# First Day of School **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313 "2004-08-04T16:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/1 "2004-08-04T16:43:48Z")
So yesterday was our first day of school for kids here. The Shibblets eventually found their way to their new school, but not before some bus stop anxiety (where would the bus be?), our borrowed tradition of a _Schultüte_, finding out we had no film to take a snapshot, etc. My daughter, who was very concerned that she wouldn’t make any new friends, declared her first day of school “great!” She’s always excited about school and generally does very well. She’s in third grade this year. My son was less enthusiastic but still not unhappy. He was starting first grade and complained that it was “too easy”. We’re working on keeping him challenged. The first day of school also screwed up my business by keeping a couple of my employees at home, so I had to get out in the field and do the work for them. Not the end of the world. So, has school started for you yet? Any stories to share? ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/2 "2004-08-04T17:01:35Z")
School started at the beginning of August?! Where do you live? My school only starts Sept. 1. I long for that day. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/3 "2004-08-04T17:06:11Z")
Charlie starts August 18th. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/4 "2004-08-04T17:08:42Z")
I’m guessing he lives in the Southeast. I grew up there and we always started school the second week of August. We also got out in the middle of May so it all worked out. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/5 "2004-08-04T17:28:24Z")
My two older kids first day of school is Wednesday, August 25th ( my son’s birthday) and my youngest starts school Friday, August 27th ( my birthday! ). We always take pictures the first day of school, since we have went digital, we no longer have to worry about forgetting film. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/6 "2004-08-04T17:47:53Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > School started at the beginning of August?! Where do you live? > > My school only starts Sept. 1. I long for that day. Come on, **LaurAnge** , you’re Canadian fer ogsake! Look at my location and figure it out. 🙂 Yeah, August 3rd is a bit early. I think the last school year ended May 15th. We have to do something to get a reprieve from the tourists. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/7 "2004-08-04T19:06:54Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Come on, **LaurAnge** , you’re Canadian fer ogsake! Look at my location and figure it out. 🙂 That was unnecessarily cruel. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/8 "2004-08-04T19:29:49Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > That was unnecessarily cruel. Yes, but it was fun. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/9 "2004-08-04T19:31:08Z")
We go back to work next Wednesday, and the kids report for classes on the 16th. I think our district starts earlier than any other in Southern California, but I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/10 "2004-08-04T19:36:16Z")
That does seem really early. Does there seem to be a trend pushing towards year-round schooling? Or have those early start dates always been the norm in your location? ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/11 "2004-08-04T21:07:29Z")
Sigh. For the first time in fourteen years, I’m going to have to go to school on my birthday (Sept. 1). Its a horribly depressing thing, and I can’t even skip class since its so early in the year. Oh, well. On the positive side, I should be able to shake my friends up for some cash and/or presents for a change. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/12 "2004-08-04T21:17:08Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > That does seem really early. > > Does there seem to be a trend pushing towards year-round schooling? Or have those early start dates always been the norm in your location? I went to school here and I have absolutely no recollection of whether it was this way back then (late 70s) or not. I’ve never been very good at recalling time. I’ll ask around, someone will know. Note that the summer vacation time given is probably about the same as most places, roughly 2.5 months. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/13 "2004-08-04T21:20:12Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Come on, **LaurAnge** , you’re Canadian fer ogsake! Look at my location and figure it out. 🙂 But I’ve never seen you at any of the Montreal dopefests! ---
**Author:** ![The\_27th\_Evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@The\_27th\_Evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_27th_Evil)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/14 "2004-08-04T21:32:19Z")
> [@TheOnlySaneOne](#): > > Sigh. For the first time in fourteen years, I’m going to have to go to school on my birthday (Sept. 1). Its a horribly depressing thing, and I can’t even skip class since its so early in the year. > > Oh, well. On the positive side, I should be able to shake my friends up for some cash and/or presents for a change. Try the opposite problem. My birthday is June 5th, more often than not within two days of the last day of school. In the case of my high school graduation, the same _minute_ as my 18th birthday. (Literally, I walked off stage with diploma case exactly 18 years after my birth.) Everyone is so excited that nobody remembers your birthday. At least you’ll have something to recommend the day. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/15 "2004-08-04T21:48:22Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > School started at the beginning of August?! Where do you live? > > My school only starts Sept. 1. I long for that day. My 13 year old brother started school today. It’s Texas - gotta make sure there is plenty of time for the football team to practice before the season starts. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/16 "2004-08-04T22:51:14Z")
My first day of graduate school will be September 2nd. I’m looking forward to it: I’m one of ‘those people’ who mostly enjoyed school as a kid, and I even enjoyed the prerequisite coursework I did during the last academic year (consecutive semesters of 6-credit French classes… :eek: !). The class I’m registered for this fall sounds interesting – plus it’s at night so it won’t interfere with my work schedule – and I’m looking forward to the program as a whole. And yes, I’ll also admit that I’m already thinking in terms of getting this degree DONE. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/17 "2004-08-04T23:34:25Z")
School used to start in Tampa (Hillsborough County) in late August and end the first week of June (I also graduated in my 18th Birthday- 6/7/91). I am now a teacher in the same county. We went back a week ago today, and the kids report tomorrow. School gets out May 27th, I believe. BTW, \*\* 27th Evil \*\*, did you have to take exams on your birthday too? I took my Algebra II and Chemistry exams on my 16th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![The\_27th\_Evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@The\_27th\_Evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_27th_Evil)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/18 "2004-08-04T23:43:32Z")
> [@HomeOfTheBraves](#): > > School used to start in Tampa (Hillsborough County) in late August and end the first week of June (I also graduated in my 18th Birthday- 6/7/91). > \ > BTW, \*\* 27th Evil \*\*, did you have to take exams on your birthday too? I took my Algebra II and Chemistry exams on my 16th birthday. Most of high school I ended up taking the last of my exams on my birthday. Of course, this was during what was a period of extraordinarily mild winters for the area. When the winters were bad (anyone on the east coast remember 1993 or 1994 winters?), sometimes I’d still be in classes. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-day-of-school/258313/19 "2004-08-04T23:48:20Z")
My kids (in private school) start Aug 31. The public schools around here started either this week or will start next week.