School and Christmas

[KristinCB]

When does Christmas vacation start for your kids?

With Christmas falling on the weekend this year our kids go till the 23rd and then have the following two weeks off. Usually it's the week before Christmas and then back to school right after the 1st.

That last week of school is going to be awful!! (I really feel for teachers! YIKES)

[misfitinmn]

The 22nd (Thursday) is their last day before break. They only have the week after Christmas and the Monday after New Years Day off - so they will be back on January 3. I am disliking when the holiday falls on a weekend.

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by misfitinmn

The 22nd (Thursday) is their last day before break. They only have the week after Christmas and the Monday after New Years Day off - so they will be back on January 3. I am disliking when the holiday falls on a weekend.

our kids are off till the 9th :O

and then we have 2 weeks at spring break.. my kids are never in school.

[Becca Bonneville]

Our break is Dec 23rd -Jan 2nd. My kids are already ready for it haha.

[LeeAndra]

She goes until the 23rd but her class is doing an all day party the 22nd and then her 'pod' (all K, 1st, and 1/2 DEEP in the same hallway) is doing an all day party the 23rd so I suppose it depends on your definition of 'school.'

She goes back to school the 9th.

[flergs]

This is our last week of formal education. Next week is all activities & stuff & a lot of kids just stay home. Then they don't go back until Jan 31st 2017!

[Keely~B]

Break starts the 16th and she goes back Jan. 3rd.

[lovely1m]

Ours have break the 23rd through the 2nd. Pretty much their usual.

[nietis]

We don't get any break here. Only ONE day off on the 26th
Yeah... I am looking forward to move out of this sucky country!

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by nietis

We don't get any break here. Only ONE day off on the 26th
Yeah... I am looking forward to move out of this sucky country!

oh wow! do you have other breaks throughout the school year?

[nietis]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

oh wow! do you have other breaks throughout the school year?

Ah yes, we do. Chinese New Year (around end of January and February) is usually 2 weeks mid-term break. The school end of year break is 1 month (July-August)

[purple_colourz]

Our school year starts in January and ends mid November. It's really nice to have the whole of December off from school.

[mariewilcox]

Cheyanne's last day before break is the 22nd also and she goes back on the 3rd. Also pretty much the same as usual, they actually get an extra day off this year (normally would go back on January 2nd). They usually have the 23rd and 24th off.

[jacinda]

My kids finish school on 16 Dec and enjoy the summer holidays for about 6 weeks. They go back to school on 31 Jan.

[breakingbrie]

The 21st for us is a half day, then they go back on the 2nd.

[icindi]

Mine have off Dec 19 to Jan 3. Jan 9 for the college student. Always amazes me to see how different school schedules are around the country and around the world!

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

When does Christmas vacation start for your kids?

With Christmas falling on the weekend this year our kids go till the 23rd and then have the following two weeks off. Usually it's the week before Christmas and then back to school right after the 1st.

That last week of school is going to be awful!! (I really feel for teachers! YIKES)

Same here with our district. Our administration sent out a survey to teachers to find out what they preferred. Most preferred to work thru the 23rd and have the two weeks after off.

[britaneejean]

We have the Thursday before Christmas through the Monday after News Years off. It's usually the entire week of Christmas and the entire week of New Years so there's quite a few upset parents about this year's break. I don't really care. It'll be cold and full of snow so we won't be going outside so my kids will probably be really happy when school starts again haha! I'm looking forward to the break from the morning rush & no homework though. That'll be heavenly.

[ashersmommy]

Wow, surprised how many in the U.S. have only one week off for Christmas. We also get two weeks off and it starts on the 23rd (which is a half day at least but still...). I hate that all of our holiday activities are going to have to happen then before school even lets out. I also feel for the staff at the school because my kids are going to be so wound up that week and I'm sure others will be too. I am dreading a week after Christmas off. Last year was perfect for me but this year will be tough especially since in Michigan, it's generally too cold to play outside a whole lot.

[~Cindy~]

Dec 19th - Jan 3rd. They go back the 4th of January. For Thanksgiving though they usually have a week off but only had three days and the weekend.

[jak]

Dec 16th is our last day of school too... back on Jan 30th. I'm having same the break off work. Can't wait!

[Kitartas]

my daughter has been off since the 28th november and is having 9 weeks break

[MissKim]

Our district, in a budget saving mood, has us going to school a half hour later every day this year. In exchange for the extra time, we get a longer Christmas break, had a whole week for Thanksgiving and get out earlier in the year (because every day we don't have school save them a half million). So the last day for kids is December 15 and they don't come back until January 4.

Of course, I'm having my gallbladder removed Thursday (the 8th) and I'm not going to even try to go back until January. And my daughter's high school is going until the 22nd.

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by MissKim

Our district, in a budget saving mood, has us going to school a half hour later every day this year. In exchange for the extra time, we get a longer Christmas break, had a whole week for Thanksgiving and get out earlier in the year (because every day we don't have school save them a half million). So the last day for kids is December 15 and they don't come back until January 4.

Of course, I'm having my gallbladder removed Thursday (the 8th) and I'm not going to even try to go back until January. And my daughter's high school is going until the 22nd.

That's crazy, Kim! Don't the kids legally have to be in school a certain number of days per year? I don't understand how they can shorten the school day and the year?

[chastml]

Our school district always takes two weeks off for winter break. This year, their last day is December 16 and they go back January 2.

[kendallt]

Logan's last day before Christmas break is Dec. 16, and they go back Jan. 2. Originally, they were scheduled to go back Jan. 3, but we're having to use that as a makeup day due to school being canceled during Hurricane Hermine. I am literally counting the days til break!

[tammybean04]

Jake's break goes from the 16th-3rd. The other boys are home schooled.

[LeeAndra]

Carrie, I think she means they are staying a half hour longer every school day.

[mariewilcox]

Wow, several who are off starting December 16... what do you have for Thanksgiving/spring breaks? Cheyanne has 4 days for Thanksgiving break and she gets 1 week off in February and 1 week off in April and goes until June 15th. Our school district also never ever has half days (not even elementary schools) and they go for 7 hours a day....

[kendallt]

Originally Posted by mariewilcox

Wow, several who are off starting December 16... what do you have for Thanksgiving/spring breaks? Cheyanne has 4 days for Thanksgiving break and she gets 1 week off in February and 1 week off in April and goes until June 15th. Our school district also never ever has half days (not even elementary schools) and they go for 7 hours a day....

In our district, they have Wed-Fri off during Thanksgiving break. They also have a week off for Spring Break, which is always the first full week of April.

[KristinCB]

our kids are off every other friday and we have 2 weeks at spring break in addition to the 2 weeks at Christmas (days aren't longer here either we just never have school!!!) :O

[mariewilcox]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

our kids are off every other friday and we have 2 weeks at spring break in addition to the 2 weeks at Christmas (days aren't longer here either we just never have school!!!) :O

Wow Kristin - that's kind of insane! LOL

Kendall - makes sense then since you only get 1 week of spring break - they just spread ours out and give us a shorter Christmas break.

[rach3975]

Last day of school here is Dec. 16th, and we go back on Jan. 3rd. Even though this is a long break, our others are short--we only have 2.5 days at Thanksgiving (early release on Wed.) and 1 week of spring break in late March or early April. I wish we had 2 spring breaks like some districts do--my kids get so burnt out between Jan and June because there isn't enough time off! If I had to guess, I'd say part of the reason we just have 1 is that we tend to cancel easily for winter weather. Some years we can end up with as many as 10 additional days off between Jan and March.

[Nixenkind]

Last day is December 22nd, and we'll go back on January 9... I love this last week. My kids have a lot of concerts, and I absolutely LOVE watching them perform. It's my favorite thing to do. So I love when there's school right before Christmas... there's something AMAZING happening every day.
Only bad thing is that I have to get my son's French horn to school and back every day... by bus. But I'll be doing it with a smile .

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by LeeAndra

Carrie, I think she means they are staying a half hour longer every school day.

OhISee...their school day was extended by a 1/2 hour...I read it as their school day starts a 1/2 hour later.

[ashersmommy]

How many days do most of your schools go? They just changed ours this year in Michigan and the kids have to be in school 180 days so we had to start earlier this year, so we went two weeks in August which I did not like and neither did the kids. I'd rather have one week instead of two for winter break and an extra week for an additional Midwinter break/Spring break or another week in the summer. It's cold here and we have snow days anyway so the less time off in the winter, the better! This would also give time in between cold and flu season for them to deep clean which might help with attendance.

[carrie1977]

I think ours is 181 days or right around there...This year runs from 8/22/16 to 6/9/17...we get 1 week for Thanksgiving, two weeks for Christmas and one week for Spring Break...then other miscellaneous days off here and there.

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by ashersmommy

How many days do most of your schools go? They just changed ours this year in Michigan and the kids have to be in school 180 days so we had to start earlier this year, so we went two weeks in August which I did not like and neither did the kids.

We have the option here of counting days or hours. Our district used to do days, but a few years ago we switched to hours. I don't know exactly how many days we go now. I think we go fewer days than before, but they also did away with early release Mondays (for teacher planning) so we can fit the same number of hours in fewer days. We also have enough extra hours built into our calendar that we can have something like 10 snow days before we have to start making them up.

We've been starting after Labor Day, but that's going to change in the next year or 2. (Like you, I'm not happy about possibly starting in August.) I've heard a rumor that our end date might stay the same and we'd use the earlier start to allow for longer vacations during the school year. I'd rather do that than just start and end earlier, but we'll see.

[KristinCB]

170

[farrijc]

Unless it's changed, ours is 187. My kids get out at noon on 12/16 - not too thrilled that they will be out an entire week before Christmas! We get off the whole week of Thanksgiving and a week in March for Spring Break. Other than that, one day holidays - usuallly MLK, a day around Easter, labor day, memorial day, a couple professional development days for teachers, plus some half days. This year we started on 8/22 and get out June 1.

[mariewilcox]

The state requires 180 days but our city does 185 with no half days whatsoever and we've extended the day to 7 hours (middle and high school only) instead of 6 hours. We start the last Wednesday of August and go through the 2nd full week of June (adding on snow days after that if we use more than the allotted 3).

[Saar]

The last day of school in Belgium is December 23rd. Kids have to go back to school on January 9th.

[nesser1981]

Same for us.

Originally Posted by misfitinmn

The 22nd (Thursday) is their last day before break. They only have the week after Christmas and the Monday after New Years Day off - so they will be back on January 3. I am disliking when the holiday falls on a weekend.

[LeeAndra]

Indiana is 180 days as far as I know.

My daughter's district starts the second week of August & ends the first or second day of June. They get off Labor Day, 2 days for Fall Break, 2 days for Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, MLK Day, 2 days for Presidents' Day, Good Friday (lot of Catholics around here!), 1 week for Spring Break, and Memorial Day. They don't have any early release days or half days.

When we have a snow day, they start taking away holidays vs. tacking days on at the end. If we have more snow days than that (a definite possibility) then they start putting days at the end.

It seems like an awful lot of school with not very many days off now that I've written it all out!

[lovely1m]

I am so glad our school doesn't do so many breaks and so long as many of you do. Sucks for working parents. Costs a fortune for day out daycares.

[Gemma]

This year I have one who finishes on the 16th December andgoes back on the 3rd Jan and another who finishes on the 21st and doesn't go back until the 9th January, he's not happy about that as it means he'll be in school for his birthday for the first time lol.

[pewtertm]

Our break here in Moore is Dec 22-Jan 3

[hollyxann]

Our break starts on the 22nd, and they go back on the 4th.

[MissKim]

Originally Posted by carrie1977

That's crazy, Kim! Don't the kids legally have to be in school a certain number of days per year? I don't understand how they can shorten the school day and the year?

We use hours in school. In Kansas, school districts have the option of using days or hours. So same number of hours in less days. Saved millions for the district. Our choice was work longer days or they'll fire the nurses and custodians and outsource their work.

Oh... and we had a whole week for Thanksgiving. Started somewhere around the 23rd of August (I think), get out May 18th, a full week for Thanksgiving, kids will be out for three weeks for Christmas (teachers work a day after the kids leave in December and come back a day early in January), a week for Spring Break. Plus assorted inservice days and holidays during the year.

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by MissKim

We use hours in school. In Kansas, school districts have the option of using days or hours. So same number of hours in less days. Saved millions for the district. Our choice was work longer days or they'll fire the nurses and custodians and outsource their work.

Oh... and we had a whole week for Thanksgiving. Started somewhere around the 23rd of August (I think), get out May 18th, a full week for Thanksgiving, kids will be out for three weeks for Christmas (teachers work a day after the kids leave in December and come back a day early in January), a week for Spring Break. Plus assorted inservice days and holidays during the year.

Man...what a terrible position for your district to be in. What time does your day start/end?