Would you favor year round schooling?

[Family Fun Mom]

Not mine, either. But then, we live somewhere with nice weather year-round. Dd thinks it's really sad that some kids don't get winter breaks where they can be ski bums for a few weeks, or fall breaks for uncrowded trips to Disney, and weather here even nicer to go hiking and biking than the hottest summer days.

They still get 5 weeks off in the heat of summer to hang out in a swimsuit all day, and several hours after school each day to do the same.

I can see how that would make sense for more mild climates but I'd hate to see it here in Michigan. It's been known to snow here as early as October and as late as May. Even without snow, it can be too cold for much of anything from November through April. We don't get much as far as nice weather. We needs to soak it up when we can!

 

[java]

Not a fan. I like the summer break- kids need to be kids.

 

[MoniqueU]

I forgot to add one other tidbit.
Between myself and 4 neighbors with Elementary age kids (8 kids between us) we covered all 4 tracks. I was "green", my BFF's DD was "yellow" the girls across the street were "red" and the family around the corner was "blue" so we didn't even have each other to use to cover for the other.
Kindergarten was only available on 2 of the 4 tracks etc, etc, etc....

Oh I remember that part too. We hated it. We tried to get on the same tracks as the neighbor kids but that didnt always work. My kids ended up with just a couple of friends to play with over breaks in the area. Now the whole neighborhood is here in the summer. We also live in a warm weather area but there isn't that much we wanted to do in November other then go to Disneyland but then our oldest didnt get to go because he was on traditional.

Also how on earth are kids getting bored in the summer? We are up til midnight playing rock band, swimming all day, going to the beach, friends over all the time and then there are summer sports. I love not having to worry about grades, those stupid binder reminders you have to sign and checking over homework for 10 weeks at a time. Before on year round it felt we just got off and had to go back again. We never really destressed from the whole thing. I don't notice any difference in what my kids retain now compared to what they retained on year round. They still do the stupid cramming for the state tests that bores my kids to tears since they already know it and the same review of stuff they did before. This is just a much more consistent schedule for us. We dread the end of summer and I wish my kids went less days then they do.

 

[DisneyKT]

I can see how that would make sense for more mild climates but I'd hate to see it here in Michigan. It's been known to snow here as early as October and as late as May. Even without snow, it can be too cold for much of anything from November through April. We don't get much as far as nice weather. We needs to soak it up when we can!

ITA with you... The weather in MA is less than great. My DD would hate year round and so would I as a parent. We only really get two months of nice weather and I would rather have my DD outside to enjoy it..

 

[Renysmom]

Many of my students are only allowed to work during summer vacations so that they can maintain good grades during the school year. The money saved is used for college. Year round school would hurt them.

I was in YRS for all 4 years of HS... YRS actually helped me... I worked FT during my 3 weeks off and then only had to work a few hours each week while we were in session... I also was an athlete and our system ran activity buses for those of us on break (not all students are off at the same time).. It was Awesome and I would have loved my kids doing it..

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I can see how that would make sense for more mild climates but I'd hate to see it here in Michigan. It's been known to snow here as early as October and as late as May. Even without snow, it can be too cold for much of anything from November through April. We don't get much as far as nice weather. We needs to soak it up when we can!

I can completely understand that, too.

 

[LisaMommy]

I would hate it. I agree with Family Fun Mom - we love summer!

My niece and nephews have the following school year, and they (along with my BIL and SIL) dislike it immensely.

School year starts very early February
Break for Easter
School from mid/late April to late June
Break over June/July
School from mid July to mid/late September
Break over September/October
School from early October to mid/late December
Then school finishes and they have a longer break until early February the next year

All the breaks (except for the one at the end of the year) last for about two weeks.

 

[fraggle551]

Aboslutely NOT. Summer is for growth, maturity, relaxing, reconnecting as a family, and actually getting outside and seeing the blessed sun! When it is crap weather from November - April, kids should be allowed to soak up all that good weather while they can.

I do not believe this has been talked about in our school districts and I hope it does not become an option. We already have a lot of time off as it is.

School started this year on September 3rd. We had off:

September 30th
October 1, 9, 13
November 4, 11, 27, 28
December 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
January 1, 2, 19
February 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
April 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13
May 22, 25
School ends on June 26

The only month with no days off was March. That is a lot of time for students to be off during the year, and they then have about 2.5 months off for summer. Around here traditional school works very very well for us, and I hope that it never changes to year round.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Snow days are made up here on Saturdays on the year round calendar, which is why I think you rarely see it up north.

That would drive me nuts. Saturdays are for scouting, sports, dance...

For those that answered No...

We have a large number of year round school in our district because of over-crowded schools. Would you be in more likely to be in favor of YR, if the alternative was your child was in a trailer or in a class with some hideously large class size?

I would rather have the trailer if it meant a traditional schedule.

Here is our version:

http://www.wcpss.net/Calendars/2008-09/08-09-year-round.pdf

The schedule is the same through out the district. None of the High Schools are year round, but there are YR tracks that reasonably mirror the traditional calendar.

I was wondering if you were in Wake County. I lived there for 9 years. (also attending college there- St. Augustine's). I moved back to NY because I could not get my son into any of the public schools of my choice. From the time he was 4 until 3rd grade, I applied to the magnet program. Each year he was turned down for the traditional schools, but offered our pick of year round schools.

I really wanted him to attend Conn, Hunter, Bugg or Washington. Each rejection letter mentioned transportation patterns as one of the reasons why he didn't get into a traditional school. That was a joke. Our house was a short walk from Hunter and his dad lived around the corner from Washington. Why would we need a bus to get to schools that were 1-3 blocks of either house?

I may have been more open to the idea of year round if he would have been on the track that mirrored the traditional calendar. However, the school system could not guarantee that.

After years of trying for a magnet school (and paying for private schools)I gave up and moved back home.

Aboslutely NOT. Summer is for growth, maturity, relaxing, reconnecting as a family, and actually getting outside and seeing the blessed sun! When it is crap weather from November - April, kids should be allowed to soak up all that good weather while they can.

I do not believe this has been talked about in our school districts and I hope it does not become an option. We already have a lot of time off as it is.

School started this year on September 3rd. We had off:

September 30th
October 1, 9, 13
November 4, 11, 27, 28
December 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
January 1, 2, 19
February 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
April 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13
May 22, 25
School ends on June 26

The only month with no days off was March. That is a lot of time for students to be off during the year, and they then have about 2.5 months off for summer. Around here traditional school works very very well for us, and I hope that it never changes to year round.

I love our school schedule.

 

[aprilgail2]

Snow days are made up here on Saturdays on the year round calendar, which is why I think you rarely see it up north.

School on a Saturday?? No way would the teachers union here allow that to happen! As a parent I wold be really ticked off also- I have 2 days a week off and no way is my daughter going to school on my days off to spend with her!

For those that answered No...

We have a large number of year round school in our district because of over-crowded schools. Would you be in more likely to be in favor of YR, if the alternative was your child was in a trailer or in a class with some hideously large class size?

I would prefer neither- I would move to a district that didn't have either of those problems.

 

[Mermaid02]

Nope- Summer is too short here in Maine- you want the kids to enjoy all of it!!

 

[sanibelsettler]

Year round is great. We are able to travel to prime destinations without crowds.

 

[aprilgail2]

Year round is great. We are able to travel to prime destinations without crowds.

We have a normal school year here but we can do this too- I just take her out of school for whatever wek we want to go away and we go- no biggie.

 

[sanibelsettler]

We have a normal school year here but we can do this too- I just take her out of school for whatever wek we want to go away and we go- no biggie.

I prefer to have my cake and eat it too. A full education, and fun. YMMV.

 

[eliza61]

or a variation, like 200 days with longer breaks equally spread out over the year? More days?

I would My sons were absolutely famous for forgetting alot over the summer. I usually ended up enrolling them in some type of reading and math program (which cost big bucks) to keep them fresh, for lack of a better word.

Now I'm in the horrible situation where one is too old for camp but not old enough to work. I have no idea what to do with him

 

[DawnM]

This doesn't work for everyone. Those of us who work in the schools are stuck and can't take off. I miss working in a year round school!

Dawn

We have a normal school year here but we can do this too- I just take her out of school for whatever wek we want to go away and we go- no biggie.

 

[DawnM]

The kids will still have the same number of school days, typically in the US it is 180. There will not be fewer days.

Retention is better when kids are not given 10 weeks off at once.

Dawn

My daughter goes to summer camp most of the summer- great fun outdoor things. Winter camp would stink, all cold and dreary outside, they would be stuck inside the whole time and if they are stuck in anywhere it might as well be school.



They get enough breaks and days off the entire school year. There is not a mont hthat thye don't have days off. Two weeks in Dec, A week in Feb a week and a half in April..its crazy the amount of days they get off already, they don't need a few weeks on anda few weeks off the whole darn year.

 

[Rora]

My cousin teaches at a year round school and loves it.

As a teacher, I don't know if I would like it. There's just something wonderful about having that "ideal summer break".

Plus, the benefits for students is debated.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...Now I'm in the horrible situation where one is too old for camp but not old enough to work. I have no idea what to do with him

junior counselor?

(Our VBS camp does this for the in-between kids.)