School day, count it or not?

[Elizabeth86]

I know what counts as school varies from person to person. I know its not a big deal to some. Its still a big deal to me. Sorry. Im trying to relax. So for 1st grade would you count this as a day, half day or not at all.

 

day 1 in question

We did a little passports kit, read some geography books and wrote birthday thank you notes. im sure there were a few other things just no book work in core subjects that day.

 

Day 2

My little ones go to library storytime and my first grader tags along. They are having a fire safety day and having the fire department and fire trucks there for information and denmonstrations. Is this ok to count as a field trip for a first grader.

 

Thanks for weighing in.

Edited October 6, 2017 by Elizabeth86

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Day 2 is definitely a field trip.

[Bootsie]

I would count both of those as a day in first grade; if I were doing first grade, there would be very little to no bookwork on most days.  Reading, art, music, PE, science (exploring outdoors) would all be part of "school"  

 

Remember that in a brick and mortar school, especially at the beginning of the school year, most of some days will be taken up by learning where the bathroom is, learning the class rules about where to store crayons, decorating a name plate for a desk, learning classmates names, and other items that are not book work 

[marbel]

Both would have been full days in my house.

[catz]

Every day is a learning day when your kids are young.  I didn't really count days hard at that age.  Does your state require that?  I'd count both those days as "educational" and I would certainly count #2 as a field trip in my head.

 

Book work at that age for us was a few lines of copy work, 10 minutes of leveled reading of their choice, and maybe 10-15 minutes of something mathy.  Anything beyond that was cake.  And we did lots beyond that.  But it was hands on and self selected quite often.  Like documentaries and science kits and field trips and nature hikes, etc. 

[Elizabeth86]

Every day is a learning day when your kids are young. I didn't really count days hard at that age. Does your state require that? I'd count both those days as "educational" and I would certainly count #2 as a field trip in my head.

 

Book work at that age for us was a few lines of copy work, 10 minutes of leveled reading of their choice, and maybe 10-15 minutes of something mathy. Anything beyond that was cake. And we did lots beyond that. But it was hands on and self selected quite often. Like documentaries and science kits and field trips and

 

nature hikes, etc.

My state says you have to do 180 days, but you dont have to report to anyone.

[Heatherwith4]

For first grade, I’d say both are days. If you really feel weird about it, you could call it 1 1/2 days.

[Starr]

You have a whole year to get 180 days. Your are fine. You know if overall you are getting the work done. Sometimes it takes more hours in a day, some days less.

 

[Elizabeth86]

If it makes a difference these are the only 2 days in question since we started this year on Aug. 1st. all other days have been language arts and math everyday.

[regentrude]

Both are school days.

In first grade, you don't need book work.

[Alice]

My state says you have to do 180 days, but you dont have to report to anyone.

 

 

If you don’t have to report, I wouldn’t worry about it, especially at that age. The second day is a very age appropriate field trip. The first day is maybe a little light, but it’s fine for first grade. We don’t have to report and I’ve never kept track until this year when I have a high schooler. 

[HomeAgain]

It seems to bother you, so here's what I would do/am doing.

 

I have 140 days planned out for core work.  Those are lessons that build on each other following a logical course of study for 2nd grade.  I have 40 days of field trips/extras planned.  If we want to take a day to do nothing but art, that's one of those 40 days.  It averages to about a day a week on our school year (we do 42 weeks to get our hours in on a 4 day week).  The days are still counted as school days but I don't have to give a lesson day over for it.  It's just there.  Tomorrow starts our school week.  Instead of lessons we're going to a farm to see how the crop is harvested and making a day of it.  I'm not stressing over it because the day is built in as a flex day.

[maize]

Yes to both.

[marbel]

I've always had to count 180 days.  It doesn't matter; I still would count the 2 days you describe.  They are school days. The kids learned. Your child is still so young that nearly everything is a learning experience and thus "counts."

 

I'm worried that you are too wound up over what counts as a school day for a first grader and you are going to burn yourself out.  

[MistyMountain]

In a regular school they would take trips like that or have days where there are assemblies, the kids make letters for home or they watch a movie etc instead of doing regular subjects. I would count it.

Edited October 7, 2017 by MistyMountain

[happypamama]

I would totally count both as full school days. Learning doesn’t happen in set quantities every day. My tenth grader has five subjects that she needs to get a full credit of, but I don’t count it as 4/5 of a day if she doesn’t do one of those five subjects on a particular day.

 

(I’m required to count 180 days, but not until they’re 8. But even my 8yo doesn’t do every subject every day, and some days are lighter ones. I’d count both of those days as school days for him, and as long as ALL days for him weren’t lighter ones, I’d call it all good.)

[rainbowmama]

Personally, no, but you do you. For me to count something as a school day, I expect some of our LA bookwork and some of our math bookwork done at the very least. If that doesn't happen, I personally don't count it. 

[EKS]

I would count the first as a half day and the second as a full day.

 

FWIW, when I counted hours (for my own amusement), I actually included playdates because recess, you know.

[Daria]

I teach in a private high school.

 

Here are two things we count towards our total number of days required by the state.

 

The day we have the Baccalaureate Mass for our graduating seniors.  No freshmen, sophomores, or juniors are present unless they have a sibling graduating.

 

Make up day for Exam week, when you only come to school if you missed an exam earlier in the week.  We also have a faculty party this day.

 

If those things count for high school, then I can't imagine why what you describe wouldn't count.  If you feel like you're not going to get through the curriculum, and want to add other days go for it, but I don't think that will be an issue in first grade.

[Elizabeth86]

I teach in a private high school.

 

Here are two things we count towards our total number of days required by the state.

 

The day we have the Baccalaureate Mass for our graduating seniors. No freshmen, sophomores, or juniors are present unless they have a sibling graduating.

 

Make up day for Exam week, when you only come to school if you missed an exam earlier in the week. We also have a faculty party this day.

 

If those things count for high school, then I can't imagine why what you describe wouldn't count. If you feel like you're not going to get through the curriculum, and want to add other days go for it, but I don't think that will be an issue in first grade.

Ok, yeah I remember in high school the way they did exams was 1st period and 3rd period exams on day 1. If you passed your sol you were exemt from the final or if you had a study hall you didnt come for that exam time. So, there were days I wasnt even at school that got counted as a day present. Hmm. I have forgotten so much what public school was like.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yes to both (I'd count it and it's a field trip).

 

 

[Elizabeth86]

Thanks guys. Im trying to relax. You all should have seen me with my first baby, I was a wreck. Now babies are second nature kwim. This is going to take a while, like all things in my life.

[TX Native]

For grades K-2, definitely yes. For middle school-high school, no way Jose! If you only knew how many days public school doesn't get to book work the 1st week of school, the week before Christmas, the days subs are needed, the month after testing, weeks that the flu is going through the school with a large numbers of students and teachers out, and the last week of school you would be floored. One teacher said to my friend last year, "I don't know how I will fill my class time an extra week if the district moves the testing week up." I help in an after school program and the 3rd grade host teacher had a sub last week. On the whiteboard, the main teacher had written instructions to the students for the day, "go to the library one at a time, study your flash cards, I miss you, have a good day." School day? Check!

 

None of this is a pass to not teach your young children or lie about attendance, but it does help you not get caught up with the thought that you can't count a school day unless it involves formal bookwork. Actually, school attendance days count for regular school students rather the students engage in learning or not. If they show up for class and leave a few hours into the day, they are present. I count "engaged in learning" as school days in our homeschool and don't just go by did we do the 3Rs (even though the 3 Rs are our default minimum most of the time.)

[Daria]

Ok, yeah I remember in high school the way they did exams was 1st period and 3rd period exams on day 1. If you passed your sol you were exemt from the final or if you had a study hall you didnt come for that exam time. So, there were days I wasnt even at school that got counted as a day present. Hmm. I have forgotten so much what public school was like.

 

Those days definitely count too, but at least on those days at least 1/2 the kids are in the building at some point.  

[StephanieZ]

Day 1. Yes.

Day 2. Yes.

 

 

 

[Janeway]

Both days for sure. Both my younger children are in school, K and 2nd. Those would have counted at public school. 

[LMD]

Counting attendance is so silly for homeschooling!

 

For 1st, I would count any day when we do intentional learning activities. Not necessarily bookwork. So, I wouldn't count a day of playing lego, but I would count your little passports thing for sure.

 

And the second is definitely a field trip.

[Lecka]

It wouldn't be a field trip at a public school probably, they would probably take the fire truck to school, have an assembly about fire safety, and learn about fire safety.

 

So I would definitely call that a school day in any way of looking at it.

 

Plus fire safety is so important!

 

The first day sounds like a school day to me too, but I don't have anything beyond an opinion. That is my opinion, fwiw.

[EMS83]

They both count to me.  I formally only count days we do seat work, but if I were to be completely honest, any day they pick up books that can be fit into a content subject, it's a school day.  Though this approach does lead to a very uneven looking form of progress, I admit.  I'm comfortable with that 90% of the time.  The other 10% is spent freaking out that I'm ruining my kids.  :D

 

In first grade, it is alphabet books, tracing big letters, and lots of constructive play.  Math about halfway through (depending on maturity), and read-alouds vary.  My youngest hasn't had as much benefit in that area, honestly--for personal crisis reasons.  I would do that over, if I could.

[rebbyribs]

When I sign off on attendance sheets for my kids' homeschool charter, I am certifying that "educational activity was attempted".  I've only had a couple of days where I couldn't say yes to that (illness - but there are a lot of days when the kids would be too sick to go to school but we still can do some lightweight educational activity at home).  

Anyhow, I would say "yes" for both days you described, but I'd also have my own goals for the year that were independent of checking the attendance boxes.

[Guinevere]

I used to worry about this more, but as my kids have gotten older I've realized school is more than academics. It also includes crafts and projects, and just time learning how the world works. Now when we find ourselves at a park and the kids meet some other kids, I don't feel badly about letting them play longer than I intended. Those moments are very important educationally as well. I would count both days and not think twice.

 

As they get older, things change a bit, but I've found it so much easier to be goal-oriented rather than judge our success on how much time we spent. Dd12 can now be given a list of what is expected for the week, and adjust and manage her workload around those times we did other things. It all works out.

[Sandwalker]

I know what counts as school varies from person to person. I know its not a big deal to some. Its still a big deal to me. Sorry. Im trying to relax. So for 1st grade would you count this as a day, half day or not at all.

 

day 1 in question

We did a little passports kit, read some geography books and wrote birthday thank you notes. im sure there were a few other things just no book work in core subjects that day.

 

Day 2

My little ones go to library storytime and my first grader tags along. They are having a fire safety day and having the fire department and fire trucks there for information and denmonstrations. Is this ok to count as a field trip for a first grader.

 

Thanks for weighing in.

Yes imo both are school.

[Barb_]

I used to worry about this more, but as my kids have gotten older I've realized school is more than academics. It also includes crafts and projects, and just time learning how the world works. Now when we find ourselves at a park and the kids meet some other kids, I don't feel badly about letting them play longer than I intended. Those moments are very important educationally as well. I would count both days and not think twice.

Yes, this is so true. When my big kids were little, they learned quickly that the best way to get out of bookwork was to get along and play creatively. They're learning negotiation, planning and executive function skills, creative story telling, problem solving, logic, fine and gross motor development, as well as incorporating and cementing learning in the physical way little humans by nature are supposed to do. IMO that's something they don't get nearly enough of in a classroom. That's why they're often scrambling to teach those skills artificially in middle school.

 

Don't get so wrapped up in what you believe to be missing when you miss bookwork that you forget to account for the very real skills your alternate schooling is providing.

[Carrie12345]

My high schoolers mostly had a park day of sorts.  They did do some math later, but only because they're a bit behind our plan schedule. It was a school day.

 

The public school counts it as a school day when the kids go to a farm or an amusement park. Why wouldn't I?

Also, fire safety is a requirement in our state, so there's that.

[HSmomof2]

I would definitely count both days as school days for a first grader.