[Bartock]

I notice a few threads about school starting already. Here in B.C Canada school starts the day after Labour Day so this year the first day of school is September 5th, but kindergarden is a week after that.

 

[UnschoolnMa]

Here in Oregon it always starts right afer labor day. This year I think it's Sept 5th. Many places start in August though.

We start never.... or maybe we never stop....

LOL.

 

[ShannonCC]

It's different in different towns, but in my town it's Thursday September 7th.

 

[Wolfmeis]

In parts of SC and GA school started some time ago, like by a few weeks..

 

[nolonger]

It starts on August 29 here.

 

[lilyka]

its starts tomarrow here.

 

[kokotg]

Our county started August 1 (my husband teaches hs; he went back for planning last week of July). They have extra breaks during the year, though--a week in sept, a week for thanksgiving, two in dec/jan, one in feb, and then spring break (and finished before the end of may).

 

[charmander]

Public schools start on Sept. 6 here in Seattle. I can't imagine sending my child to school in the middle of August!!

If your child's school starts in August, do you get an extra long break in December or something? Or do they let out early, like in May or something. Just curious.

The public schools here operate on 180 days of instruction, from Sept. 6 through 3rd week of June here.

 

[Linda on the move]

It started here today. The local elementary doesn't have air conditioning so they will have several days off, or early releases, because of the heat. It's really screwy for parents who work.

 

[kate~mom]

it seems that schools in the south start earlier.

in pennsylvania, we start the week before labor day - but a few districts do start after labor day.

in ny, the wednesday after labor day.

 

[UnschoolnMa]

In Oregon they let out in early June I believe.

 

[poisonedapple]

Its different all over the states. Our public schools start next thursday, the private schools start the following Monday. We are beginning on the 5th.

 

[nicandboys]

We homeschool but ds' friends all started two weeks ago. We're in the south and it's hot as heck here in August, and beautiful in May, but starts heating up in June. So I'm wondering if the southern states start in August so as to get out by May to enjoy the weather before it gets hot.

 

[guestmama9922]

i'm in london and the children don't go back to til the 5th.

i'm american and i remember going back to school in september. when did children start going so early?

 

[emiLy]

My mom is a teacher in Florida and went back to school in mid July! I think it was around the 18th for the first day with students (am not looking at a calendar - that could be a weekend for all I know!). They get out in mid June. I don't know how they spread the year out so long, but they do. When I went to school there it wasn't like that, it's a recent thing. I remember going to school in late August (more than once on my birthday, which is the 24th) and getting out around June 10th or so.

Where I am in Minnesota, it starts the week after Labor Day. I'm eagerly awaiting it just because that's when the local homeschooling group starts meeting too, and I'm looking forward to meeting them.

 

[onlyzombiecat]

School started Aug. 17th here.

 

[SagMom]

Every town is different here, but usually they don't start until after Labor Day. For those who go in the summer, do your schools have air-conditioning? (Ours don't.)

They get out here in mid-June, depending on how many snow days they've had to have over winter. One year, I remember schools didn't get out until the end of June and everyone was getting nervous--by law they need to attend 180 days, but also, they must finish the school year before the end of June. They'd had so many snow days that they didn't think they'd fit it all in and there was talk of holding school on a few Saturdays in order to make it.

:

Poor kids.

 

[LeftField]

I live in the South East of the U.S. School started yesterday for my county. My sister's kids live in a neighboring county. They started two weeks ago.

When I grew up in Mass, we started after Labor Day. Down here, we were always told the odd schedules were to avoid the worst of the heat. However, August is still very hot and May doesn't seem as hot as it used to be. It makes more sense, to me, to start them around Labor Day and finish up in June. Right now, they get out in the end of May.

 

[dharmamama]

August 7th here.

Namaste!

 

[True Blue]

While Florida has always started a little early....don't you all know why school districts keep pushing the start of the school year earlier and earlier? There was a major article written about it a ways back, and parents are angry. Florida "says" it for hurricane season...which doesn't make sense bc they are starting EARLIER in the season...they'd have to start Nov or Dec for that to make sense....

Schools are starting the year earlier (as early as July) so they can have more days to teach before the big standardized tests. Yes, the schools are actually cheating to get more money. IMO, if they are going to have those tests as a standard for funding, certification, etc, then there needs to be a standard number of school days before the test, not just everyone taking the tests on the same day.