so the schools added extra days for the '09/'10 year including having the kids only get off a week and a half at christmas (got off at 12:25 wednesday the week of christmas). parents complained but the districts argued that with the record number of school closure days the previous 2 school years they had to build them in somewhere. then of course we had a very mild winter, and much to the chagrin of the kiddos-no additional days were given to them off in exchange.

 

[SC Minnie]

That Monday, our kids have a half day, then off on Tuesday for the election.

Then in January, they have Monday the 17th off, go T,W,Th, Have a half day on Friday and then are off the following Monday. It's crazy and impossible to travel with that schedule. Most people I know are pulling their kids the whole week to go skiing, but that's a tough time of year, at the end of a grading period. Scares me to have DD miss too many days then.

My BFF is on the calendar committee for the school board and says their hands are pretty much tied between mandatory days on/off, mandatory teacher trainings and cumpulsory start and end days.

OP, I would not hesitate to miss that Monday before Christmas. So the kids won't do a holiday word find and won't eat an extra ton of sugar. Those last days like that are really just day care.

Well, we are taking a trip to WDW for Halloween. DD16 will just miss that Monday. She rarely misses any school- didn't miss a whole day last year- so I'm not worried about it.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

Eh, so what. The kids go in and have their 'holiday' party, it counts as a school day. Parents get a day to finish the shopping and relax before it all hits the fan, so to speak.

If it is really inconvenient, keep your kid home.

sorry, I don't see it as a big deal.

 

[DebD4T]

Here in New York, our public schools open Wednesday, September 8th and then are closed Thursday and Friday for Jewish Holiday.

I really wonder how many students will be absent.

 

[taximomfor4]

about the 183/184 day thing -- Just occurred to me that since it was a teacher who'd done the counting (well, a bunch of teachers, lol) it is probably TEACHER days he was talking about. Students, I believe, are supposed to have 180 days, teachers have 183. The count, as it stands, is 181/184.

Here, schools can cancel for snow days 3 days before making them up at the end of the year. It was 5 until this school year, actually. So they didn't add an extra day on purpose.

I guess we will know more one the next school board meeting happens. The teachers are going in a group again, I'd assume. And now parents are organizing to do the same.

 

[SaraJayne]

Eh, so what. The kids go in and have their 'holiday' party, it counts as a school day. Parents get a day to finish the shopping and relax before it all hits the fan, so to speak.

If it is really inconvenient, keep your kid home.

sorry, I don't see it as a big deal.

No kidding. You realize Christmas isn't until Saturday, right?

I see no reason why the kids couldn't go the entire week, and finish up before the holidays on Thursday.

That's what almost all of the schools around here are doing.

I fail to see the big deal.

 

[luvsJack]

Its probably going to depend on the number of days in the semester or 9 weeks. If one has an extra day then I would wager that they have to take it out of the term it is in.

At 182 days, each semester should have 91 days. If the second semester has 92 days and the first has 91 (making 183 total); they will have to take it out of the second, right?

 

[JessicaR]

Our schools start this coming Tuesday with a two hour delay - and then off on Thursday and Friday for the Jewish holidays. Wish they would have just started the following Monday.

 

[LuvLDM]

Eh, so what. The kids go in and have their 'holiday' party, it counts as a school day. Parents get a day to finish the shopping and relax before it all hits the fan, so to speak.

If it is really inconvenient, keep your kid home.

sorry, I don't see it as a big deal.

I don't see the big deal either

 

[HelenePA]

Most states dont go by DAYS they go by HOURS. So if you have a lot of 1/2 days you'd have to do more than 180 days or what ever it is..

 

[daughtersrus]

ours are out of school the Fri before Halloween for a teacher day, go to school the next Monday then have Tues off for Election day.

Since 9/11, our school are always off for election day. They don't want the students in the building while strangers are there voting.

They also started having off Halloween or the day before if it's a weekend. I think it's to avoid dealing with the holiday parties/dress-up.


It's probably an institute day so staff will be there and it will count but I agree, it makes no sense to have the kids off 3 days, go for 1 and be off again.

 

[krcit]

My kids go right through until the 23rd. They are off Christmas Eve and then go back the 3rd of January. Seems like a shorter then normal break but I'll live

 

[sbell111]

I don't see the big deal either

Me, either.