The First Day of School

[ShibbOleth]

So the Shibblets are back to school this morning. We may be the earliest starting school system in the USA... heck, we haven't even had our first hurricane of the season yet. But we were awoken shortly after 6 am by massive rain, lightning and thunder. Which meant I didn't have to awaken the little ankle-biters.

Also, The Girl is now "The Man". She was already wearing her fluorescent green safety patrol belt/bandalero when I left for work. ~sniff~ they grow up so fast!

[ShelliBean]

Oh god - I am in the middle of getting my son ready to start official kindergarten next week. Aside from the tissue samples and photographs of me holding newspapers at my house that the school system seems to need to enroll my son (oh, and did I mention that I get to trek to the health department tomorrow for under-the-gun immunizations?) I feel so, what's the word - adult. I may need siomeone to hold me on his first day.
My baby is going to ride on a big yellow school bus. It's sweet, but it's killing me too.
Congratulations on your Girl becoming the Man. Tell her to keep on keeping the people down!

[CalMeacham]

They're starting school now??!! It's the beginning of freakin' August!

Where do you folks live?



There's no way they could do that here. Even without the populist revolt that would ensue, we'e having 100 degree weather here now (literally true), and our school has no air conditioning. Frequently it has no ventilation to speak of. The kids would be passing out.

[ShibbOleth]

Were in Florida, and apparently ShelliBean is in Alabama. We're used to hot, although it doesn't get as hot down here as it does up there. And we're fully air conditioned, afaik. A snow storm would make our heads spin, though. No idea why they start in August.

ShelliBean: at my kids' school they have some sort of event for the mother's of kindergarteners today so that they can cry and support each other. Sort of a "Cry and Sigh" thing, although I'm sure that they've come up with a better name, complete with coffee and pastry.

[swampbear]

School started in Albeeeny yesterday. It starts Friday out in the wilds where I live. Some schools started as early as last Friday (why freakin' Friday anyways?). A few school systems around here have what is called a "modified year round schedule." They take three week breaks throughout the year plus all the other assorted holiday/teacher in-service days there seems to be so many of.

So, "The Girl" is now "The Man" huh Shibb. Go her! Back in the day I was a safety patrol. Oh the power of the patrol belt! The call to action from central command each afternoon. Ok, it was the principal on the intercom calling us to our "patrol stations", but still, I got to get up and leave my classroom fifteen minutes before the lowly peons my peers. Arms out, walking out into the street, making traffic stop. Then the uber cool hand motion to my subjugated lackeys peers to signal them to cross the street. Good times. Of course, waaaaaaaaay back then it was all sexist cause girls couldn't be on the safety patrol.

[swampbear]

Originally Posted by ShibbOleth

ShelliBean: at my kids' school they have some sort of event for the mother's of kindergarteners today so that they can cry and support each other. Sort of a "Cry and Sigh" thing, although I'm sure that they've come up with a better name, complete with coffee and pastry.

"*SNIFF* my baby's startin' school. *WAH* I can't bear to leave my little darlin' behind! *SNIFF* OOOH! Bearclaws!

[Clothahump]

WTF??

What is this with school starting in August? How the hell have our school systems gotten so badly out of whack?

School should start the day after Labor Day and let out in June, not the beginning of May.

[ShibbOleth]

Originally Posted by Clothahump

WTF??

What is this with school starting in August? How the hell have our school systems gotten so badly out of whack?

School should start the day after Labor Day and let out in June, not the beginning of May.

Last day of school is May 24th, which is fairly close to June. Gives us a week or two with the theme parks before the great northern hordes come down. Otherwise I'm not sure why they have it set up like this. May and June are both hot. Ditto August and September. I think it would be nice if they had an extended vacation in October and maybe March, when the weather is generally gorgeous here.

[Tupug Anachi]

Back in the day, The Princess^TM and Lil Lestat^TM attended year-round school. They actually liked it. The problem was finding day care for those long-assed breaks between the semesters or trimesters or whatever.

Now the schools are back to the regularly scheduled two-month summer break. My county started Monday.

[Captain Carrot]

I start school on 9/5; next year, it'll be either 8/20 or 8/27. Why do virtually all colleges start school in August?

[FatBaldGuy]

Just be glad that your area doesn't have "Year-Round" school, like they do in some districts around here. In order to save money they divide all the elementary school students into 4 "tracks"(A, B, C and D). Three of the four tracks are in session at any one given time, but they rotate periodically so that every few weeks one of the tracks goes "off track" and the one that has been off comes back "on track."

In our district, they have what is called a 45/15 rotation, so that each track is on track for 9 weeks and off track for 3 weeks. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Tracks A, B and C start school on August 1st, and tracks B, C and D finish at the end of June. The only time that everyone is off is the month of July.

If your school district ever starts talking about this, protest loudly.

[gardentraveler]

I have friends with one kid in the year-round track that FatBaldGuy describes. Their other kid has a different schedule. Sure makes vacation planning fun.

GT