Kids returning to school before Labour Day!!

[toesmom]

At least if you are parents of school aged children you have an option of whether to have your kids miss school or not. My DH is a teacher and we had booked for Aug 23-Sep 6 - flights already booked too. Since he, as a teacher, has no option to skip school, we are now faced with additional change fees plus additional costs in fares because we originally booked on a seat sale - at least an extra $1000 and possibly more since we are a family of five. Hardly seems fair when it was not a "risky" move to booke the last two weeks of summer - he's been a teacher for 18 years and NEVER has school started before Labour Day.

I might be wrong here, but aren't most teachers supposed to be setting up class the week before school starts? That's been my experience with my closest friends who are teachers. Maybe your dh's school operates differently? I assume since teachers have the entire summer off, vacation schedules can be flexible in your family? We had this problem about booking into september and had to pay to change our flights (ugggh).

 

[Tiger926]

For my collective agreement in highschool, we don't have to be in classes until the first day of school. Most of us go in early, but that is at our own time. Principals are not allowed to request us to go in, they can't schedule meetings, etc.

Not sure if the unions can really do anything as it's 6 months before school, and that is enough time to prepare for the new year. I'm wondering if they might approach it from this perspective though, although just because schools have never started before Labour Day, it doesn't mean it can't happen. This is what our union advises (I used to work for the union) - if it's possible, then don't do any planning of vacations, etc. that might affect your work as teachers must be at work on the first day of classes which must be after Sept. 1.

I wish all teachers and students well who are caught in this mess.

Tiger

 

[mom2faith]

Well Tiger, I hate to tell you ... but not everyone (and not every teacher) agrees with you. We do not schedule our vacations around school calendars. We schedule them when we see fit. This year we will be taking the kids out of school for 4 days in December to go to Disney. In 2012 we may be having them start late for a trip to Ireland that includes an event that will take place during our Labour Day weekend. I have never had a teacher complain about me taking the kids out of school and I know many teachers who think that family vacations and certain "once in a lifetime" events are worth a couple of days off of school. Heck...my kids have had their teachers take time off during the school year for honeymoons and family reunions!

Now don't get me wrong...we do concider all angles when scheduling vacations. We don't take them out of school often and if my child was struggling in school then I would probably not do it at all.

I have to pipe in here...since this is starting to affect us too.

We are lucky this year and our trip is still OK because Kindergarden is not starting until after Labor Day but the rest of the grades are starting on the 27th of August.

I just want to point out to teachers, that many people work in industries where the kids breaks are their busy time and there are simply no holidays taken during that time. For example, I spent many years as a retail manager and as the manager my black out dates were basically the kids out of school dates: Christmas, August (for Back to School shopping), Easter. These are the retail world's busiest times partly because the kids are out of school and many people are taking vacations.

I am no longer in retail, but DH is in sales and there is definately some times where we will have to pull DD out of school as a result. Not our #1 choice, but family vacations are important too - KWIM?\

 

[seashoreCM]

. My DH is a teacher and we had booked for Aug 23-Sep 6 - flights already booked too. Since he, as a teacher, has no option to skip school, we are now faced with additional change fees plus additional costs in fares because we originally booked on a seat sale - at least an extra $1000 and possibly more since we are a family of five. .

You go he stays.
Could he go for part of the vacation?

My town usually begins school a week before U.S. Labor Day.

 

[CanadianPaco]

I might be wrong here, but aren't most teachers supposed to be setting up class the week before school starts? That's been my experience with my closest friends who are teachers. Maybe your dh's school operates differently? I assume since teachers have the entire summer off, vacation schedules can be flexible in your family? We had this problem about booking into september and had to pay to change our flights (ugggh).

Snap!! Love it!

 

[LSmith]

Unless your kids have exams or are starting a new school I can't see how this a big deal.

My kids miss 15 to 20 days per year due to travel. We have been doing this since my oldest, who is now in university, was in grade 1.

I have never understood how a week here and there could possibly make or break a student's progress. We have NEVER had a teacher do anything extra before or after our children's return to school. They haven't offered and we have never asked.

We have only ever encountered one teacher who thought it was her business to negatively comment our travel. I told her to get over it. My daughter is a straight A student. Not that that would impact whether or not we travelled. Incidently, this teacher has taken off a HUGE amount of time due to "personal issues". Am I allowed to voice my opinion on that?

 

[Sheribo]

If Tuesday was 4th it would be the day after Labour Day. September 4th in 1998 was on a Friday

Sorry, my mind was elsewhere. I pulled out their report cards and they started on Tuesday the 1st and my daughter started a week later on the 8th (I think). Long time ago.....

 

[rickysgirl]

I just called our school board. We are in Sarnia. I was told the kids are returning September 1st.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Our local newspaper ran an article yesterday indicating that our 3 local school boards are also planning on a September 1st start. *If* our next trip goes off as planned (with the state of the economy and DH working for the auto industry, its too soon to know if we're going again for sure ), then we would not be returning until late on the 31st of August.

If DS misses the first day (we are EXHAUSTED after a week at Disney, and he'll need a day to rest) then so be it. The first week hasn't historically packed that much of a punch academically (in past years anyway).

 

[coastgirl]

I just saw the Halifax RSB dates yesterday, we start Sept 1 (or actually, probably the 3rd...after the PD days, the teachers usually have a couple of days before the kids). I was surprised, but not displeased. I do actually like that the first two weeks are short--the adjustment is hard on my kids, and a long weekend early on is not a bad thing.

Starting the previous week does seem early to me. Sorry for messed-up plans.

I am delighted to have the dates for March break! We are being "fiscally responsible" this year :-( but I am starting to plan next March break now that I have dates.

 

[jester911]

Just read in the paper that the London area school boards are working on a decision for this. It looks like the teachers go back on the 1st and the students start on the day after Labour day. So no worries....unless your a Teacher.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/02/25/8522821-sun.html

 

[Debbs]

I was just reading in the Ottawa Citizen where classes will start before Labour Day for the Ottawa-Carleton District School board.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/C...ublic+school+board+decides/1327770/story.html

 

[Ham Ham]

Just read in the paper that the London area school boards are working on a decision for this. It looks like the teachers go back on the 1st and the students start on the day after Labour day. So no worries....unless your a Teacher.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/02/25/8522821-sun.html

Finally some sage administrators. You folks in London are lucky. Good idea move a few PA days into the week before Labour Day.

Although the staff/teahers will have to go back early, what a drag.

I'm under this impression that teachers normally aren't officially required until the 1srt day of classes but most must go in a few days before class to get everythihng ready.
Could any teachers please clarify what is expected of you? TIA.

Still waiting on Mississauga Catholic Schools. We're booked at Boardwalk until the 4th of September.

 

[dvcdisney]

I just saw the Halifax RSB dates yesterday, we start Sept 1 (or actually, probably the 3rd...after the PD days, the teachers usually have a couple of days before the kids).

I called the Halifax School Board to enquire and they had informed me that the decision has been confirmed to be Sept 2nd for the children and Sept 1st for the teachers. I asked if there may be changes, they said no. When I was transfer to the Min of Ed, she was quite adamant that this is the confirmed dates and it will not be changing. She seemed surprised that I even asked. I think they assumed it was common knowledge and when I mentioned that I was expecting the beginning of school to be after Labour Day, as has been in the last few years, she just said, "no it's not" (like there was absolutely no reason why I would even assume that).

It's bad enough that they didn't communicate this properly, they don't even acknowledge that starting before Labour Day is uncommon.

 

[Debbie]

I'm under this impression that teachers normally aren't officially required until the 1srt day of classes but most must go in a few days before class to get everything ready. Could any teachers please clarify what is expected of you? TIA.

You are correct. I always choose to spend days in before school. Sometimes a week, sometimes even more, and usually in 2-4 hour chunks throughout July and August. The last couple of years DD has taken some summer courses, and since I had to drive her in (we're just outside of London), I worked through July in the classroom, so that August was less. I spend (literally) hours on the internet doing PD during the summer, too, but that is my choice. In fact, the teachers JK-4/5 get together at my home late in the summer for some planning (and visiting, and eating, and . . . .) We choose to do this.

This year, those 2 PD days (Sept. 2 and 3) are slated as Ministry days-meetings on math and literacy initiatives. That will work well, in that we will be able to use the information that we get right from the get-go. That means that we won't be spending them getting the classroom ready. I'll have to have that done ahead of those dates. I'll be in the school on Wednesday and Thursday for the meetings. Have dinner on Thursday, and then head to the airport for the 8:00 flight to Halifax to get my DD installed at Dalhousie.

I DO feel for my colleague who, last year, booked his family's once in a lifetime trip to Australia....knowing that they had the extra week. Both parents are teachers, and they will be hit with 4 days lost pay due to the circumstance.

 

[Ham Ham]

You are correct. I always choose to spend days in before school. Sometimes a week, sometimes even more, and usually in 2-4 hour chunks throughout July and August. The last couple of years DD has taken some summer courses, and since I had to drive her in (we're just outside of London), I worked through July in the classroom, so that August was less. I spend (literally) hours on the internet doing PD during the summer, too, but that is my choice. In fact, the teachers JK-4/5 get together at my home late in the summer for some planning (and visiting, and eating, and . . . .) We choose to do this.

This year, those 2 PD days (Sept. 2 and 3) are slated as Ministry days-meetings on math and literacy initiatives. That will work well, in that we will be able to use the information that we get right from the get-go. That means that we won't be spending them getting the classroom ready. I'll have to have that done ahead of those dates. I'll be in the school on Wednesday and Thursday for the meetings. Have dinner on Thursday, and then head to the airport for the 8:00 flight to Halifax to get my DD installed at Dalhousie.

I DO feel for my colleague who, last year, booked his family's once in a lifetime trip to Australia....knowing that they had the extra week. Both parents are teachers, and they will be hit with 4 days lost pay due to the circumstance.

Thanks for the response, I realize that you folks will be a work prior to those day the board requires you to be in the first week of September.

Those wall posters don't get there on their own.

 

[CanadianPaco]

Just read in the paper that the London area school boards are working on a decision for this. It looks like the teachers go back on the 1st and the students start on the day after Labour day. So no worries....unless your a Teacher.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/02/25/8522821-sun.html

Fantastic!!!! I am so glad to see this! Thx

 

[sugar1967]

Boy - sounds like I am lucky to work in the division that I do! Our teachers "official" first day back is Tuesday, September 8th and it is an administration day. The students are back on Wednesday, September 9th but only for their teacher conference and that is it - so technically about 15 minutes. So....if you are away on holidays that week you really miss 2 official teaching days. We had a few years here where students returned to school before Labour Day but the absence rate was so high and the uproar from parents prompted the school divisions to get their act together and make some smart educational choices. It really makes no sense expecting teachers to teach half empty classrooms and parents just weren't bugding. Hence, let's make everyone happy and just start after Labour Day. Hoping that they don't decide down the road to rethink this.

 

[Tiger926]

We just got an official viewing of our tentative schedule today and we as teachers are going back Sept 2 & 3 for PA days and kids will go back on Sept 8th. In order to do this, we gave up 2 PA days throughout the year, and kept Family Day. I noticed when I went on other board websites as mentioned in this thread, that many boards are keeping all of their PA days throughout the year, so that is why kids and teachers are back early. Glad my board took away 2 during the year, in order to place them at beginning of year. Much better solution, especially for people who have booked vacations.

As I already mentioned above, we don't have to go in to school until the first official day of classes - we go in early on our own time.

Hope things work out for all, Tiger

 

[Ham Ham]

Too bad Tiger.
You teachers should head back when students do.