keira-2007

Hi guys

Just wanting to pick your brains again.

Can anyone tell me roughly when the school hols in the States are? The school I visited said that the only religious holiday that is recognised is Christmas Day. So in that case, what happens at Easter? Do kids have alot less holiday than they do in the UK? (My sprogs not gonna be happy if that's the case.)

Thanks.

penguinsix

Each school district is different. Easter is not a big holiday officially, and you only get some of the offical government ones. You do generally get a full week off in Spring and Fall though.

naomi

All school districts are different. I live in Seattle and in our school district summer hols start in late June, and the kids go back in early September. They also get spring break (one week), winter break (two weeks I think?), plus various holiday days (Martin Luther King Day, Veteran's Day etc.)
Naomi.

keira-2007

My apologies. Illinois - probably Lake County. Not 100% sure of the district yet. It's just that in UK, kids get a week in autumn, 2 weeks at Christmas, a week end of Feb, 2 weeks at Easter, another week in May, then 6 weeks at Summer. From what I can tell, kids in the district we are looking at only get 2 weeks at Christmas, and then a week at Thanksgiving, and a week in Spring, plus a large summer break. That seems really unfair??? Is that normal?

Hiro11

Here's my kids' calendar:

August 20
Institute Day, No School, All Grades

August 21
First Day of School for Grades 1-12,
AM Attendance Only

August 22
First Day of School for Preschool &
Kindergarten, Regular Schedule All Grades

September3
Labor Day, No School

September 21
Inservice Day, AM Attendance Only for AM
Preschool, AM Kindergarten & Grades 1-12

October8
Columbus Day, No School

October 26
Inservice Day, AM Attendance Only for PM
Preschool, PM Kindergarten & Grades 1-12

November 19,20, 21, 22, & 23
Thanksgiving Recess, No School

December 24 – Jan. 4
Winter Break, No School

January 21
Martin Luther King Day, No School

January 22
Teacher Work Day, No School

February 1
Inservice Day, AM Attendance Only for AM
Preschool, AM Kindergarten & Grades 1-12

February 18
President’s Day, No School

February 29
Institute Day, No School, All Grades

March 21
Non-Attendance Day, No School

March 31-April 4
Spring Break, No School

April 25
Inservice Day, AM Attendance Only for PM
Pre-School, PM Kindergarten & Grades 1-12

May 26
Memorial Day, No School

June 2
Last Day of School, Preschool and
Kindergarten

June 3
Last Day of School, Grades 1-12, AM only

June 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10
Emergency Days


...should give you an idea.

jumping doris

My kids get a lot less here.
They finish in late June and go back end of August. They get the US bank holidays like labour day, memorial day, thanksgiving etc. They get a few days in early Nov and 1 week at Christmas and 1 week at easter (spring break) Our Spring break always coincides with easter, so I have been told, but I have also been told that in other areas that isn't always the case.

We really miss the two weeks at christmas and easter and the half terms.
It makes it hard to go away other than in the summer break when a lot of places here are very, very hot. It also means that to go to the UK for 2 or 3 weeks is very expensive because it has to be in the summer.
My children are older and if I take them out of school they miss a lot more than they seemed to do in the UK. I think it may be because they have such a lot of homework here.

We are learning to be the masters of the 2 day vacation!

Forgot to mention snow days. If they miss any days of school because of snow they have to make them up at the end of the summer term.

penguinsix

Google is your friend

http://www.lake.k12.fl.us/LCSPortal/...3/Default.aspx

Kaffy Mintcake

Do your kids have to make up all snow days Doris? When I was in school I think we could have 5 snow days before we had to make any up at the end of the year.

Sally

We have a longer summer break but no 1/2 term breaks and 1 week for spring. The school breaks usually coincide with Christian and Jewish holidays but are not named as such. I think it works out about the same amount of time off but concentrated in the summer.

jumping doris

They usually do but they didn't make them this year, which was surprising as they had 4 snow days. For some reason though, our schools go for more days in the year than all the other local schools.The other school districts made their kids do the snow make up days this year.

Often people have already made travel plans and so half the children are away anyway.

Kaffy Mintcake

Ah - gotcha.

I loved snow days as a kid. If it was supposed to snow I'd wake up in the morning and rush straight to the window to see if it would be enough for possibly a delay or ... oooh ... a closure! I remember listening to the listings on the radio with my mother and a great deal of hope. Would it be books today, or sledding!

another bloody yank

A shared memory!

apw619

Hopefully you have found the answer to your question on the internet by goggling the local school districts. But to add to the equation , schools here (see footinmouthnote*) have a tendency to close for halfdays (it still counts a a full-days education for the students, and a full working-day for staff since they are being trained) not always with a lot of advance warning; and then there are snowdays and also the "we didn't get any snow" days. Basically the school calendars are very moveable (a bit like Easter). Don't just consider your kids concerns, think of your own!

* i live (and my children go to school) in NJ, but long long ago, in the days of Paul Vallas, in the far far away and very cold windy land of Chicago Illinois, I was a consultant at the Board Of Education, and there we fought dragons...

jumping doris

I am one of the callers for our school snow chain, so in the event of a snow day I have about 8 families to call. This year I called them so often, first to call a delay, then a full snow day, that we became like a little club. I ended up meeting up with some of them for coffee!

On the negative side , my call comes at around 5am and I have to call my "families" staright away, as the High school bus leaves at 6.30am for some.
My own children have become avid weather watchers in the winter and when the phone rings at 5am I hear them cheering before they go back to sleep

penguinsix

That reminds me of another thing. Some school districts, particularly in suburbs with a lot of commuters, start their school day quite early. First classes at 7:30 or something. They like to get the kids off teh streets before all the commuters start going nuts.

No idea about your school--but you might be in for some early mornings.