Kids already going to school?

[Peaches]

GA's school system is usually run by the counties and we have an absurdly large number of counties so each system is starting on a different date, but.........

There were some that were starting LAST MONDAY! Even more this week. We always started the day after Labor Day.

What's the reason behind this? I suspect the parents push this since they have to take care of or pay/find someone to take care of their little darlings during the summer and it's a lot easier on them for the school to be the daycare center. :(

[Hell Puppy]

Originally posted by Peaches@Aug 2 2004, 04:30 PM
GA's school system is usually run by the counties and we have an absurdly large number of counties so each system is starting on a different date, but.........

There were some that were starting LAST MONDAY! Even more this week. We always started the day after Labor Day.

What's the reason behind this? I suspect the parents push this since they have to take care of or pay/find someone to take care of their little darlings during the summer and it's a lot easier on them for the school to be the daycare center. :(
Partially a by-product of a semester system instead of the quarter system that was more favored up thru the early 80's.

The idea is to start early enough to have the semester end in time for a long winter break at the holidays. Then start the next semester early enough to have them out by memorial day.

Some systems also have longer class periods to try to squeeze in a year's worth of material in one semester. I know I would've hated it....get a bad teacher or class that is boring and you're stuck with their ass 90+ minutes a day for half a year.

[Peaches]

Originally posted by Hell Puppy@Aug 2 2004, 05:37 PM
Partially a by-product of a semester system instead of the quarter system that was more favored up thru the early 80's.

The idea is to start early enough to have the semester end in time for a long winter break at the holidays. Then start the next semester early enough to have them out by memorial day.

Some systems also have longer class periods to try to squeeze in a year's worth of material in one semester. I know I would've hated it....get a bad teacher or class that is boring and you're stuck with their ass 90+ minutes a day for half a year.
But this is pretty recent - I know my kid didn't start this early. IIRC, they always started the week before Labor day - "free week" since they wouldn't get anything done, lol! MAYBE the week before then, but the end of JULY?? That's just nuts.

What you're describing sounds like the Cobb block schedule where you would take classes only half the year for an couple of hours a day. For instance you would take Math, English and an elective the first half of the year and completely different courses the 2nd halt. CT's school didn't like it and that's when they decided to become a charter school and not deal with it. :awinky:

I don't know if they changed it back or not but I can imagine it would be tough to take math the first 4 months, then not take it the rest of school year AND the summer and then try to remember what you needed to progress the next year. :(

Boy I'm glad I don't have a kid in the school system anymore...........

[SykkBoy]

Almost all of the schools here are year-round schools, so my kids have one more week left of school, then are off for a couple weeks, then start the new school year...they have a track break in November, a long winter break over the holidays and then a track break in March and July of next year....

[Jim]

I like the year 'round concept...summers just bored me to death

[SykkBoy]

Originally posted by Jim@Aug 2 2004, 06:49 PM
I like the year 'round concept...summers just bored me to death
I prefer it as well
they still attend the same number of days per year, it's just broken up a little more, so their three months of vacation isn't all in one shot...

it also helps that they don't have to take off 3 months and then spend the first part of the new year learning shit over again that they might have forgotten

It's also helpful to the taxpayers as we get full use of the schools year round and thye aren't sitting empty for 3 months (and as fast as the Las Vegas area is growing, it's having problems enouh keeping up with the growth as it is, so these eases that a little bit)

[Biggy]

Where I come from, going to camp in the summer is a tradition (sleepaway and day).

I could never imagine not sending my kids to summer camp to have the same experiences I had..

[PornoDoggy]

Kids around here will be starting in about two weeks. They start them this early because of state laws that set a mandatory number of days they must be in class. With a couple of days off (or half days) between now and mid-September for heat, and snow days (the majority of school bus routes out here are on unpavedl roads), they usually manage to get out of school before Memorial Day.

[RawAlex]

More places are going to year round schooling, it is financially much more logical to use a school for 12 months rather than 8. I also think it is a good idea compared to long summer holidays that just teach kids to be lazy, and makes them forget everything they just learned. A few weeks, off, go back, keep going from where you left off, I suspect they get much better grades overall.

My niece today mentioned how much she was looking forward to going back to school, already bored, tired, want to see friends, play more after school organized sports, etc.

We still have summers off up here, I think mostly because the weather sucks the rest of the year! :-)

Alex

[Vick]

thinking about it I'd like my son to have summer off once he starts school

That magic time we had seemed like forever when June came

The entire summer stretched out in front of us like uncharted land, full of possibilities.
Vacations, hanging out with friends, ball games, late nights, no school responsibilities

Going year round seems too much like a job (not a career) and loses some of the magic of childhood


Getting lazy in the mind won't be a problem, you know my litany.
Learning begins at home, YOU GIVE YOUR CHILD THEIR PRIMARY EDUCATION, school is a secondary education

[sharky]

My daughter starts Pre-K the last week of august I believe. that is when all the schools out here start.