Nov 10 2008
Yet another day off
Well, the kids are once again off school tomorrow, most parents nightmare. I understand celebrating Veterans Day, do not misunderstand me. However, if you begin adding it up, they miss so many school days. Two already this month, counting tomorrow, then three for Thanksgiving break. Add in another 2 1/2 weeks for Christmas vacation, and you are almost at a month of missed school in just two months.
They get twelve days off for NEOTA DAY: teacher in service. Plus three days off for conferences. A week for spring break, then another 4 days for Easter, two for Memorial day, and I am sure I’m forgetting one in there.
Now take in the fact that they also end up missing an average of four days a winter due to blizzards, and you get about 41 days of missed school!! Perhaps it’s time to change the scheduling of school days to include summertime, if for no other reason than to make up for time lost. Oh, add in the average five days a year most children miss due to sickness. Make that 46 days total.
I always toss the suggestion around for the year round school, and it’s always shut down. I think the school boards need to take a better look if they expect the raise in grades and test scores they want.
To end this on a funny not…click and watch this hilarious toddler lip syncing to Jukebox Hero, it’s just too adorable.
Hey Nipsy. Thanks for stopping by my site www.rememberwhen.today.com If you send me an email at Kris3mom @ yahoo . com I will be happy to forward you that Sitcom Trivia Quiz. I don’t know why it didn’t show up on the article! I double checked it after I published the article and it worked fine and now it isn’t. The game is fun to play and test your memory. So, just send me an email and I will be happy to fwd it to you.
Thanks
Kristy
Just wanted to let you know that year round school is not all it is cracked up to be. We have year round school and I hate it as a parent. The kids hate it too.
From a teacher’s perspective - The missed school days that you are referring to are already accounted for in the make up of the school year. The only ones that might not be are the ’snow days’. Most schools account for at least two snow days unless you are in heavy snow area which often they account for more. So while you might feel like your kids are losing 41 days of school, they really are not. Those days have already been made up elsewhere.
Interestingly everyone who thinks year round school is so great - try having your kids off for 30 days at a time for ‘cycle breaks’ several times a year. Seriously there is no added learning benefit from this. It is a clean slate for many kids when they return back to school after the year round ordeal.
I have five children and have experience with both traditional school year (summer’s off) and year round (a month and a half of summer off) and trust me - traditional makes more sense every time. Oh, and for the record, my kids get just as many days off as yours during the regular school year PLUS cycle breaks - so trust me it is not all its cracked up to be.
I just wanted to help you better understand it so you would get it. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. I would give anything to be in a district with traditional school years again. :)