Which School Calendar in the QC Works Best for You?

When it comes to schools in the Quad Cities, which do you prefer?

In my "Mom-career", when it comes to schools, I have experienced it all. I've home-schooled, sent the kiddos to private school with a traditional school calendar and now, public school, with a year round calendar. There are pros and cons to both calendars. Which one do you prefer?

I can see both the benefits and the not-so-great things about both calendars. On the one hand, with a traditional calendar school year, nearly three months off in the summer can surely cause kids to fall behind in the skills and knowledge they just spent an entire year learning. This is nothing new to educators or parents. We all know the first few months of review students and teachers endure at the beginning of any year! It does give children the chance to feel like they get a big break and offers opportunities to do a lot during those months with their family, friends and makes vacations easier to plan.

The year-round calendar offers two week breaks in the fall and spring, with summer breaks lasting approximately two months. Students feel like they get more time off during the school year. I see how this can be important when much needed breaks are needed, especially after a rigorous quarter. It also gives students less time off in the summer, which means they have an increased chance of retaining what they learned.

What are your thoughts?