https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:39:47 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2489480 Thu, 10 Mar 2016 01:01:54 +0000 808love 2489480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have 9 weeks on 3 weeks off throughout the year and then we have a total of 5 weeks at Christmas. Love it!!<br /> As a teacher I do not like students pulled out for vacations. They will never recover what they missed. There is no way they will get retaught all that they missed. A few assignments I give is nothing compared to hours of instruction/activities daily.<br /> As a parent of a preschooler, I pull my daughter out a lot for vacations. I will likely pull her out for 3 days in her kindergarten year in late fall but overall I will try to keep her attendance up as I know once you miss a day of learning, you are not getting it back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2489415 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 23:10:45 +0000 ScarletBegonia 2489415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Aaaaah, New South Wales Australia rocks the house. I am a teacher so I LOVE LOVE LOVE our schedule. We start end Jan/beginning Feb, have a 10 or 11 week term, 2 weeks off, a 9 week term, 3 weeks off, a 10 week term, 2 weeks off, then finally a 7-8 week term then a 6-7 week summer holiday. </p> <p>I am actually pretty ready to leave the classroom, but will probably keep teaching while my son is little to get the same holidays as him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2489411 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 23:06:48 +0000 Finfan 2489411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Scheduled days off don't bother me but I'm terrified of snow days! The kids here had FIVE snow days in a 7-day period. Luckily schools are starting to close the night before so parent aren't scrambling as hard but Uggh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2489131 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 17:12:55 +0000 MamaG 2489131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't love them, but at least we have an option for care that doesn't require us to miss work. She can go to our daycare and we pay a daily rate when she's there.</p> <p>Our state just changed from a required number of days to a required number of minutes. It gets to the same place, but our district is extending the day by 10 minutes this next year to try to allow wiggle room for inclement weather. I don't mind, other than they added the time to the start of the day, I wish it would have been at the end.</p> <p>ETA: Our district does 3 days for Thanksgiving, the last two weeks of the calendar year, a week for Spring Break (next week) and a sprinkling of other days off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2489108 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 16:55:18 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2489108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD isn't in school yet but when I was in school we got 1 week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas/New Years, 2 weeks at Spring Break, and random other single days here and there (Memerial Day, Labor Day, etc). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488853 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 14:32:34 +0000 looch 2488853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petitenoisette: Thanks for your perspective, I appreciate it.</p> <p>I feel really conflicted about what to do, good thing we have some time ahead of us before we have to make a decision. On the one hand, I remember as a child I did not like to miss school, no matter what for. But, we didn't go and visit family very often, nor did we go on vacation that often. On the other, it's difficult as a working parent, because everyone can't take the same week off, it's just not possible, so someone's got to go on an off week on occasion. Add family on another continent and you're limiting your options even more.</p> <p>I don't know what the right answer is, truth be told. I feel like there are so many considerations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488765 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 13:34:39 +0000 petitenoisette 2488765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I'm a high school teacher so a different perspective. At that age I wouldn't think much of it from an academic standpoint but I'm not sure September is the best time for that because he would be still transitioning and so it might be harder on your son. </p> <p>In high school, yes I find it problematic taking kids out for vacations at least as a regular thing. For a once in a lifetime opportunity or maybe a few different years, ok, but the fact of the matter is that when you have school age children it just is what it is in terms of following the school calendar. In my school I do need to provide make-up work and it's just a lot of work catching up students who miss a lot of school. </p> <p>I'm totally pro-travel and many vacations can be super educational but I think you have to mostly work within the constraints of the school calendar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488753 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 13:27:16 +0000 looch 2488753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: We would switch that off, every other year, I think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488751 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 13:25:52 +0000 Mamaof2 2488751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: then your best bet is to check with your school district on how many days they allow to be missed - doing both DW and 2 weeks at Christmas might be too many days off </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488728 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 13:04:56 +0000 Mrs. D 2488728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In Nova Scotia there are 195 school days Sept through End of June. Some of those are PD days.<br /> No school Labour day, Thanksgiving, Two weeks for Winter BReak, Family day(Joseph Howe day), 1 week in March, good friday and Easter Monday, Victoria Day. THere are about 10 total PD days, so we have about 185 days of school.</p> <p>With the exception of the new February Holiday, it's the same as when I was a kid. </p> <p>I taught for two years in Northen SK, and we had Two seperate spring breaks, which made the winter more bareable, so I would ask for that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488724 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 13:03:08 +0000 nana87 2488724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my lo's daycare is part of a school and follows the same schedule, so I'll answer. They have 2 weeks off between xmas and New Years, 1 week of spring break, 1 week of summer break around July 4th, and then are closed for about 3 weeks in August/early sept. Plus occasional days for holidays, staff development days, and parent-teacher conferences. It's a LOT of time off. Luckily I work in academia and my schedule is pretty flexible (except when I'm teaching). But like, my university's spring break is next week (I'm going to be working the whole time, "break" just means working wo the distraction of students...) whereas lo's is in late April (and overlaps with a conference I've been organizing for the past year :shocked: ). Dh works a normal office type schedule. So, mostly it's fine, but occasionally is rough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488716 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:54:49 +0000 looch 2488716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: We typically do Disney trips in either Sept or October, the thought of my husband on a day with a crowd rating of anything more than a 3...I can't!</p> <p>We also have family abroad, and every other year, we visit for at least 10 days in December. I can't see that stopping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488708 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:47:54 +0000 Mamaof2 2488708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: In Kindergarten it was only 1/2 day and the social aspect never crossed my mind - in 1st grade this year he pretty much knew everyone from K so no issue there either. There are four 1st grade classrooms but they all eat and have recess together so as he moves up he will always know the same group of kids </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488702 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:44:24 +0000 looch 2488702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: so do you think it hurts the kids at all to miss school in September...I worry more about the social aspect than actual school work, honestly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488701 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:43:06 +0000 Mamaof2 2488701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I just checked our school calendar and mon/tues of thanksgiving are 1/2 days and then he goes to aftercare - so Thanksgiving is actually on Wed-Fri - so even LESS time off!</p> <p>Also, you didn't ask me but I asked several local teachers what they thought about us vacationing in September and they all told me they support family vacations! They will not send home any work missed but DS did have to complete a journal of our trip and shared it with the class when he returned. Our school has a policy of allowing 5 missed days for vacation per year - we use it!<br /> I plan to stop once in middle school.</p> <p>eta: I LOVE going to the beach in September - its still hot and its pretty empty!!! This was my mom and the kids at the pool at 10am - we were the only ones - so nice!!! </p> [attach=4342/16/o3s9b3.320x214.DSC_0003.JPG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488694 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:39:10 +0000 looch 2488694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petitenoisette: I'd love your opinion as a teacher then!</p> <p>What is your view on taking kids out of school for vacation? My son will be in kindergarten next year and I feel like that means September vacations are out of the question. But I don't want to be on vacation with everyone else, so the other option is to pull out of school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488692 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:37:30 +0000 looch 2488692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: IIRC it's wed-fri for Thanksgiving, and then depending on when Christmas falls, it's the week in between that and New Years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488660 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:21:11 +0000 petitenoisette 2488660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: The week off in February isn't really for President's day but just that by having it that week it's only 4 additional days off. In the Northeast we generally have that week and another in April for spring break but we don't have 2 weeks off for the holidays, just the shortest time possible based on how xmas eve and New Year's day fall. Next year it's only one week :( Of course not every school operates that way but most. </p> <p>As a teacher I of course have it easy in dealing with the holidays! The one issue is that we permanently must vacation during those times so $$! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488631 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:05:43 +0000 runnerd 2488631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are nowhere near school age, but if I'm still at the same job, I'm lucky to WAH 4 days a week, so it should actually be pretty nice! It would definitely be a struggle if I didn't WAH, and we would probably split up the breaks between taking PTO/family time and letting our LOs take trips to their grandparents (2 hours away). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488619 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 11:57:49 +0000 ShootingStar 2488619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not looking forward to the public school calendar. They have some amount of time off every. single. month. And school is done on June 16th. I think it's kind of crazy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488496 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:37:42 +0000 Mamaof2 2488496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: yeah I think it was 184 days and now it will be 181 days - do you also get a week off at Thanksgiving and Christmas? That's a lot of time off!</p> <p>@lamariniere: a friend teaches at a year round school and they are still open during the breaks - its more like camp though vs. school</p> <p>@regberadaisy: that is so odd to get a whole week off for presidents day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488454 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:56:31 +0000 regberadaisy 2488454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a lot of one week breaks and single days off. As a full time working parent, it stresses me out! :P</p> <p>They just have presidents week off and there is also spring break coming up. Then there's Christmas to NEw years and the few days around thanksgiving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488445 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:46:50 +0000 lamariniere 2488445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS starts elementary school this fall and they follow the French national school calendar. They are basically 6 weeks on 1 to 2 weeks off for the entire year. I don't know how we are going to handle this yet. I don't know if they have some sort of "vacation" program during those off weeks or if they are completely closed. I think our current daycare could take him, but I need to research our options. I don't know how to feel about this yet...ask me this time next year! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488442 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:44:55 +0000 looch 2488442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I believe the school year is supposed to be 181 days in my state, that number hasn't changed since I was in school.</p> <p>We no longer have Columbus day off and they have maintained a week off in February and April. In recent winters, the snow days have been a problem because the schools can't be in session past a certain day in June, so they've moved the start to Aug 31 and they're ending in the beginning of June.</p> <p>I personally don't like the scheduled times off, as a working parent, the LAST thing I want to do is go on vacation with the rest of the state, but there's not much I can do about it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-feel-about-breaks-during-the-school-year#post-2488429 Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:37:30 +0000 Mamaof2 2488429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The public school DS goes too has a lot of single days offs thru the school year but the only week long ones are Thanksgiving and Christmas.</p> <p>I just read that the school my nieces/nephews go to in MD added in a week long spring break PLUS the Monday after Easter starting next school year - most of the comments (FB) were positive saying "its about time".</p> <p>I would hate to have another week that I need to find care for my DS since DH and I both work OTH FT. Our spring break is only thurs/fri/mon</p> <p>I also saw that our school district voted on taking away 3 school days next year - we are still within the required hrs so the voters say its fine - most comments on that were outrage - saying we are robbing our kids of xx hrs over their school years.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? More breaks? Less Breaks? Like what you have? </p>