CANADA VS. USA - school times, that is.

pumpkinpumpkin

In general, do American schools go back to school that much earlier than Canadian shools?

For instance, our school (here) and a couple other I know of don't go back until September 8th. By the sounds of it, a lot of you teachers are back to work already.

beatlesgirl25

My dad's been teaching since last Tuesday. The year before that it was August 5th. But that's a lot earlier than normal and it varies by state. In my area, the kids will be going back right before Labor Day.

mandysmear

we always started right after labour day.  we had class til the middle of june and usually wrote our exams the 20th - 25th of June.

kikibaby

Co-workers kids go back on Monday, but a couple of school districts have already started.

It seems like we went back around Labor Day when I was a kid, though... I feel like it's moved up recently.

wadingmoose

In Saskatchewan, we were back in school the last week of August every year.

beatlesgirl25

Kiki, my dad teaches in CO, so that's interesting that some schools there haven't started back up yet. I guess it goes by district, county, or city? I think the reason for the earlier year for my dad's district is all the snow days they've had in recent years. They used up all their built-in snow days and then some, so I think they're trying to make up that time again. No fun for the kids though.

DodgersBride

I always started school after labor day. This year LAUSD went back earlier then usual. My sister's kid go back the end of this month. I know most private Catholic schools go back earlier to but I think it's because of the religious holidays they get off.

LesPaul

When I was in school (in California) we went from mid-September to mid-June.  Here in Colorado it is mid-August to mid-May.  There is one district in my city that is on a modified year-round schedule: they start early August, then get a two week fall break, a two week Christmas break, a two week spring break, and a six week summer break.  Same number of school days per year, just arranged differently.

kikibaby

Beatles- yeah, each district does their own thing.  Co-workers kids are in Cherry Creek, but I know that Aurora has started. 

nda_roxybabe

I don't know because growing up, I went to private school and we always started "Early" which was mid august.
The public schools would not start until after labor day.

Here in Az, it seems like the ystart anywhere from end of july (OMG!) to mid August.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

It totally depends on the state. Some schools in LA are doing a 6 week summer break (with 2 longer breaks during the year) and they went back last week.

I think in many state students go back at the end of August. That way they get out in May, before it gets too hot.

I grew up in New York state. The NYS regents exams are in mid to late June. You need 180 days of school throughout the year. So we would start class the Wednesday after Labor day - basically the first full week of September. But that was because we would be in school until late June.

Edit: I went to Catholic school but we still followed the Regents model and took the state exams.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_canada-vs-usa-school-times?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bba23ab5-f567-40aa-8a48-0107d9375963Post:80c68c0c-eb85-47d2-bbdb-c3c60f9c9cc5">Re: CANADA VS. USA - school times, that is.</a>:
[QUOTE]Kiki, my dad teaches in CO, so that's interesting that some schools there haven't started back up yet. I guess it goes by district, county, or city? I think the reason for the earlier year for my dad's district is all the snow days they've had in recent years. They used up all their built-in snow days and then some, so I think they're trying to make up that time again. No fun for the kids though.
Posted by beatlesgirl25[/QUOTE]

They always threatened to knock some of our spring break off (we got 2 weeks at easter, 1.5 or so at Christmas) if we had too many snow days. They'd factor in between 2-5 snow days a year. Hello, it's Buffalo. You'll need all 5.

nda_roxybabe

I just hope my kids have a school schedule like I did (Mid Aug- Beg./mid May)

pirategal03

Schools here use to start the first or second week of August.  In the past couple years a new state law was passed that limited when schools could start to "not before August 25" unless they get a waiver from the state.  The ones that get waivers are the ones that usually have enough snow days that they wouldn't be able to get 180 days in before a reasonable time in the summer unless they started earlier. 

Stackeye210

Growing up our school went back the week before Labor day on a Wednesday.  So we had a 3 day week, then 4 day week and then 5 day weeks after that.  It kind of eased us back into the whole school thing.

skippylouwho

Westminster, Co started today - my great niece started kindergarten!

Most Central Ohio schools are starting yet this week

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Canadians - do you have Labour Day too? When is it?

Bec20

Labour Day is the first Monday in September.

We always started school the Tuesday after labour day, got 2 weeks off for Christmas holidays, and 1 week off for March Break.  We would end in late June in elementary school, in high school exams would start on the Thursday or Friday around the 19th of June.  The past couple years kids have been going back to school a couple days before Labour Day, have a 3-day-weekend, then start up for good.

5 snow days in Buffalo a year!?  Lucky.  If we got two a year we were lucky. Snow days weren't even suggested as a possibility until we got 15cm/6 inches of snow in the couple hours before dawn or extreme ice.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_canada-vs-usa-school-times?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bba23ab5-f567-40aa-8a48-0107d9375963Post:a6b48078-2b64-4244-b0fd-c8902ec81a61">Re: CANADA VS. USA - school times, that is.</a>:
[QUOTE]Labour Day is the first Monday in September. We always started school the Tuesday after labour day, got 2 weeks off for Christmas holidays, and 1 week off for March Break.  We would end in late June in elementary school, in high school exams would start on the Thursday or Friday around the 19th of June.  The past couple years kids have been going back to school a couple days before Labour Day, have a 3-day-weekend, then start up for good. <strong>5 snow days in Buffalo a year!?  Lucky.  If we got two a year we were lucky. Snow days weren't even suggested as a possibility until we got 15cm/6 inches of snow in the couple hours before dawn or extreme ice.</strong>
Posted by Bec20[/QUOTE]

Well, maybe. If we had a few mild winters and didn't use all the snow days built into the snow day budget, they'd cut down the number of snow days they built in and BAM you'd get a blizzard that shut down the city for 3 days.

I was lucky. My elementary school was south of Buffalo and in the snow belt (the city doesn't get it the worst). My high school was Catholic and within city limits. So they could choose to close on their own, which they did once or twice. Or most likely they wait for the city school district to close and then we'd be closed automatically. Lucky "all Buffalo public and parochial schools" is close to top of the list, alphabetically. Yes! Back to bed.

We had a few "cold days" I can remember. It was too cold to snow, but it was also sure as hell too cold to expect kids to wait for the bus.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_canada-vs-usa-school-times?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bba23ab5-f567-40aa-8a48-0107d9375963Post:b533be79-2f55-49f1-9d9b-298b23fc9946">Re: CANADA VS. USA - school times, that is.</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes, we have labour day as well, and it is the same day as you, I believe- First Monday in September. But we add the superfluous "u" ;)
Posted by mrs.jesse[/QUOTE]

I added the "u" just for you guys!

You never know. We refer to your Thanksgiving as "Columbus Day."

Bec20

My city was crazy.  It was -40 plus a wind chill and the buses were still running, so they expected us all to go to school.  Turns out about half of us just stayed home.

Sometimes I wished that we started  and ended school a couple of weeks earlier, because it was always a toss up if June or August was hotter.

zippityb

H does school-related work for what seems to be 11 months out of the year. But he is a band director.

[Deleted User]

It depends what part of the country you live in. Kids here in Georgia went back to school on Aug. 9. They get out before Memorial Day every year. However, we are originally from the north, and most kids in Ohio either start Aug 24 or right after Labor Day and get out the first week in June.

number55

In Ontario the students start the Tuesday after Labour Day but some teachers work either one or two days the week before (Professional Activity Days)...my school board is only one day. We must work 194 days including PA days so that takes us to June 30th this year, as it did last. It is always better when the Tuesday after Labour Day is early in September because that means that we finish school earlier in June. My first year teaching we finished on the 26th. We also recently had to add a day to our calendar because the government of Ontario created 'Family Day' in February...so schools are closed that day but we still have to get 194 days into the school year...

EiffelAnne04

We used to start mid August and get done mid to end of May (depending on if we had snow days to make up), but a couple of years ago they passed a state law that says public schools in WI can't start before September 1.  They now get out in early to mid June (again, depending on how many snow days need to be made up). 

Mrs.B6302007

A few years ago, pre-planning was the last week of JULY and the kids came back the first week of August.  A new law says that we can't start sooner than 2 weeks prior to Labor Day so that we're more in sync with the northern schools.  Pre-plan was this week and the kids start Monday.

smokeybailey

In CA, school started last week for many students...