Do you break for the summer?

I voted "other" on this poll because it varies from year to year. My oldest son always has the summer off--his choice. For the last 2 summers my other 3 children wanted to do school all summer and enjoyed it. This summer they decided they wanted a break so haven't had school since late April. We begin our new school year August 13. I prefer having the summer off, but if my kids want to have school and work ahead I sure don't want to discourage it. If we do have summer school they carry a regular school load the rest of the year, then a lighter load during the summer months. If we lived in town we would probably always have summer school, but we have goats and raise a big garden and do a lot of canning, freezing, butchering chickens--preparing our household for the winter months-- so it is hard for me and the kids to have school during the summer months. My eldest daughter still has worked on some school this summer. She is 13 and just loves to learn. She only has two more years of history left to complete. She just loves history.

I will admit I got very weary of school when we had it all summer--even though teaching my kids is my very favorite thing to do. I feel refreshed again after having this summer off and feel more than ready for another school year.

 

We take a break for the summer, for the sanity of the teacher!:laugh:

But, I also believe that learning also takes place even though we aren't "officially" in school. Dd is taking swimming lessons. Ds is not doing any kind of lessons, but he likes to practice guitar when he has a chance.

 

I try to plan my year so we have a large break in Nov/Dec. I don't like having to deal with church stuff and school stuff at the same time and it seems church is so busy at Christmas.

Our school year runs from June 1st - May 31st. By our state law we have to do 180 days of school. This year we took all of June off, most of July and will have a week break in October, off for the week of Thanksgiving, off from the 3rd week of December to the second Monday in January (we have a baby due 12/21 =) ), we will have a spring break the last full week in March and our school year will end the last of May.

At this point I'm not sure what the next (08-09) school year will hold but, I do love the fact that I am not bound by anyone's calender but the one I build and I can change it at any time =)

 

I had to vote for the odd schedule.

Since Chris' migraines are unpredictable, so is our schedule. Luckily, all we have to do is show 180 or so days of learning.

Right now we are doing a lot of PE and daily living skills(he doesn't want to call it home ec) type stuff and just a little subject work. Some of these things will be difficult to accomplish when it gets cold and rainy in a few months.

When the girls go back to school, Monday, we will begin a more structured schedule and do every subject every day. Chris has quite a lot of gaps in his knowledge base that we are filling in as we go along, so even our more structured schedule is going to go off tangent as we progress.

 

If I didn't go all summer, I'd be mighty uncomfortable.

 

We go all summer, but we do shift our focus in the summertime.

 

No way

Summers off here!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

We take a break during the summers, for the most part. Things that continue: music lessons, any subject (if any) we didn't have time for during the year, and informal maintenance-type activities like math facts worksheets or computer games, mostly for the younger ones who tend to forget that stuff if we don't keep it up. The kids devour library books and participate in the summer reading program there. Other than that, they're out playing hard, swimming, hanging with friends, and catching fireflies.

This summer, we'll be doing science, since I don't feel like we did it justice during the year. Also, I'll be getting a head start on phonics/reading with my rising kindergartener...nothing intensive or high-pressured--just getting a head start so that when fall comes we'll be ahead of the game.

Spring (warm weather) comes early where we're from, and spring fever hits us hard. Summers are hot and humid...so, what I usually end up doing is ending the school year mid-April or so and starting back up in August in the dog days. Spring is just too delightful to miss, and August is, well, August.