Those dreaded Early Release Days--VENT

I'm just thinking out loud here about my least favorite part of
school, the early release day.

We only have a few, because parents complain so vociferiously about
them, but yet another Early Release Day is upon us tomorrow. And this
time I have absolutely no coverage because there just isn't any for
middle schoolers. There is no 'after-school' program (long since out
of the budget!), nor do the usual Y, JCC, B&G Club, etc. programs
accomodate middle school early release days. So I'm stuck with 2
choices: take the kids to work or leave them home alone from noon to
early evening, when I get home. Can't take the day off, too much to
do, deadlines approaching, etc. Plus I was sick 2 days last week, so
that would be really bad form. Can't work at home because the stuff
I'm doing is all database related and I can't get into it from home.

My kids are not particularly trustworthy, so leaving them home would
cause me a lot of trepedation. They are home alone after school every
day, but that's 1.5 hours, not 6 hours, and I honestly don't trust
them not to do something incredibly stupid.

Bringing them to work is fine, but they drive me nuts whining to go
home. Last time we had an early release day, the plant lady was there
and DD followed her around for a couple of hours 'helping' but she's
not due back tomorrow, darn it! DS brought his rollerblades, but I
work on a fairly steep hill and he fell and really scraped himeslf up,
so he's not willing to try that again! Plus I've got my usual Wed pm
staff meeting which is BORING and takes a couple of hours anyhow. I
could have them haul around books and markers, but it won't keep them
occupied forever. I work 4 or 5 blocks from a decent shopping
district, so I could send them on an errand, but that isn't going to
take hours, even if I make it complicated. There really isn't much for
them to do at work, besides bug me and bug my coworkers.

WHY do schools do this to working parents? As a former teacher, I can
swear up and down that they are a total waste of time for teachers,
plus our school district has an early release day *every* Tuesday when
kids get out an hour earlier than usual. So why do we have these extra
early release 1/2 days? They drive me nuts!

Marjorie

"chiam margalit" wrote in message
om...
I'm just thinking out loud here about my least favorite part of
school, the early release day.

We only have a few, because parents complain so vociferiously about
them, but yet another Early Release Day is upon us tomorrow. And this
time I have absolutely no coverage because there just isn't any for
middle schoolers. There is no 'after-school' program (long since out
of the budget!), nor do the usual Y, JCC, B&G Club, etc. programs
accomodate middle school early release days. So I'm stuck with 2
choices: take the kids to work or leave them home alone from noon to
early evening, when I get home. Can't take the day off, too much to
do, deadlines approaching, etc. Plus I was sick 2 days last week, so
that would be really bad form. Can't work at home because the stuff
I'm doing is all database related and I can't get into it from home.

My kids are not particularly trustworthy, so leaving them home would
cause me a lot of trepedation. They are home alone after school every
day, but that's 1.5 hours, not 6 hours, and I honestly don't trust
them not to do something incredibly stupid.

This won't make you feel better, but anything incredibly stupid
they could come up with in 6 hours they probably could come
up with in 1.5.

You might consider calling up one of their friend's parents
and having them go over for a middle school playdate.
When I was working the stay-at-home moms always offered
playdates on these early days (wanted their kid occupied
to.) When I became a stay-at-home myself I figured I
would make it up, but also pay it forward. I don't mind
at all when the working parents need a play date to make
times meet. You could make it up on weekends.

Where I live, there is a half-day (as we call it) once a week. Every
Wednesday the kids in K-5 are let out at 12:00. Loved it when I was a
kid, not so sure now.

Shelley
Mom to Jacob (21mo)





(chiam margalit) wrote in message . com...
I'm just thinking out loud here about my least favorite part of
school, the early release day.

We only have a few, because parents complain so vociferiously about
them, but yet another Early Release Day is upon us tomorrow. And this
time I have absolutely no coverage because there just isn't any for
middle schoolers. There is no 'after-school' program (long since out
of the budget!), nor do the usual Y, JCC, B&G Club, etc. programs
accomodate middle school early release days. So I'm stuck with 2
choices: take the kids to work or leave them home alone from noon to
early evening, when I get home. Can't take the day off, too much to
do, deadlines approaching, etc. Plus I was sick 2 days last week, so
that would be really bad form. Can't work at home because the stuff
I'm doing is all database related and I can't get into it from home.

My kids are not particularly trustworthy, so leaving them home would
cause me a lot of trepedation. They are home alone after school every
day, but that's 1.5 hours, not 6 hours, and I honestly don't trust
them not to do something incredibly stupid.

Bringing them to work is fine, but they drive me nuts whining to go
home. Last time we had an early release day, the plant lady was there
and DD followed her around for a couple of hours 'helping' but she's
not due back tomorrow, darn it! DS brought his rollerblades, but I
work on a fairly steep hill and he fell and really scraped himeslf up,
so he's not willing to try that again! Plus I've got my usual Wed pm
staff meeting which is BORING and takes a couple of hours anyhow. I
could have them haul around books and markers, but it won't keep them
occupied forever. I work 4 or 5 blocks from a decent shopping
district, so I could send them on an errand, but that isn't going to
take hours, even if I make it complicated. There really isn't much for
them to do at work, besides bug me and bug my coworkers.

WHY do schools do this to working parents? As a former teacher, I can
swear up and down that they are a total waste of time for teachers,
plus our school district has an early release day *every* Tuesday when
kids get out an hour earlier than usual. So why do we have these extra
early release 1/2 days? They drive me nuts!

Marjorie

"Shelley W." wrote in message
om...
Where I live, there is a half-day (as we call it) once a week. Every
Wednesday the kids in K-5 are let out at 12:00. Loved it when I was a
kid, not so sure now.


We get 1/2 day every 6 weeks. And believe me, we USE that time. That time is
spent planning for the next grading period with the other teachers in a
grade level, doing grade reports to parent, including summative written
evaluations, doing IEP paperwork, and everything else we don't get done. I
realize it is less than ideal for parents, but believe me, it is not wasted
time.

My school has an extended day program, and on half-days, it runs the second
half of the day. The community centers, JCC, and Y's also run special
programs on half-days, local movie theatres do marathons of children's
movies, etc.

Hi -

I'm actually in favor of banning early release days, unless they are
scheduled on the same day every week of the school year. Sure, for
parents who use a daycare that runs on the school calendar, early
release is no big deal. And for many parents (like me) who have
flexible jobs or who are at home, early release can be fun, extra time
with the kids. But I wind up with quite a few children over for
playdates because their parents have after-school arrangements with
caregivers who are NOT on the school schedule, or parents who get home
from work when school lets out. For these parents, early release is a
nightmare. (So are snow days, and early release or late start due to
weather, but most employers are far more understanding about
weather-related childcare issues.)

Now, if the school could offer an aftercare option for early release
days ONLY, the problem would be solved. But the schools don't have the
budget.

My two cents,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

Beth Kevles wrote:
Hi -

I'm actually in favor of banning early release days, unless they are
scheduled on the same day every week of the school year. Sure, for
parents who use a daycare that runs on the school calendar, early
release is no big deal. And for many parents (like me) who have
flexible jobs or who are at home, early release can be fun, extra time
with the kids. But I wind up with quite a few children over for
playdates because their parents have after-school arrangements with
caregivers who are NOT on the school schedule, or parents who get home
from work when school lets out. For these parents, early release is a
nightmare. (So are snow days, and early release or late start due to
weather, but most employers are far more understanding about
weather-related childcare issues.)

Now, if the school could offer an aftercare option for early release
days ONLY, the problem would be solved. But the schools don't have the
budget.


Why can't they charge for it? I know some Atlanta schools have
afterschool programs, but as far as I know the parents have to pay for
them - they aren't free.

I know, that wouldn't take care of people who absolutely couldn't afford
to pay for it - but I'd bet it would help out a lot of people who could.

Clisby

"Beth Kevles" wrote in message
...

Hi -

I'm actually in favor of banning early release days, unless they are
scheduled on the same day every week of the school year. Sure, for
parents who use a daycare that runs on the school calendar, early
release is no big deal. And for many parents (like me) who have
flexible jobs or who are at home, early release can be fun, extra time
with the kids. But I wind up with quite a few children over for
playdates because their parents have after-school arrangements with
caregivers who are NOT on the school schedule, or parents who get home
from work when school lets out. For these parents, early release is a
nightmare. (So are snow days, and early release or late start due to
weather, but most employers are far more understanding about
weather-related childcare issues.)

Now, if the school could offer an aftercare option for early release
days ONLY, the problem would be solved. But the schools don't have the
budget.

I know this idea might not work in all grades or all school districts but it
might be worth evaluating for use by folks reading he

The Orange County Schools in Florida have partial days every Wednesday, with
many intra mural sports and various clubs being scheduled to meet during the
remaining hours of what would have been the normal school day. This is very
helpful for the working students as they can still participate in school
clubs without being concerned about it impinging on work schedules. For the
later elementary and middle school kids it is an opportunity to participate
in various activiites as well. I am not sure what the younger elementary
grades do as I am not living in that school District, just have dealt with
students there regularly.

-A-
--
see my creative works on ebay under aulame 123

x-no-archive: yes

I'm just thinking out loud here about my least favorite part of
school, the early release day.

We only have a few, because parents complain so vociferiously about
them, but yet another Early Release Day is upon us tomorrow. And this
time I have absolutely no coverage because there just isn't any for
middle schoolers. There is no 'after-school' program (long since out
of the budget!), nor do the usual Y, JCC, B&G Club, etc. programs
accomodate middle school early release days. So I'm stuck with 2
choices: take the kids to work or leave them home alone from noon to
early evening, when I get home. Can't take the day off, too much to
do, deadlines approaching, etc. Plus I was sick 2 days last week, so
that would be really bad form. Can't work at home because the stuff
I'm doing is all database related and I can't get into it from home.

My kids are not particularly trustworthy, so leaving them home would
cause me a lot of trepedation. They are home alone after school every
day, but that's 1.5 hours, not 6 hours, and I honestly don't trust
them not to do something incredibly stupid.

Bringing them to work is fine, but they drive me nuts whining to go
home. Last time we had an early release day, the plant lady was there
and DD followed her around for a couple of hours 'helping' but she's
not due back tomorrow, darn it! DS brought his rollerblades, but I
work on a fairly steep hill and he fell and really scraped himeslf up,
so he's not willing to try that again! Plus I've got my usual Wed pm
staff meeting which is BORING and takes a couple of hours anyhow. I
could have them haul around books and markers, but it won't keep them
occupied forever. I work 4 or 5 blocks from a decent shopping
district, so I could send them on an errand, but that isn't going to
take hours, even if I make it complicated. There really isn't much for
them to do at work, besides bug me and bug my coworkers.

WHY do schools do this to working parents? As a former teacher, I can
swear up and down that they are a total waste of time for teachers,
plus our school district has an early release day *every* Tuesday when
kids get out an hour earlier than usual. So why do we have these extra
early release 1/2 days? They drive me nuts!

Marjorie



For large groups of children, contact your town's recreation department (or
regional one) and suggest they start up a program.

For smaller groups of children: perhaps 5th & 6th graders out on early release
day could earn some money by offering to create their own "half-day camp" for
the younger lot. It would require parental permission to hold it at someone's
house (or perhaps round-robin the hosting so a parent is only hosting once or
twice) and would offload the "entertaining" responsibility off the hosting
parent's shoulders.

Massachusetts Mama

In article , Clisby says...



Beth Kevles wrote:
Hi -

I'm actually in favor of banning early release days, unless they are
scheduled on the same day every week of the school year. Sure, for
parents who use a daycare that runs on the school calendar, early
release is no big deal. And for many parents (like me) who have
flexible jobs or who are at home, early release can be fun, extra time
with the kids. But I wind up with quite a few children over for
playdates because their parents have after-school arrangements with
caregivers who are NOT on the school schedule, or parents who get home
from work when school lets out. For these parents, early release is a
nightmare. (So are snow days, and early release or late start due to
weather, but most employers are far more understanding about
weather-related childcare issues.)

Now, if the school could offer an aftercare option for early release
days ONLY, the problem would be solved. But the schools don't have the
budget.


Why can't they charge for it? I know some Atlanta schools have
afterschool programs, but as far as I know the parents have to pay for
them - they aren't free.

I know, that wouldn't take care of people who absolutely couldn't afford
to pay for it - but I'd bet it would help out a lot of people who could.

Clisby



My school district arranged with a local community college to have an
after-school program, but of course it wasnt' free.

Problem was, though, for early release, the after school program didnt' run on
those days. School was out - school was out. It had to do with the need to
have a certain number school personnel around during the program (custodial,
etc.)

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:

In article , Clisby says...



Beth Kevles wrote:
Hi -

I'm actually in favor of banning early release days, unless they are
scheduled on the same day every week of the school year. Sure, for
parents who use a daycare that runs on the school calendar, early
release is no big deal. And for many parents (like me) who have
flexible jobs or who are at home, early release can be fun, extra time
with the kids. But I wind up with quite a few children over for
playdates because their parents have after-school arrangements with
caregivers who are NOT on the school schedule, or parents who get home
from work when school lets out. For these parents, early release is a
nightmare. (So are snow days, and early release or late start due to
weather, but most employers are far more understanding about
weather-related childcare issues.)

Now, if the school could offer an aftercare option for early release
days ONLY, the problem would be solved. But the schools don't have the
budget.


Why can't they charge for it? I know some Atlanta schools have
afterschool programs, but as far as I know the parents have to pay for
them - they aren't free.

I know, that wouldn't take care of people who absolutely couldn't afford
to pay for it - but I'd bet it would help out a lot of people who could.

Clisby



My school district arranged with a local community college to have an
after-school program, but of course it wasnt' free.

Problem was, though, for early release, the after school program didnt' run on
those days. School was out - school was out. It had to do with the need to
have a certain number school personnel around during the program (custodial,
etc.)

Banty


when my kids were in elementary and middle school the after school
programs ran on early release days and snow days -- pretty much any non
school day -- they were not free -- the program required parents to pay
for the care and I imagine that there was an extra charge for those days
[can't remember]