off from school in chrismas?????????/

amother ↓

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 2:39 pm

so my friend works in a mo school and she ust told me they only have ine day off for chanukah because they get off for chrismas.

what do you think?

I think that it is the one day every jewish child should be in school

cassandra ↓

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 2:53 pm

I think it is just a practical thing:

1) There is no busing
2) If the school has a high percentage of non-Jewish teachers, who would all be off, it is a burden on the school
3) Jewish mothers who teach have no babysitters
4) Most parents are off anyway, so it is a day to spend with the family.

My daughter's somewhat-MO school has an early dismissal, and my son (who is in a separate preschool) has off that day (which I was annoyed about since he had 2 days off for Chanuka and none of the above reasons apply, except #4)

↑ cassandra

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 3:17 pm

So then maybe they have to do something administrative.

And if they are giving the older grades school, that shows where their priorities lie anyway, so what is so shocking about only the younger grades having off?

Raisin ↓

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 3:50 pm

My school always gave off 2 weeks at that time of year. We had non Jewish staff so there was no choice. In England as well kids generally get off more time during the year, since there is only about 6 weeks in the summer.

I don't see whats so terrible...kids need to have at least a short break. At least make it when parents can spend time with them.

If its a frum school, anyway, why are you so worried? Do you think parents will be making xmas trees with them? And if it is not a frum school, well, if kids are keeping xmas, they will keep it if you give them off or not.

su7kids

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 3:55 pm

I think it would be awesome if the Judaic teachers would put in a few extra hours around that holiday, and then the secular / non Jewish teachers could do that Erev Pesach, so that the Jewish teachers can do some Pesach cleaning, prep, without kids underfoot.

I'm sure it could be worked out.

Clarissa

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 5:56 pm

Our school is closed for vacation then. It's nice, because my husband is off, we can all be together. Some of the kids at our school have parents who are off, or siblings who are off at their own schools, so it's a quiet day at home.

I don't see why a Jewish school has to be open just to prove a point.

louche ↓

Tue, Dec 11 2007, 9:36 pm

Clarissa wrote:

I don't see why a Jewish school has to be open just to prove a point.

My schools were always open that day, even if it was Chanuka and we were off the day before or the day after, just to prove a point. I resented this for several reasons:

1. I took pubic transit, and we always had trouble using our transit passes on that day, even though we had a letter from the principal explaining that we do not observe the day and we have school. sometimes it was just easier to pay the full fare even though we were entitled to use the passes.
2. the streets, buses and trains were deserted and it was really creepy. I mean, our footsteps would echo. I went to school with another girl, so I had company, but some girls came from very far away and traveled alone. It wasn't a safe thing to do.
3. family members who worked for nonJewish companies had off. we could have had nice family get-togethers except that we kids were in school.

Prove a point? what point? I went to a religious Jewish school. no one in my school would have thought we were celebrating the holiday!

sarahd ↓

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 6:48 am

My son has off from preschool from December 24 to January 2. I find it upsetting in principle but in practice it's actually better for him to have off then than on Chanukah because my office is also closed that week. Things will be much more annoying when he has off for "sport vacation" (don't ask! Rolling Eyes

) in February or in the summer when I have to make arrangements for him for five weeks.

RedRuby

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 6:57 am

My kids are also off for a week and a half at the end of December. I actually prefer it this way...my husband and I are home and we can do relaxing things together like visiting relatives, etc. (we are sure to steer clear of the mall!)

On Chanukah, they have school, but no homework. It's so crazy and hectic with the parties, community programs, that it would be a "waste" of vacation days, since we're always entertaining and tired. And we have family time every evening of Chanukah to do all the fun family Chanukah activities...dreidle playing, sitting around the menorah, etc.

willow

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 8:03 am

sarahd wrote:

) in February or in the summer when I have to make arrangements for him for five weeks.

I know you said don't ask Very Happy

But I am asking ( what is sport vacation? Very Happy

)

greenfire ↓

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 8:46 am

willow wrote:

sarahd wrote:

) in February or in the summer when I have to make arrangements for him for five weeks.

I know you said don't ask Very Happy

But I am asking ( what is sport vacation? Very Happy

)

yeah really hard not to be curious What

anyways a merry c h r ist mas ... just enjoy the vacations - which ever ones you get ... ho ho ho Tongue Out

↑ sarahd ↓

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 9:04 am

Sport vacation is 2 weeks that you get off from school to go skiing. (Guess where I live.) The parents of those kids who don't go skiing have to break their heads over how to entertain their kids for two weeks of nasty cold weather when you can't really go outside. Or arrange child care for two weeks.

madys

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 9:44 am

My son is in preschool - he had one day off for Channukah, and then he has off new year's EVE and new year's day. I can understand being off new year's day, but new year's EVE? As far as I can recall, the eve is not a holiday, and everyone has work!

Really annoying!!

imaamy

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 9:48 am

Our kids are off starting the 24th. They get bored, and I wish they'd have more school. This year they even asked why can't we be off Chanukah and not Xmas? A lot of non-Jewish teachers/staff, so no choice, but it does seem silly!

↑ Raisin

Wed, Dec 12 2007, 11:21 am

My kids seemed to get homework as usual this chanuka. I didn't make them do it though, we were too busy in the evenings. One daughters teacher was even inspired to give them a chumash test yesterday.