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Looking forward to when school gets out. In July.
By oddjob60 on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 5:20pm
It's getting to the point where you need more than your hands to count the number of snow days around here, which means summer vacations will start a bit later than usual for a lot of kids.
In Boston, the last day of school has moved from June 21 to the 27th. But it won't go much further: the teachers contract stipulates that school can not go past June 30, reports the Globe. To make the mandated 180 days of instruction happen, they may take away some of the April vacation.
“If we have a couple more we’re going to have to look at other ways to make these up,” [schools spokesman Matthew] Wilder said. “At this stage, I think everything is on the table,” he added when asked if school officials were eyeing any dates in particular should two more cancellations occur.
Same story in my town, Mansfield, where at this point school won't get out until June 28. Three more snow days, and hello July!
Hard to tell whether anyone around here will resort to what's happening in western North Carolina, where they're making up the days on Saturdays.
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Comments
why two vacations?
I'm originally from Wisconsin, a place that gets more snow and more cold than Boston does, and there we had winter break (or as it was known back then, "Christmas Break") and spring break (or as it was known back then, "Easter Break"). I've yet to understand the need for a week long vacation that takes place six weeks after students return from winter vacation, especially when there is a good chance that there are going to be several snow days between those dates. Like this year.
Gain two days
No need for the Evacuation Day or Bunker Hill Day holidays. That's two days right there.
I'm not from MA either
And I remember "Christmas Break" in Dec-Jan, and "Spring Break" in April. The difference I found is that there's only one week for "Christmas Break" up here. I had 2 weeks at Christmas and one in April. I think the time off is the same, its just the distribution that's different. But of course, we never had to allot for snow days. There was a hurricane day once, but I digress.
Anyone know how the independent schools deal with this?
I do know that
when Massachusetts has talked about getting rid of February vacation and having a longer winter break, people have said that this was unjust because people would have to find the money to pay for two weeks of childcare at a time. In the summers most families can do affordable camps and things, but for the breaks there's a lot less of this and more people end up paying for market-rate care.
Not sure if this was the original reason, but I know it's come up recently.
February break gives the best skiing!
I grew up in northern NH, with the same number of breaks as Mass. but usually each one week later. My dad managed a ski area, and I spent the winter skiing. I can tell you I'd rather have the schedule we had because the skiing is MUCH better in February than in December. More snow, better snow, and a LOT more sun (both length of day and angle).
An earlier spring break - since Easter is in March or early April - would often still offer good skiing at the northern areas, but not so much farther south, plus by then most people have mentally moved on to spring sports.
Great name
We're going to make up the school days. Ain't nothing gonna break our stride!
No July school days in Boston
I don't know if it's a fiscal-year thing (the city fiscal year ends June 30) or something else, but school can't go into July. I have that on great authority from the kidlet who, believe me, has researched the matter.
Instead of July, use up some vacation days
The Globe reports (and says the reason for the no-July thing is the teacher contract).
april vacation
That screws up my fantasy flight in April to go to New Mexico, pick up some cheap lots and a trailer and get the hell out of this place.
Suck it up
Geez, when I was in high school back in the 90's, we had a lot of snow days b/c of the multiple Nor'easters. We consistently got out around June 30! Heck, I had 2 years that released us on JUNE 30TH. It's nothing new people. The last couple of winters have spoiled all the non-local residents. This is what winter here in the NE is usually like.
The reasons why it feels worst this time around is b/c out public transportation methods have been breaking apart. The T and our road infrastructure is so fractured that it makes going through A TYPICAL winter here more difficult.
Instead of pushing the school year out, what about starting it earlier, say late August? Heck, the Staple's Back to School commercials start late July!