Year-round school?

[swimmer]

What do you think?
The movement towards shorter vacations throughout the year rather than one long summer vacation is becoming increasingly popular. Is it a good idea?

link


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060501971_pf.html

 

[jcarlylew]

interesting idea. I havent read the artical yet, but i did do college year round. while i had an issue with taking some gen ed classes while it was beautiful out, i did enjoy being on campus in the summer time, which was right next to d/t seattle.
but then how often would students be taking breaks?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

There could be an advantage in that children will not have summer vacation regression where they forget part of what they were learning while they spend idol time at the park. This summer my kids will spend a part of each day working on workbooks dedicated to information being learned next year to help up make up for that. Luckily my kids are excited to work on their workbooks. . .otherwise it would be a huge pain.

Whenever my kids have a break, the days leading up to it and the days following it all take class time (for all the kids) to re-adjust to being in school, and if there are many breaks throughout the school year, that will be a continual problem of more wasted days of excitement and then getting back on task.

Really, since I''ve only experienced the regular summer break routine for *my kids*, (I took college classes summer quarter, as well, but that is different than an 8 year old doing so), so it''s hard to know what model would work better without testing the second version.

I guess, With all the budget cuts, left and right, the BEST choice may be one where our budgeted dollars can fund as much as possible given the available options. I''d be for the many smaller breaks if it meant the teachers of my kids were given the funds they need to buy supplies for the classroom and all that.

 

[Elmorton]

Half of the schools in our area are year round, and last year I had a pair of students do a huge research project on this. One had graduated from a year-round high school, the other had year round her senior year only. Both students LOVED it. When they researched, they had a very hard time finding ANY scholarly articles that had issues with it, and even I stepped in to help. The students do actually get quite a bit of a summer break (I think it''s something like 2 weeks off, 3 weeks on throughout the summer?), test rates show much higher learning retention rates, there are lower drop out rates because students are less stressed, higher teacher retention rates because teachers are less stressed.

I remember a line from the students'' conclusion that was a quote from one of their articles. Basically, the person stated that our school calendar is based off the farm calendar and it doesn''t make sense for American schools to follow a farm calendar anymore. Furthermore, if we''d been doing year-round schools for the last 50 years, no one would bat an eyelash - the only reason it seems "weird" is because it''s new, when in reality, our current system (basing education based on farming schedules) is downright bizarre.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Trying the full-year would be an intersting test. I would be up for it. It would be extremely important (IMO) that each district follow the exact same days off to make childcare easier. The next district over from us has everything different by one week and I know moms from that school who share childcare with moms from my kids'' school and if all the dates were the same, a lot of parent stress could be reduced because they could count on dependable childcare.

That aside, my kids are farming this summer. Carrots and Tomatoes.

 

[Elmorton]

LOL, cute, MC!

I will say that I knew a TON of people that made some serious money from 8th grade on de-tassling corn. It would change the economic status of tweens in small midwestern communities!

 

[packrat]

One of my friends moved to Nevada, and the school is year round-her daughter loves it. My friend loves it too. She said they have a lot of after school programs, and programs for the kids during the time off too.

 

[Haven]

I think it''s great if it''s done well.
While we''re at it, can we please start the high school day a bit later? Our students are not coherent until 2nd hour, which begins at 10 AM. They''re so out of it during 1st hour (7:45 to 9:15) and homeroom (9:20 to 9:50.)

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I think it''s a good idea. Consistency is very important in education. A lot of knowledge is lost during summer break and I always felt like the first month of school ended up being review.

I think even cutting summer vaca down to one month would be beneficial to the students while still allowing them a break to do things like go on extended vacations or to summer camp.

 

[Shoopy]

I compare this to being a full time employee. You work all year round and take your vacations throughout the year plus you have major holidays off. I think that students would be able to handle that kind of schedule provided that the holidays are given off and that the mini-vacations are scheduled fairly (for ex. they should get a week or two off in the summer and in the winter).

Plus, if both parents are full-time employees, this schedule would be idea. You won't have to worry about summer camps or some sort of daycare during the summer/winter breaks.


However, that's me talking as a 27 year old. I'm sure if you ask a teen they'd blow a fuse.

 

[Linda W]

My two grandboys used to be on year round school. They changed back to the old way, last year. I have no idea why.

 

[swimmer]

Date: 6/9/2009 2:39:28 PM
Author: Haven
I think it''s great if it''s done well.

While we''re at it, can we please start the high school day a bit later? Our students are not coherent until 2nd hour, which begins at 10 AM. They''re so out of it during 1st hour (7:45 to 9:15) and homeroom (9:20 to 9:50.)

Oh I hear you! The bus schedule really rules us all. A school committee member told me that our hs kids have to get to school earliest so that they can be home to open the door for elementary school aged siblings. What percent of the population does that affect? And those HS kids must be in the 8% of my district who do not do a sport in HS.
It kills me. HS teachers have to be in at 7:10am and the kids at 7:20. The kids are zombies first block. At least we have homeroom first. The little kids are up earliest, they should go to school first. Sorry for the total rant/tangent.

My district is considering moving to year round school, I am very interested in the topic and wonder what parents will think.