johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,682
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Aug 22, 2016 17:05:54 GMT
I was just looking at our school calendar for the year. There are 21 half or early dismissal days (half day is out at 12, early dismissal is out at 1:00). I think this is insane, I can't believe that working parents haven't had a fit about this yet (this past year is the first time we've had more than a few). It bugs me a bit because sometimes we'd want to take a short vacation/long weekend and now instead of the occasional day off, it's a half day.
Is this the new norm everywhere?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 13, 2024 1:57:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 17:10:50 GMT
Half day every week.
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Post by bingcherry on Aug 22, 2016 17:13:48 GMT
Every single Wednesday is early release in our county. I think the three days before Christmas break and the last three days of school are all 1/2 days.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 22, 2016 17:14:40 GMT
That's a ton! My son (middle school) has 2 for conferences - one in the fall and one in the spring. And then there's a half day on Halloween and before winter break. My daughter (high school) doesn't have any.
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Post by bc2ca on Aug 22, 2016 17:14:49 GMT
That does seem like a lot. Our HS has four sets of 2 half days for mid-terms and finals and late start every Monday (an hour later for students).
For the elementary & middle schools there are about 4 minimum (noon dismal) days and maybe 2-3 professional development days (usually attached to a long weekend, making it a 4 day break).
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anniebeth24
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,545 
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Post by anniebeth24 on Aug 22, 2016 17:18:22 GMT
Only the first and last days of school are half-days here.
There used to be more, but I believe that the state used to count half-days as a whole day and the school year was calculated on the number of days in attendance. Now, the school year is calculated on the number of instructional hours, not days. The cost of transportation for two half days is double the cost for a full day, so our district eliminated almost all of them.
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Post by salem on Aug 22, 2016 17:20:26 GMT
We have 90 minute delayed starts or early release, that are used as teacher workshops. I think we have about 6 per school year and they alternate so it's not always the first or last classes affected. As a working parent that also uses before and after school care, it's not too big of a deal, but for those that don't have that care in place and have to cut their hours and lose pay, I'm sure they aren't thrilled.
21 per year is ridiculous.
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Post by bianca42 on Aug 22, 2016 17:27:07 GMT
7 as of right now, but the last few years they've announced in May that the last week in June will have 2 or 3 half days.
That's 7 for my elementary school DS and only 2 for my middle school DS.
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Post by internetmama on Aug 22, 2016 17:30:48 GMT
Our district has late start one time per month on Wednesdays and no half days. We do get a couple of extra days off to make 4 day weekends for conference comp.
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Post by Minty118 on Aug 22, 2016 17:31:15 GMT
None, except for the high school. The last two days of the year are short for finals.
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snappydog
Full Member
Posts: 171
Sept 11, 2014 22:53:41 GMT
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Post by snappydog on Aug 22, 2016 17:34:08 GMT
None...that is such a waste of resources (busing, gas, opening the building) for a 1/2 day. I'd complain based on that alone.
Sandy
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 13, 2024 1:57:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 17:46:16 GMT
There's at least one per month. The school district uses it for professional development, team meetings, etc. At best guess, the high school has at least 6 additional half days for finals.
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IAmUnoriginal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,894
Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Aug 22, 2016 17:47:17 GMT
YDS'S elementary - none.
ODS'S high school - early dismissal every Monday for students. Staff have development workshops. This eliminates 3 of 6 Teacher Institute Days during the year. The kids are out about an hour ahead of normal schedule.
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psiluvu
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,217
Location: Canada's Capital
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Post by psiluvu on Aug 22, 2016 17:49:31 GMT
My kids have never had any and still don't this year. They are going into grade 12 and 8. I don't think they are done here.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,905
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Aug 22, 2016 17:50:10 GMT
The only half days I can think of are one in October near conferences, one in the spring near conferences and the two last days of school. That is for elementary. middle school has less of those.
We have early dismissal (one hour earlier than normal) two Monday's a month except in June for teacher training for elementary, middle and high school. So 17 early dismissal days. The other district in our city has 1/2 days every Wednesday instead.
I liked it better a few years ago when it was 2 hour late start once a month but they didn't listen to me and changed it.
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Post by Linda on Aug 22, 2016 17:52:55 GMT
Kindergarteners go half-days the first three days of school.
Otherwise, I don't see any half-days on the school calender this year
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Post by kellybelly77 on Aug 22, 2016 17:54:03 GMT
We do early dismissal every other Wed. I hate it. When my kids were younger I was taking 3 hours of vacation time every other Wed. And then my neighbor who is a teacher at our school said that it really isn't enough time for the teachers to plan or meet as it is designed to. So she said quite a bit of the time is a waste so it made me even more mad! But now my girls can come home on the bus by themselves so it's not a big deal. Until my youngest starts kindergarten in a few years...  |
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Post by underwatermama on Aug 22, 2016 18:07:35 GMT
Early dismissal every Wednesday (1.5 hours early) for teacher planning/training time. Half days for elementary conferences (3 days, twice a year) and a half day the day before Thanksgiving. Also half day the last day of school, but the only kids who go are the ones who need to make something up (at least for my kids high school).
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Post by refugeepea on Aug 22, 2016 18:11:15 GMT
Only 2 this year for 2 of my kids. There is an early out for one and late start for another on Wednesday, but it's only an hour. I can't remember with my daughter.  I think there's 3. ETA: Out every Friday at 1:30! Someone needs to give me the mother of the year award!   |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 22, 2016 18:43:43 GMT
None. But don't even get me started on how many WHOLE days off they have during the school year! School starts on Aug. 29. Sept: 1 day off Oct: 4 days off Nov: 3 days Dec: 6 days Jan: 3 days Feb: 1 day Mar: 6 days Apr: 1 day May: 2 days Last day of school is June 1. Yep, that's right, they have whole days off EVERY.SINGLE.MONTH. I don't think they go more than 3 weeks without one or more days off.  |
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Post by cmpeter on Aug 22, 2016 18:54:08 GMT
Early dismissal every Wed. Plus there are 8 other half days. 6 on parent teacher conference days, one on the last day of school and one the Wed before Thankshiving.
Working parents make it work because of the advanced notice and the day care and after school care places have the schedule too and plan accordingly.
This is district wide, so applies to elementary, middle and high school.
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Post by Linda on Aug 22, 2016 19:00:05 GMT
None. But don't even get me started on how many WHOLE days off they have during the school year! School starts on Aug. 29. Sept: 1 day off Oct: 4 days off Nov: 3 days Dec: 6 days Jan: 3 days Feb: 1 day Mar: 6 days Apr: 1 day May: 2 days Last day of school is June 1. Yep, that's right, they have whole days off EVERY.SINGLE.MONTH. I don't think they go more than 3 weeks without one or more days off. start of school was Aug 15 Sept - 2 days off Oct - 1 day off Nov - 6 days off Dec - 10 days off Jan - 3 days off Feb - 1 day off Mar - 5 days off Apr - 2 days off May -1 day off Last day of school is Jun 2nd 31 days off school - got you beat by a couple |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 22, 2016 19:09:48 GMT
LOL Linda! Sometimes I wonder how they learn anything at all! |
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Post by just PEAchy on Aug 22, 2016 19:21:04 GMT
We don't have any. We used to have them, maybe 3-4 each year for staff development days. Several years ago, the state said the hours would no longer count towards total number of in session days. So the district just switched to 2 full day staff days.
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Post by christine58 on Aug 22, 2016 19:23:18 GMT
Two....both for report card pick up/teacher conferences. This is at a High School
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johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,682
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Aug 22, 2016 19:24:37 GMT
Oh, if we're including days off, I think I might have you all beat  Start Sept 6th Sept: 2 early dismissals Oct: 3 early dismissals Nov: 2 early dismissals, 2 full days Dec: 2 early dismissals, 6 full days Jan: 1 early dismissal, 2 full days Feb: 2 early dismissals, 1 full day Mar: 3 early dismissals Apr: 1 early dismissal, 6 full days May: 2 early dismissals, 1 full June: 3 early dismissals Last day is June 9th. That's 18 full days (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day) and 21 early/half days. Honestly I wish we'd go to year around, give the kids a couple weeks a few times a year and get rid of this on again, off again, crap. We get almost a full 12 weeks in the summer, but that's too long, the kids are bored and getting into trouble. |
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 22, 2016 20:20:41 GMT
Our school year has lengthened by two weeks. With that there have been some half days added. Either way, kids are going to be home. I was a teacher and those half days were killer because I could not get off work to take them home.
I wish all schools did Labor Day to Memorial day, but that isn't going to happen. That would shorten our year. Our days are also about a half longer than most, so the contract days for teachers is shorter so they can pay less.
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JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,826
Location: Indianapolis
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Post by JustTricia on Aug 22, 2016 20:50:38 GMT
We used to have just a few, but five years ago they got rid of all of them. What was obnoxious about it was since my son's school started at 7:40ish, a half day had dismissal at 10:40. In a suburb of a big city where I bet 50% of parents, if not more, drove a minimum thirty minutes into the city to work. So you would get to work around 8 and had to leave by 10.
Now we have early dismissal every Wednesday by half an hour.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 22, 2016 20:55:44 GMT
We used to have just a few, but five years ago they got rid of all of them. What was obnoxious about it was since my son's school started at 7:40ish, a half day had dismissal at 10:40. In a suburb of a big city where I bet 50% of parents, if not more, drove a minimum thirty minutes into the city to work. So you would get to work around 8 and had to leave by 10. Now we have early dismissal every Wednesday by half an hour. That sounds perfect, and believe me, the teachers would rather be teaching than having all of these meetings. (That sounded a bit Trumpish.) |
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Post by maryland on Aug 22, 2016 21:07:39 GMT
Our school has 181 full days and one half day.
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I think there's 3.
