<p>doubleday, </p>
<p>We got hit with Charley about 8/13, I think. Then it was Frances ... um, over labor day weekend, I believe and Jeanne ... 3 weeks later at the end of Sept. Man, I don't want another summer like that. We missed a lot of school.</p>
<p>zebes</p>
<p>ldmom, that is very interesting, they mandated the school calendar but they didn't change the football season? When does the season run? Here in the NE preseason for varsity sports/band would start mid-Aug with school starting last week in Aug through after labor day with games usually starting first weekend after labor day. End of season for us is Thanksgiving with other fall sports ending maybe the week or two earlier with their playoffs. I think having the preseason before school starts gives those kids a chance to get used to the team and then have school start in a staggered fashion. Or, when you had school starting early Aug, did football start in July?</p>
<p>And 3 weeks at Christmas, all I can say to that is WOW!</p>
<p>And for you hurricane people, doesn't the official season go through Dec 1?</p>
<p>Hurricane season goes through Nov, officially, but where you are on the coast/Caribbean, influences your risk for a big hurricane. A Danny or Georges type storm only leads to missing 1-3 days of school, that's no biggie. South Florida is in danger probably through most of Sept, but still with a concentration in the weeks immediately before and after Labor Day.</p>
<p>2005 was a real aberrant year, things may start to go that way, but it is probably still way out of the norm. There was a year in the 90s, 1995, maybe, that was also way out of the norm. Pensacola had a real hurricane threatening in Oct that year, but as soon as the storm got away from the central Gulf (warmest water) it weakened rapidly. </p>
<p>Also, the thinking is not just let's avoid all of hurricane season, it was more that the early Aug start meant that it was about time for first tests at Labor Day, then you have a storm, say Aug 28, out for 3 weeks, so that when school went back, teachers had to review much of the material from the beginning of school. Versus, storm comes during first or second week of school, very little material is lost even with the same number of school days missed. It truly makes sense, except that missing 1 or more weeks of school only happens about once every 5 years - is that worth altering the schedule?</p>
<p>Hey Idmom, I can top you. My S plays varsity football and we had two games (not scrimmages, real games that count) BEFORE the first day of school. Games on 8/17 and 8/24. School started 8/27. The band did not play at either of those games though.</p>
<p>Our band and football team played one game before school started. Idmom, I think you should count your blessings for your breaks. Our kids get three days off for Thanksgiving, not quite a week at Spring and 6 school days off for Christmas. </p>
<p>It's funny how different our schools can all be - and not just K- 12. When my daughter was in college she only had two breaks and went until the first week in June. My son's college has four breaks and he's done by May!</p>
<p>I think the new breaks are pretty reasonable...2 days for Thanksgiving 2 weeks for Christmas and 1 week for Spring Break coinciding with the Easter Holiday. (Actually I kinda wish they still had a week at Thanksgiving...</p>
<p>And I don't mind the late start for school...but agree they should have started football season later as well. For us, we'll be playing until Thanksgiving anyway because we looked poised for playoffs again this year. (That is if they will let my neighbor's/good friend's son, the AFLAC All American baseball player and US team member back on the football field to play quarterback. They banned him because he missed spring football to, HORRORS, focus on baseball and winning that State title, which they did. Huge controversy...for another thread I suppose....)</p>
<p>Hmm...here in NY it seems traditional that fall sports start 2-3 weeks before school. I believe almost, if not all, schools start a day or two after Labor Day, but NY has approved the first day for fall sports to start practice 3 weeks before that (this year it was 8/13). I know in my school district, football started on 8/13 and all the rest of the sports on 8/20. Today was our first day of school and my soccer team played its 4th game, with two more to come in our tournament this weekend.
We aren't unique, either...all our sports have at least a first game/match under their belts.</p>
<p>That's just how it goes--fall sports are in full swing before school starts.</p>
<p>It's very uncommon in Texas for football to begin so close to the start of school because, until now, we have had our school start dates as early as August 8. This year, the first with the required late start, saw the first scrimmages before school started and the first nondistrict play during week one. First official game is Friday night. UIL is just not syncing with SBOE I suppose.</p>
<p>[And WHERE'S MY STRATFORD MOM?? What a matchup between Andrew Luck (committed to Stanford) vs. Sam McGuffie (committed to Michigan)! Too bad Sam was hurt so early in the game...but Luck was fantastic.]</p>
<p>How does the semester break in January affect teacher planning/set up of new classes?</p>
<p>In the past, with a three week break over Christmas, teachers have been able to return to their classrooms after the 1st of the year and still have a few days to get set up before students arrive (around the 5th-6th). Same thing with tying up the loose ends after the 1st semester...having a 3 week holiday allowed them the last couple of days after semester exams to grade, clean up, etc. and still have a decent holiday vacation.</p>
<p>With just a two week break and NO break in between exams, isn't it a terrible crunch for teachers to make the transition between the two semesters?</p>
<p>
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With just a two week break and NO break in between exams, isn't it a terrible crunch for teachers to make the transition between the two semesters?
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</p>
<p>While not a teacher, I would guess this is a non-issue for many. For example, in California, the standard winter break has only been two weeks for decades, so no one knows any difference. The standard 180-day academic calendar is just that. The more holidays between Labor Day and Memorial Day, the longer into June school will go (or start in August).</p>