What Do Your School Breaks Look Like?

Updated on April 16, 2013
R.J. asks from Seattle, WA
9 answers

I am pleased to announce we no longer live in "shortest summer ever" (most bleeding 3 day school weeks, and HOW many half days???) district. Phew. We've got 10 whole weeks this summer. (Okay, almost. 9 & a smidge).

Another totally unrelated post got me thinking about school holidays.
How ours (generally) run is like this. We have split custody, so I think in terms of days I actually have my son, so 5 days off translates to 9 days of having (or not having) my son.

Sept- 4 day weekend : Laborday
Oct - 9 days (school week plus both weekends): Parent Teacher Conf.
Nov- 9 days : Thanksgiving
Dec- 10 days : Winterbreak
Jan- 10 days : Winterbreak
Feb- 5 day weekend : Valentines & Pres
Mar : 5 day weekend : Midwinter Break
April - 10 days : Spring Break
May - 4 day Weekend: Memorial Day
June: Summer on June 14th.
Plus various half days & 3 day weekends.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Okay I am not brain ready to itemize my kids' holidays/vacations.

But, last day of school for my kids are May 24th.
Then they go back to school on Aug. 5th.

Public school.

Then the "problem" is: what to do with them over the summer and limited budget?

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K.H.

answers from Detroit on

Most Michigan schools start the Tuesday after Labor Day. My kids get about 2 weeks off for Christmas, the day before Good Friday through the week after Easter, then school ends about mid-June. We have some snow days to make up this year, though. It seems most weeks between Halloween and Christmas are shorter than five days - no idea why. It works out to around 11 or 12 weeks of summer vacation, which I love. Something about those hot August days when you're bored out of your mind because you have NOTHING TO DO. Sounds like heaven right now!

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Too long, too often. Just kidding...or am I?

They get out the third week in May, go back the first week in August. Not sure how many weeks that is, I guess around 10. It would have been nine if we used our snow days.

We only have a two week tops Christmas break and we call it a Christmas break even in the public schools. Rebels we are! :pp

Memorial day is part of the summer break. One week for spring break, Easter break if not attached to spring break is a four day weekend.

President's day and MLK are one day.

Thanksgiving is a four day weekend with a half day on Wednesday.

There are around 10 early dismissals and each month has a teachers whatever day.

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A.S.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter goes to public school and this is generally what our breaks look like:

Aug 27th school starts
Sept 4 - 3 day weekend for labor day
October - 2nd or 3rrd Monday off for Fair Day (State Fair of Texas)
October - 2nd or 3rd Tuesday off for Staff Inservice (grading)
Nov - 5 days (including weekend after for Thankgiving)
December-January (usually go 14 days for winterbreak - including weekends)
January 1 extra day for staff inservice - usually MLKJr Day
February - 1 day for staff inservice
March - 1 week for Spring Break
A. 3 day weekend for Easter Break
A. 1 extra day for staff inservice that also can be used as a makeup day for bad weather.
May Memorial Day 3 day weekend
June out for Summer on or around June 6

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Wow! That is alot of long breaks!

My son starts the day after Labor Day and ends in early June, so a nice long summer vacation.
2 days at Thanksgiving.
1 week at Christmas with maybe an extra day or half day off depending on the day it falls.
1 week for Spring Break.
Half of Thursday and all Good Friday for Easter.
Monday off for Memorial Day.
And a few whole days, late starts and early release days tossed in.
I don't think he had any days off for conferences. The teachers do them in the evenings.
*added*-no days off for President's day or MLK day, etc. (Catholic School--they kind of make their own rules.)

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Don't even get me started. Oh wait, too late. Here goes.

Our godforsaken school district is on a year-round schedule, which is the bane of my existence. We are on the "A" track, meaning we don't start school until 1 month after B,C, and D tracks - so we actually get a short little summer (but not as long as traditional schools). Here's this year's schedule:

Back to school: August 17
Labor Day: Sep 3
A track vacation: October 29 - November 25 (1 month)
Winter break: December 24 - January 1 (1 week)
MLK Day: January 21
Lincoln: February 11
Washington: February 18
A track vacation: March 8 - April 7 (1 month)
Memorial day: May 27
Last day of school: June 28

Every month, there's a "track change day" where ALL of the kids are dismissed early, because the teachers have to pack up their classrooms and move to a new classroom to accommodate the classes that are tracking back on the following day.

Most kids only have from July 2 - July 18 for summer break (so, basically 2 weeks). I'm glad that at least we are on the track that gets an extra 4 weeks vacation during the summer.

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

We don't start school until after Labor Day. This year, we had the day after Halloween off, but next year we won't.

Nov - Veteran's Day + full week for Thanksgiving (some years only Thurs/Fri for Thanksgiving)
Dec/Jan - two week winter break
Jan - MLK Day (Monday)
Feb - president's day (Monday)
March or April - one week spring break (M - F)
May - Memorial Day - Friday + Monday and this year also Tuesday (4 or 5 day weekend)

School ends around June 20 and resumes sometime in the first full week of September.

For conference weeks (twice a year) they have minimum days all week and we normally have minimum days every Wednesday.

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

I'm a teacher in Texas, and my boys go to school in a different district. Our schedules vary a bit, but here's what it generally looks like:

Start school August 27
Sept - 3 day weekend (Labor Day)
Oct. - 3 day weekend (Columbus Day)
Nov. - 5 day weekend (Thanksgiving)
Dec/January - 2 weeks off (Christmas/New Year)
January - 3 day weekend (MLK Day)
Feb. - 3 day weekend (Presidents Day)
March - 1 Week Off (Spring Break)
March/April - 3 day weekend (Easter)
May - Two 3 day weekends (Cinco de Mayo/Memorial Day)
Last Day of School - June 6

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

Wow! That's a lot of breaks. Is this to cover budget cuts?

Our school has the following:
Sept: School starts Sept 5, after Labor Day weekend and teacher prep days.
Oct. -- 1 inservice day
November : 7 days off (incl. Thanksgiving, Vets day and teacher prep/conference days)
December: 11 days off, winter holidays
Jan: 2 days off (New Years and MLK day)
Feb: 2 days off (teacher planning and Presidents Day)
March: 5 day spring break
April: 1 day (teacher Planning)
May: Memorial day
School ends June 15th.

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