SO. I'm asking this with all sincerity because I just don't know ....

[gingersmom]

I actually asked what Chanukah was when I was young (in PS) and told not to worry about it, that I'd never come in contact with it. (

 

That makes me so sad.

[maryanne]

Fall break in one district here always falls on the weekend of the big University football rival game....so people can travel for the game.

 

Winter break is between semesters for most districts, only one has finals after Christmas.

 

And in my local school district growing up we always got Easter Monday off instead of Good Friday. The reason: Easter Monday was a state holiday because the legislature always took the day off to go watch local rival colleges play baseball, except that Easter Monday lasted far longer as a state and school holiday than the rivalry did. :001_huh:

[Belacqua]

I think it's crazy... it's not that God was never suppose to be acknowledged in schools... State wasn't going to be running the Church. I actually asked what Chanukah was when I was young (in PS) and told not to worry about it, that I'd never come in contact with it. :( Funny! I lived with a Jewish family as a young adult.... and then there is just cultural knowledge :) Guess it wasn't in the lesson plan :(

 

I agree with Gingersmom; that is quite sad. My elementary school was pretty clueless about Jewish holidays (as evidenced by the announcement wishing us a Happy Cha-noo-kah...), but they did try to be inclusive.

 

We did, however, get General Pulaski Day off. :)

[Jen in PA]

When I was doing my grad program in education in Pittsburgh, I was told that the schools had to be closed for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because there were not enough subs to handle the number of teachers who would need those days off. Makes sense to me.

[Cosmos]

Like someone else said, it's simply numbers and percentages.

 

Yup.

 

When I grew up in northern Virginia, we had school days off whenever the federal employees did, since so many parents worked for the government. In other places, they may not have off for MLK Day or Washington's birthday, for example.

 

Where I live now, the schools are off for a week every February. I never heard of such a thing growing up, but here it's a tradition. My hypothesis? People here like to ski, so they have a week off in the middle of winter for ski vacations.

 

It all depends on the local population.

[In The Great White North]

I remember reading in the paper (about 20 years ago) that U of M picked the week for their Feb break by consulting the ER. They put it on the week with the most suicide attempts.

 

Nothing to do with term breaks.

[Kathryn]

Interesting. Where did you go to high school?

 

I know in Oregon when I was growing up and in Vermont where my son goes to high school, first semester exams are after Christmas.

 

Here in South Carolina. School starts in early August here, so they're halfway done by winter break.

[In the Rain]

Where I live now, the schools are off for a week every February. I never heard of such a thing growing up, but here it's a tradition. My hypothesis? People here like to ski, so they have a week off in the middle of winter for ski vacations.

 

Are you in WA state? The week off in Feb. there is even called "Ski Week".

[Cosmos]

Are you in WA state? When I taught there, the week off in Feb. was even called "Ski Week".

 

How funny! No, I'm in the northeast, and it's just called "February Vacation Week".

[Matryoshka]

How funny! No, I'm in the northeast, and it's just called "February Vacation Week".

 

Yep. Also in northeast with a February Vacation Week, and I think there may be more people who head south to get away from the winter as ski...

 

Feb. vacation here also always lines up with President's Day, so just like April vaca, only 4 days are taken off the school schedule.

[Scarlett]

Where my mom taught, in a small rural AR school, they had a week off at the beginning of deer season.

[Farrar]

Because we don't officially have a separation of church and state, so things get muddied all the time.

 

This, to me, isn't really a separation of church and state issue though. Schools have to serve their populations. If the population is of a certain religion, then the students will take off and have the right to observe their holidays, so it's just practical. I don't think it's that the school is observing the holiday, which is different.

 

I first encountered this in college, where we got the Jewish holidays off. At first I was like, huh? I grew up in the south where there were only a couple of Jewish kids in any given grade. There, it wouldn't have made any sense. In New England, it was different.

[bettyandbob]

Where my mom taught, in a small rural AR school, they had a week off at the beginning of deer season.

 

 

It just depends on the religion of the population of the district doesn't it. If most of the people in the district are going to miss school because their religion calls for them to go hunting, then it makes no sense to have the school open.

[ktgrok]

I think it's crazy... it's not that God was never suppose to be acknowledged in schools... State wasn't going to be running the Church. I actually asked what Chanukah was when I was young (in PS) and told not to worry about it, that I'd never come in contact with it. :( Funny! I lived with a Jewish family as a young adult.... and then there is just cultural knowledge :) Guess it wasn't in the lesson plan :(

 

lol, I went to school in south florida. We played dreidel in school! I thought everyone did until I met people from other parts of the country.

[Joker]

lol, I went to school in south florida. We played dreidel in school! I thought everyone did until I met people from other parts of the country.

 

:D One of my dds had a K teacher who was from south Florida and was Jewish. They played dreidel, learned a Jewish dance, and made Latkes. They did other traditional holiday things as well, but this was new to most of them and they had a lot of fun.

[Scarlett]

 

 

It just depends on the religion of the population of the district doesn't it. If most of the people in the district are going to miss school because their religion calls for them to go hunting, then it makes no sense to have the school open.

 

LOL. Sure.

[LibraryLover]

all set. I was repeating what others said. sorry. :)

Edited September 26, 2012 by LibraryLover

[bobbeym]

Our local ps district just calls everything a staff/student holiday.

 

The winter break is between semesters and is usually the last week of Dec and first week of January. Spring break is *always* the 2nd week of March; every ISD in the greater Houston area takes that week off for spring break. Our ISD does get Good Friday off but it's also one of the weather make-up days. I don't remember the boys ever actually going to school on Good Friday though. By state law, ISDs can't start school before the 4th Monday of August without a special waiver (private schools are not held to that rule though) and most of them finish up the first week of June.

 

I try to align our breaks with the ISD b/c DS's best friend goes to ps and usually stays at our house on school vacation days. No point in planning for school work when I know there's not a chance in the world it's going to get done. :D

[beaners]

When I was in college I was in the SUNY system and there were certain schools that got a few of the Jewish holidays off. Binghamton was one of them. I was at Geneseo which was largely Christian so we didn't. It seemed to go with what the population needed. I think even growing up on LI that we got some of the days off.

 

Oh and to add this funny note: Here in VA they call the January day off Lee/Jackson/King Day. Just can't let go of the war lol

 

Buffalo had them off too.

 

I don't know the exact reason, but I always assumed that they knew there would be a large enough % of students staying home from school on certain days that it would be less disruptive to just go ahead and schedule around it. I've heard of schools in farm country scheduling the school calendar around months when there would be a lot of kids pulled out to work.

 

The schools in our county start a week early and then have a week off for the county fair.

[Kathryn]

 

It really has more to do with attendance and manpower than it has to do with religion.

 

:iagree:

[Chris in VA]

Oo, I remembered one--

 

In Dallas, we got a day off for State Fair! :D

 

No one I knew ever went that day, 'cause it was too crowded...;)

[tex-mex]

I don't know the exact reason, but I always assumed that they knew there would be a large enough % of students staying home from school on certain days that it would be less disruptive to just go ahead and schedule around it. I've heard of schools in farm country scheduling the school calendar around months when there would be a lot of kids pulled out to work.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

It depends on the region.

 

Having taught as a schoolteacher, the ADA (Average Daily Attendance) per student is $$$ in the district's pocket. Any absence is loss of funds. Better to schedule the 180 school days around the region's holidays or celebrations. HTH

[milovany]

In Dallas, we got a day off for State Fair! :D

 

In our town, school NEVER starts until after Labor Day weekend, because county fair and a national rodeo are held here that weekend. Huge, huge deal as we're the county seat. I had a friend move here from Alaska, and she started homeschooling before the fair. I told her she might want to change that schedule if she didn't want to be odd-man out. :D

[Soror]

I live rurally as well and different districts have off for deer season here as well. We don't really have any Jewish population, so no Jewish holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Labor Day were always holidays. I don't remember getting off Good Friday in our school but then again we didn't do much on Good Friday so perhaps I forget.

[Audrey]

I think the winter break has truly became a winter break, not a celebration of any particular holiday. It's between quarters/semesters and is a natural time for a few weeks off (maybe my experience with universities colors that -- the break is about a month long). Easter? It's on a Sunday. We've never gotten a day off of school for that. Good Friday? Have never in my life had experience with having that day off from school. I live on the far left (literal and figurative) coast, though, so maybe that plays in to it.

 

 

:lol: Blinders are firmly in place, eh?

 

Just because they no longer "call it" by the xtian holiday name, doesn't take away the fact that it is there for that holiday. Good Friday or Easter Monday is a common day off even though it's not called that. Certainly is interesting that although Easter is not the same Sunday every year, that "Spring Day" is always right before or after it.

[Audrey]

Because we don't officially have a separation of church and state, so things get muddied all the time.

 

Well, officially, you do. It's in the Constitution. However, in PRACTICE, you do not. That's where the muddiness arises.

[stripe]

:lol: Blinders are firmly in place, eh?

 

Just because they no longer "call it" by the xtian holiday name, doesn't take away the fact that it is there for that holiday. Good Friday or Easter Monday is a common day off even though it's not called that. Certainly is interesting that although Easter is not the same Sunday every year, that "Spring Day" is always right before or after it.

 

Indeed. One need only observe the schedules of other countries that are not Christian dominated and/ or have a different lifestyle. Yes, we are following a schedule in the US that is a holdover of vacation for farming AND breaks for Christian holidays.

 

Example: Japan. School year begins in April, after a week off from the previous year. They have vacations for Golden Week in May and New Year's. Their summer vacation is in the middle of a school year (rather than separating two years) and lasts for a month. They used to have school on Saturdays.

 

Saudi Arabia. School year begins at the end of September. Holiday for Eid. Christian holidays are not national holidays. "The weekend" is Thursday and Friday. See, bet you didn't think the "day of rest" was culturally determined, did you? Yep, that Sunday off has Christian roots! ;)

[Scarlett]

Well, officially, you do. It's in the Constitution. However, in PRACTICE, you do not. That's where the muddiness arises.

 

Funny a Canadian pointed that out. :D

[Audrey]

Funny a Canadian pointed that out. :D

 

Well, in all fairness, I used to be one of y'all. ;)

[Scarlett]

Well, in all fairness, I used to be one of y'all. ;)

 

Ah yes....I forgot that.

 

As to your point that in practice there is no seperation of church and state....I fully experienced that the entire time I was growing up in public school and not celebrating the mainstream holidays. It is ALL OVER public schools.

[SailorMom]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . ."

 

We don't, Constitutionally, actually have anything that says the government and religion have to stay completely separate.

The Supreme Court has been enforcing a separation of church and state, however, that is an interpretation.

Now - I'm not Christian - and neither was Jefferson ;) - so it isn't as if I think public schools or other tax payer institutions should go to any lengths to promote one religion or the other, or to specifically allow days of for particular religions - but I also think that there is a bit of, shall we say, zeal on the part of those wanting to get God out of everything.

I get not wanting religion and the state to mix - and I agree.... but, I don't like the over-reaction on either end of the spectrum - as if someone is allergic to religious beliefs and having them out in public could cause some sort of shock to their systems....

[Lady Florida.]

:lol: Blinders are firmly in place, eh?

 

Just because they no longer "call it" by the xtian holiday name, doesn't take away the fact that it is there for that holiday.

 

Yep. In many (most?) school districts it was called Christmas vacation until not that many years ago -- maybe 20-25 yrs. They changed the name to winter break, but the dates didn't move. Why not have a winter break well into winter rather than right at the beginning? Because it's really Christmas vacation.

 

My first teaching job was in a small town in south Georgia. We had off for Jefferson Davis' birthday. I was shocked!

[TranquilMind]

I don't know the exact reason, but I always assumed that they knew there would be a large enough % of students staying home from school on certain days that it would be less disruptive to just go ahead and schedule around it. I've heard of schools in farm country scheduling the school calendar around months when there would be a lot of kids pulled out to work.

 

It is probably this.

[milovany]

:lol: Blinders are firmly in place, eh?

 

 

Probably so on the Christmas thing. I'm probably remembering back to when we used to do the actual Biblical Christmas story in our public school pageants when I was in elementary school. When that faded away, I guess it felt like so did the extended holiday having anything to do with Christmas day (to me). The day of Christmas, sure, but not the rest of the week.

 

But as for Easter and spring break -- I never equated the two, ever. Nor have I ever, ever gotten a Good Friday off from school. The date of Easter varies widely, but spring break never did in my school district (or in the ones I'm working in now). Besides, even if we did now get a week off for Easter, half the time or more, it would be the wrong week! Next year, western Easter is a full six weeks before the Orthodox church celebrates Easter.

 

Innovators. ;)

Edited September 27, 2012 by milovaný

[Crimson Wife]

Did you grow up in Suffolk County? If so, March 17th is officially off for Evacuation Day (the day the British evacuated Boston during the Revolution) - it's just a happy coincidence that St. Patrick's is the same day.

 

Nope, I grew up in Worcester County. I forget exactly what my school called it, but it was neither "Evacuation Day" nor St. Patrick's Day.

[Belacqua]

Nope, I grew up in Worcester County. I forget exactly what my school called it, but it was neither "Evacuation Day" nor St. Patrick's Day.

 

Evacuation Day just does not sound like a fun holiday! :)

[Lady Florida.]

Evacuation Day just does not sound like a fun holiday! :)

 

If we had Evacuation Day here, it would mean a hurricane is coming. :D

[Audrey]

Yep. In many (most?) school districts it was called Christmas vacation until not that many years ago -- maybe 20-25 yrs. They changed the name to winter break, but the dates didn't move. Why not have a winter break well into winter rather than right at the beginning? Because it's really Christmas vacation.

 

My first teaching job was in a small town in south Georgia. We had off for Jefferson Davis' birthday. I was shocked!

 

 

I grew up in S. FL. Although they've since changed it, for grades 7 and 8, I went to Jefferson Davis Middle School.

:leaving:

[Matryoshka]

Nope, I grew up in Worcester County. I forget exactly what my school called it, but it was neither "Evacuation Day" nor St. Patrick's Day.

 

Huh. Wonder what you were getting the day off for... Evacuation Day I know is only a holiday in Suffolk County (which includes the City of Boston and just a few other towns) and Cambridge/Somerville. I grew up in Middlesex County, and we never got March 17th off.

[momma2three]

Probably so on the Christmas thing. I'm probably remembering back to when we used to do the actual Biblical Christmas story in our public school pageants when I was in elementary school. When that faded away, I guess it felt like so did the extended holiday having anything to do with Christmas day (to me). The day of Christmas, sure, but not the rest of the week.

 

But as for Easter and spring break -- I never equated the two, ever. Nor have I ever, ever gotten a Good Friday off from school. The date of Easter varies widely, but spring break never did in my school district (or in the ones I'm working in now). Besides, even if we did now get a week off for Easter, half the time or more, it would be the wrong week! Next year, western Easter is a full six weeks before the Orthodox church celebrates Easter.

 

Innovators. ;)

 

I didn't get Good Friday off until I moved to Massachusetts. There are so many Catholics here, it's a pretty common holiday. On year, I even worked at a company that gave it off!

 

Easter isn't tied to spring break here, but public schools have February break tied to MLK day and April vacation tied to Patriot's Day. I remember figuring out that it was totally unfair, because we really only got FOUR days off from school instead of FIVE, because one of them would be a holiday anyway! :lol:

 

I do think it's strange that you don't think winter break has anything to do with Christmas, just because there's no longer a Christmas oriented school play in most districts.

[LibraryLover]

Huh. Wonder what you were getting the day off for... Evacuation Day I know is only a holiday in Suffolk County (which includes the City of Boston and just a few other towns) and Cambridge/Somerville. I grew up in Middlesex County, and we never got March 17th off.

 

 

That is a holdiday which has been phased out over time. Lots of folks complain about it being remembered, although die-hard Bostonians hold it scared.

Edited September 27, 2012 by LibraryLover

[cathmom]

I grew up in a predominantly Jewish town in south Jersey, and we ALWAYS had the Jewish holidays off. And they were called by the Jewish names, while Christian holidays were not, which I never understood.:) We also sang Hannukah songs in our Winter Concert, while religious Christmas carols were not allowed. Our cafeteria offered Passover lunches with matzoh, which I always liked and all my Jewish friends were sick of!:lol:

[milovany]

I grew up in a predominantly Jewish town in south Jersey, and we ALWAYS had the Jewish holidays off. And they were called by the Jewish names, while Christian holidays were not, which I never understood.

 

I think this is precisely why it confused me initially. It just seemed unusual for me to see these religious holidays name on a public school calendar as the reasons for the day off. Wasn't familiar with that previously, or (as Audrey said) maybe I've had blinders on because of my Christian background.

[Scuff]

I believe local districts still have the freedom to make these decisions. I'd guess it cn be a purely logistical decision. we have a nearby district tht closes for muslim holidays. The district is heavily mulim and it doesn't make sense to stay open those days. Too many people absent.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Drive by posting. I haven't read the other responses.

 

Separation of church and state is often misunderstood. It's purpose is not to keep religion out of the government, it is to keep the state from creating a national denomination.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Excelsior! Academy

[NASDAQ]

Hope everyone had a meaningful Yom Kippur today :)

 

There's nothing obvious or natural about the way the school calendar is set up. From a Jewish perspective, the winter break is actually really inconvenient. Chanukah is a minor festival that doesn't require the day off of school. Almost nothing happens in the Jewish calendar during the summer, which would make it a great time for school. OTOH, the early fall is packed full of holidays. April is bad too.

 

Even in places where you get the time off, it makes for a really difficult fit. The kids just go back to school and they're missing Rosh Hashannah (2 days), Yom Kippur (1 day) and shouldn't be at school for Sukkos (8 days).

[Pamela H in Texas]

I think the winter break has truly became a winter break, not a celebration of any particular holiday.

 

LOL. Nevermind the 2-3 weeks of Christmas Trees, stars, presents, Santa stories, letters to Santa, Christmas spelling lists, gifts exchanges, etc talked about, drawn, colored, made, done before the "winter break?" Christmas parties the morning before is a tip off that it still is a celebration of one holiday.

[Scarlett]

LOL. Nevermind the 2-3 weeks of Christmas Trees, stars, presents, Santa stories, letters to Santa, Christmas spelling lists, gifts exchanges, etc talked about, drawn, colored, made, done before the "winter break?" Christmas parties the morning before is a tip off that it still is a celebration of one holiday.

 

Yep. And unless you are one who isn't participating you probably give it little thot.

[MrsBasil]

Yep. In many (most?) school districts it was called Christmas vacation until not that many years ago -- maybe 20-25 yrs. They changed the name to winter break, but the dates didn't move. Why not have a winter break well into winter rather than right at the beginning? Because it's really Christmas vacation.

 

My first teaching job was in a small town in south Georgia. We had off for Jefferson Davis' birthday. I was shocked!

 

Yes, I'm 30 and I remember being in elementary school and it being winter break for the first time. Before that it was called Christmas break officially. Spring break was always spring break and it usually didn't coincide with Easter. I remember a few kids who came to school with their ashes.

 

Where I live now, spring break is aligned with Easter and students are off school on Good Friday with the caveat that the day off is a potential make up day for snow closings.

 

School ends in early May here and begins in the middle of August.

[Matryoshka]

That is a holdiday which has been phased out over time. Lots of folks complain about it being remembered, although die-hard Bostonians hold it scared.

 

Well, the Suffolk County schools still get it off - it's just that with all the St. Pat's Day celebrations, nobody remembers that isn't the real reason they get the day off anymore...