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When are you starting school?

1K views 15 replies 14 participants last post by  Ruthla 
#1 ·
Just wondering ... public school has just begun here. It's hot out, and I'm going to pack a picnic and have family dinner at the pool tonight.

We're starting school the day after Labor Day -- September 2nd. How about you?!

peace
teastaigh
 
#2 ·
Public schools usually start the day after Labor Day. This year, we are waiting an additional week, as that is too early for us, when teh weather is still nice...we have short Summer's up here :)
 
#3 ·
We're unschoolers, and summer has been as full as learning as any other time -- even including some curriculum-based academics. However, we're in an umbrella-school-type arrangement, and our accountability begins when the schools begin. Normally that's the day after Labour Day, and it means we start keeping track of what we're doing for our informal portfolio.

However this year the public school teachers are on strike, which means our accountability won't likely kick in until the strike ends. Which is fine with me. It won't change anything we do, except reduce a bit of my paperwork.

Miranda
 
#4 ·
We are starting around September 22nd or so. I've always felt that schools start too early. The month of September can still be quite hot here and 'summery'.

I'm working full-time up through the 12th, then go down to part-time (two days a week). This only gives me a week and a half to prepare for our school. Trying not to panic!
 
#5 ·
My kids asked to start last week. They do this because they like being able to have random days off. It is kinda silly though because what they think I expect and what I actually expect is a bit different. I am much more relaxed about it all than they think! Regardless, starting school at our house comes gradually. We work in a subject at a time. They never did stop learning during the summer, but we did stop with the stuff that more closely resembles school.

Amy
 
#6 ·
We don't really have a formal stop or start time either, but dd12 does much less in the summer because that's the only time she can do much with her "schooled" friends and cousins. Both girls start co-op classes Sept. 15th though, and I have yet to order their yearly state testing so fall usually feels like the start of the school year to me.
 
#7 ·
Great question! One of the reasons I started homeschooling was because I really think it's awful to start school before Labor Day! Labor Day was such a great marker for me growing up--I love this time of year. We typically start in September sometime--I like the 21st as a marker. Interestingly, this year I'm so excited about our year that I've declared we are starting off our "school" year with our now annual backpacking trip leading into Labor Day. I think my enthusiasm about backpacking ("this is the best way to kick off the school year ever") has the whole crew amped. I haven't planned much, so September will be working into it all. Have a great year everyone!
 
#8 ·
Nice! I like hearing your thoughts and thinking of what happy kiddos you have learning with all of you!
My boys are in grades 12 and 8 this year. They are 17 and 13. We've always used Oak Meadow and some other
materials, but I have to say that I could "count" the projects and activities that they do on their own as more than
enough of the state-required hours for school. I'm always so encouraged just to see all of the good families out there.

peace,
teastaigh
 
#10 ·
With the girls, we did year round school--3 months of school and one month off so I could plan the next 3 months. We did start the new school year in Sept. Sept-Nov., Dec. off, Jan.-March, April off, May-July, Aug. off. Start up again with a new school year in Sept. It didn't mean that there was no learning going on during the off months; just that I didn't plan lessons during that time.

Our son homeschools through a charter school so he follows their schedule and will start the day after Labor Day.
 
#13 ·
In the beginning: We started when the local schools started.

Later on: We started when I got my shiznat together and we were ready, and I didn't worry about when other people did things. We lived by our own rules!

And then: We started when we finally finished (or abandoned) what came before, even if different subjects started/ended at different times of the year. So if a kid finishes Math 5 in February, start Math 6 in March. They may not finish English 5 until August, and that's fine, too. (Not that my kids were ever even *that* much "on grade level" in so many subjects at once LOL).

And now (ds Junior) We started when he was available (no longer at Summer Intensives, traveling, in Master Classes, etc.).
 
#14 ·
We started the 13th PS around here started the same week (11th) We do loosely follow the PS calendar because DH teaches college so he kinda falls into that schedule anyways. My youngest also goes to a church based preschool three days a week so I used her start for ours. It is still super hot it is miserable being outdoors even around like pools so we might as well do school instead.
 
#15 ·
We started school as soon as we returned from vacation on Aug. 23. I hope to finish most of the work before next summer starts.
 
#16 ·
The public schools here started the Wednesday after Labor Day. Hannah started college on that Tuesday, and Leah left for Israel the following Sunday.

I started on Tuesday the ninth, after Leah left and we'd all had a day to recover in between. Also, with Hannah not having Monday classes, it was easier to start school on a day she wasn't underfoot.

My Mom gave me some grief for not starting the week of the 2nd, but that simply wasn't practical.

For the first time ever, I'm actually using a real curriculum (time4learning.com). It wasn't all that hard to calculate out how many lessons he needs to do per week, in order to finish by the middle of June. This accounts for the time we actually started, and the weeks I'm intending to have "school vacation" for things like Jewish holidays and the week before Jack's Bar Mitzvah.

When I was unschooling, I couldn't have answered that question. We were always learning- what is there to "stop" or "start?"
 
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