Why is fcps starting so early???

[Anonymous]

Because by mid-May, no matter if school starts in August or Sep, the kids are DONE. They are burned out. The weather is sunnier and getting warmer and they want to be outside. They want to have some freedom and relax. They have checked out and need to be out by early/mid June.

By mid/late-Aug. they are tired/bored of mostly being at home or the pool. Time to go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Since I spent my childhood going back to school in September in Europe, when the weather is already autumnal, I can never get my head around starting in August, and having a month of sweltering weather at school.

However this is how things are done here, and I suppose with climate change, it's all going to get worse weather-wise. Ugh. I need to retire in some Scandinavian country or Canada.

With the exception of recess, they’re sitting in AC all day. They’ll be fine.

If only this were true.

Which school in FCPS doesn’t have A/C?

[Anonymous]

Loudoun starts on the 25th (vs. the 22nd for FCPS), yet their last day of school is June 8th, more than a week before FCPS's on June 16th. What the heck?

[Anonymous]

I was ok with one week before Labor Fay but two is ridiculous. Schools that start in mid August get out in late May or very early June. I hate this change and am annoyed at everyone who asked for this. Not sure who these people are claiming summer is too long but you sound like total bores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Since I spent my childhood going back to school in September in Europe, when the weather is already autumnal, I can never get my head around starting in August, and having a month of sweltering weather at school.

However this is how things are done here, and I suppose with climate change, it's all going to get worse weather-wise. Ugh. I need to retire in some Scandinavian country or Canada.

With the exception of recess, they’re sitting in AC all day. They’ll be fine.

If only this were true.

Which school in FCPS doesn’t have A/C?

there are no local schools without AC. This was fixed in the 90s.

[Anonymous]

I think they should go all year round. But I am annoyed that school is starting early and there are so many days off. There are like 8 days off before Halloween.

[Anonymous]

Real Americans never send their kids back to school before Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because by mid-May, no matter if school starts in August or Sep, the kids are DONE. They are burned out. The weather is sunnier and getting warmer and they want to be outside. They want to have some freedom and relax. They have checked out and need to be out by early/mid June.

By mid/late-Aug. they are tired/bored of mostly being at home or the pool. Time to go back.

right- but FCPS isn't out until June 16th- the same day as FCCPS, but FCCPS starts a week later. FCPS added all kinds of random holidays this year and extended the school year. The justification for the pre-labor day start was supposed to be to get more class in before SOL's- but where we are landing is pre labor day start and still worthless sitting in classrooms post SOL's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because by mid-May, no matter if school starts in August or Sep, the kids are DONE. They are burned out. The weather is sunnier and getting warmer and they want to be outside. They want to have some freedom and relax. They have checked out and need to be out by early/mid June.

By mid/late-Aug. they are tired/bored of mostly being at home or the pool. Time to go back.

right- but FCPS isn't out until June 16th- the same day as FCCPS, but FCCPS starts a week later. FCPS added all kinds of random holidays this year and extended the school year. The justification for the pre-labor day start was supposed to be to get more class in before SOL's- but where we are landing is pre labor day start and still worthless sitting in classrooms post SOL's.

Yes - it is so frustrating. There is no need to have every holiday off. (And I say this as a Jew - I pull my kids for the High Holidays but see no need to not have school.) And why Veterans Day? And all the end of quarter days off that don't exactly align to holidays. Why not affix the workdays/end of the first quarter to Election Day (since the kids can't be in schools that day)? Why not attach the end of the semester work days to MLK Jr Day? Same for 3rd quarter/Spring Break. Even if they don't exactly align, with rolling gradebooks kids know where they are. Then the families get a few more longer weekends and not this disjointed mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So today is your day to bash FCPS with another stupid post on a topic that has already been discussed. Cool.

Discussed in several threads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because by mid-May, no matter if school starts in August or Sep, the kids are DONE. They are burned out. The weather is sunnier and getting warmer and they want to be outside. They want to have some freedom and relax. They have checked out and need to be out by early/mid June.

By mid/late-Aug. they are tired/bored of mostly being at home or the pool. Time to go back.

right- but FCPS isn't out until June 16th- the same day as FCCPS, but FCCPS starts a week later. FCPS added all kinds of random holidays this year and extended the school year. The justification for the pre-labor day start was supposed to be to get more class in before SOL's- but where we are landing is pre labor day start and still worthless sitting in classrooms post SOL's.

I think it was more for AP testing. When we moved to two weeks before Labor Day the SOL tests were bumped up to match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have a lot of days off. Our town (in Mass) starts Tuesday after Labor Day and ends June 15. We get a week off in December, February and April. Plus fed holidays. Mass and VA require 180 instructional days.

Looks like the big difference is religious holidays (we can take them as excused absences) and professional days for us are only half days.

I’d be very annoyed if my kids started school this early in August and didn’t get out until mid-June.

New England is one of the only places in the country that still starts after Labor Day.

But SNOW DAYS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was ok with one week before Labor Fay but two is ridiculous. Schools that start in mid August get out in late May or very early June. I hate this change and am annoyed at everyone who asked for this. Not sure who these people are claiming summer is too long but you sound like total bores.

Or working parents. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was ok with one week before Labor Fay but two is ridiculous. Schools that start in mid August get out in late May or very early June. I hate this change and am annoyed at everyone who asked for this. Not sure who these people are claiming summer is too long but you sound like total bores.

Or working parents. Sorry.

I work too. School doesn’t exist so you can have year round child care for free. There are a million camps at all different price points and fun for kids. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was ok with one week before Labor Fay but two is ridiculous. Schools that start in mid August get out in late May or very early June. I hate this change and am annoyed at everyone who asked for this. Not sure who these people are claiming summer is too long but you sound like total bores.

Or working parents. Sorry.

I work too. School doesn’t exist so you can have year round child care for free. There are a million camps at all different price points and fun for kids. Sorry.

Agree. I work, a lot, and have never considered school to be childcare. Daycare is childcare.