Just how obsessed with sports are we?

[Madea]

I hate the current school calendar. Period. They haven't proven to me it improves the learning process. Don't bother linking the data. There are just as many links to show it's detrimental as show it's beneficial.

 

[I'm Floored]

I hate the current school calendar. Period. They haven't proven to me it improves the learning process. Don't bother linking the data. There are just as many links to show it's detrimental as show it's beneficial.

Just another reason why I love you! :love

 

[mei lan]

I hate the current school calendar. Period. They haven't proven to me it improves the learning process. Don't bother linking the data. There are just as many links to show it's detrimental as show it's beneficial.

YEPPERS. Dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

 

[unionmom]

Yet to me it seems to make perfect sense. What other long term activity, sport, what-have-you can you show that that has any proven benefit from a total break from all participation in that activity for a period of 3 months? A more consistent pattern of activity is so much better for us in absolutely everything else that we do. The brain needs constant stimulation and the more balanced schedule is much better for that. It is our social and economic stuff that keeps us from being able to let go of the old way of doing things and being able to truly see the benefits of that. Look at the most common arguments against a balanced school calendar and tell me how many of them have anything to do with the learning process and how many of them have to do with our vacation plans or our relaxation or income or whatever else.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions ... that is mine.

 

[dapandlap]

Yet to me it seems to make perfect sense. What other long term activity, sport, what-have-you can you show that that has any proven benefit from a total break from all participation in that activity for a period of 3 months? A more consistent pattern of activity is so much better for us in absolutely everything else that we do. The brain needs constant stimulation and the more balanced schedule is much better for that. It is our social and economic stuff that keeps us from being able to let go of the old way of doing things and being able to truly see the benefits of that. Look at the most common arguments against a balanced school calendar and tell me how many of them have anything to do with the learning process and how many of them have to do with our vacation plans or our relaxation or income or whatever else.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions ... that is mine.

Union Mom you seem to be pretty intelligent, and I am not trying to start an argument.
However I am curious when you were in school how long did your school system take for their summer break.
What I'm trying to say is that I know that people who like myself may have been in school way back when school was out between Memorial / Labor day, seemed to have turned out okay.

 

[unionmom]

Yet to me it seems to make perfect sense. What other long term activity, sport, what-have-you can you show that that has any proven benefit from a total break from all participation in that activity for a period of 3 months? A more consistent pattern of activity is so much better for us in absolutely everything else that we do. The brain needs constant stimulation and the more balanced schedule is much better for that. It is our social and economic stuff that keeps us from being able to let go of the old way of doing things and being able to truly see the benefits of that. Look at the most common arguments against a balanced school calendar and tell me how many of them have anything to do with the learning process and how many of them have to do with our vacation plans or our relaxation or income or whatever else.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions ... that is mine.

Union Mom you seem to be pretty intelligent, and I am not trying to start an argument.
However I am curious when you were in school how long did your school system take for their summer break.
What I'm trying to say is that I know that people who like myself may have been in school way back when school was out between Memorial / Labor day, seemed to have turned out okay.

Not saying we didn't but does that mean that there is no room for improvement? Does that mean that we shouldn't strive to make things better where/when we can? Isn't it the job of each generation to make things better for the next? (at least in part)

I'm not looking for an argument either. Heck, if I wanted an argument I'm sure i could find plenty that I could start at home. lol Just exchanging thoughts and ideas and opinions with others in my community.

 

[Foxmeister]

School sponsored sports do require they maintain grades and attendance.

The only problem with that is, the grading period isn't over until after football season is.

 

[Foxmeister]

Sure school is starting earlier then it use to.......but why does the H/S football season have to? There is no reason why the season for M/S and H/S cannot start a month or 2 later in the year. This whole problem could be avoided. Loosing one child is not worth having a football season to begin with!

I would much rather see the school year start the day after Labor Day for many reasons. It would reduce the amount of time air conditioning would need to be used, which would reduce costs. It would also allow students more time to work jobs during the summer to earn more money. It would also benefit those seasonal employers like Six Flags who hire high school students. It would help reduce the risks of serious heat injuries during football practice as it would be starting later in the year.

And none of those reasons has anything to do with whether or not it is better for the learning process.

Since the BoE doesn't seem to have the money to provide each student their own text book; you would think they would be looking at every avenue they can to save money so they can buy books. It's not going to hurt the kids academically to start school the day after Labor Day and have the last day in early June.

 

[Foxmeister]

Yet to me it seems to make perfect sense. What other long term activity, sport, what-have-you can you show that that has any proven benefit from a total break from all participation in that activity for a period of 3 months? A more consistent pattern of activity is so much better for us in absolutely everything else that we do. The brain needs constant stimulation and the more balanced schedule is much better for that. It is our social and economic stuff that keeps us from being able to let go of the old way of doing things and being able to truly see the benefits of that. Look at the most common arguments against a balanced school calendar and tell me how many of them have anything to do with the learning process and how many of them have to do with our vacation plans or our relaxation or income or whatever else.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions ... that is mine.

Union Mom you seem to be pretty intelligent, and I am not trying to start an argument.
However I am curious when you were in school how long did your school system take for their summer break.
What I'm trying to say is that I know that people who like myself may have been in school way back when school was out between Memorial / Labor day, seemed to have turned out okay.

Not saying we didn't but does that mean that there is no room for improvement? Does that mean that we shouldn't strive to make things better where/when we can? Isn't it the job of each generation to make things better for the next? (at least in part)

I'm not looking for an argument either. Heck, if I wanted an argument I'm sure i could find plenty that I could start at home. lol Just exchanging thoughts and ideas and opinions with others in my community.

Does having a week off in September, a week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks off for Christmas, another week of in February, and yet another week off in April really improve academics? I say it doesn't. We've had many discussions in this forum and the other where most of us appear to agree the country has been "dumbing down." Look at the most recent AYP results.

 

[unionmom]

Frequent short breaks are exactly what every other type of training recommends as the best way to do it and that is the theory behind the balanced school year. And looking to a current system (AYP/NCLB/etc.) as a marker is not an honest assessment. The reality is that we don't have a good marker of that sort to look to because everything keep being changed. Everything. There is no one answer so I say where is the harm in trying something new, something that works VERY well in other parts of this country and the world? I know there are some families that don't like it, there are some families that do, and there are some families that don't care one way or another. My biggest issue with most of the people who are against it is that typically their arguments have nothing to do with the academics of it. Their arguments are about sports or jobs or "when I was a kid" or everything else. I know that I did not go to school on a balanced schedule. I turned out fine. I wish I had gone on a balanced schedule. I hated the long stretches with no break and I was bored out of my mind towards the end of summer. And no, I was not laying around with nothing to do. I was just ready to move on to other things and get back to it. My kids love the current schedule. (Ok, to be fair my daughter is too young to really have an honest opinion but my 6th grader loves it.)

It's clear that we're all pretty heavily dug in with our own opinions. I see far less burn out with the balanced schedule but I do acknowledge that it is more expensive. Of course if there comes a time when there is simply no other way, they would have no choice but to go back. That's a no brainer. Just because I can see the benefits of the schedule doesn't mean I can't be reasonable about the time and place for it. As far as the not enough books ... that's a school board priorities matter/decision. That's not a pure budgetary one.

 

[Madea]

My children have commented more than once that the summer passed way too quickly.

I just don't see the week long breaks at each 1/2 semester as beneficial. It's too much time off during instruction time. One or two days is fine, but a whole week just isn't necessary. My kids are usually more bored during that time than during the summer. In part because they have less parent time during those breaks. There aren't camps during those mid-term breaks. As bad as I hate to admit it, Spring Break now falls during a critical CRCT time. (I believe because parents pitched enough fits because poor little Johnny had to go to summer school.)

 

[uga1]

Sure school is starting earlier then it use to.......but why does the H/S football season have to? There is no reason why the season for M/S and H/S cannot start a month or 2 later in the year. This whole problem could be avoided. Loosing one child is not worth having a football season to begin with!

This is coming From Me but to answer your question the reason why the Football team and the Marching Band start early is we the band member had to learn how to March do Drill Step In Time Mark Time and We had to start Putting our Show Together Before School Starts B/c of the Shows We would put on were Hard to do and we needed the practice but we mostly had the pleasure of working indoors and during the last half of the day we all would be outside but we had to Prefect every move before school event starts even the foot ball team needs the time to prefom that special play to make a touchdown but this is cominf from a former pchs band student heck I remember 1 yeear when my summer break was over july 22 which was well over a month before schoole evene started

 

[unionmom]

My children have commented more than once that the summer passed way too quickly.

I just don't see the week long breaks at each 1/2 semester as beneficial. It's too much time off during instruction time. One or two days is fine, but a whole week just isn't necessary. My kids are usually more bored during that time than during the summer. In part because they have less parent time during those breaks. There aren't camps during those mid-term breaks. As bad as I hate to admit it, Spring Break now falls during a critical CRCT time. (I believe because parents pitched enough fits because poor little Johnny had to go to summer school.)

Oh lawdy, don't even get me starting on CRCT and what a horrible waste of time that is. So much of the year is spent focusing on that stupid test and then when it is over they all but give up on the rest of the school year.

 

[honeybunny]

Education does not only take place in a school classroom...

Free play is a very important part of the development process,
and we should not assume that children are not learning many
vital lessons over those long lazy unstructured summer breaks.

 

[Madea]

My children have commented more than once that the summer passed way too quickly.

I just don't see the week long breaks at each 1/2 semester as beneficial. It's too much time off during instruction time. One or two days is fine, but a whole week just isn't necessary. My kids are usually more bored during that time than during the summer. In part because they have less parent time during those breaks. There aren't camps during those mid-term breaks. As bad as I hate to admit it, Spring Break now falls during a critical CRCT time. (I believe because parents pitched enough fits because poor little Johnny had to go to summer school.)

Oh lawdy, don't even get me starting on CRCT and what a horrible waste of time that is. So much of the year is spent focusing on that stupid test and then when it is over they all but give up on the rest of the school year.

Right there with ya!

 

[Madea]

Education does not only take place in a school classroom...

Free play is a very important part of the development process,
and we should not assume that children are not learning many
vital lessons over those long lazy unstructured summer breaks.

Completely agree!

 

[Foxmeister]

Sure school is starting earlier then it use to.......but why does the H/S football season have to? There is no reason why the season for M/S and H/S cannot start a month or 2 later in the year. This whole problem could be avoided. Loosing one child is not worth having a football season to begin with!

This is coming From Me but to answer your question the reason why the Football team and the Marching Band start early is we the band member had to learn how to March do Drill Step In Time Mark Time and We had to start Putting our Show Together Before School Starts B/c of the Shows We would put on were Hard to do and we needed the practice but we mostly had the pleasure of working indoors and during the last half of the day we all would be outside but we had to Prefect every move before school event starts even the foot ball team needs the time to prefom that special play to make a touchdown but this is cominf from a former pchs band student heck I remember 1 yeear when my summer break was over july 22 which was well over a month before schoole evene started

Right now in Paulding County, football practice started the first week of July and school started on August 3. The first football game is scheduled for August 12. There are two options I can come up with to reduce the risk those in band and football suffering heat stroke.

The first one is move the start date of school to the first day after Labor Day and the first day of football and band practices to the third week of August With the first football game the first Friday of October. When I played high school football, our two-a-days were for conditioning. Limit it to one hour a sessions during August. The band should rehearse their marching on the football field instead of the parking lot. Also limit it to one hour sessions twice a day during those two weeks in August.

The other option would keep the start date of school as it is, but football practice wouldn't start until school started. This would eliminate two-a-days. Actually, all football players should be taking phys ed, so the phys ed classes could should concentrate on conditioning. Practice then could be after school for the last two weeks of August in t-shirt and shorts and walk through plays. Practice in pads could start the beginning of September with the first game the first Friday of October. Band practice could begin after school the beginning of September giving the band five weeks of rehearsal before the first game.

 

[gog8tors]

Sure school is starting earlier then it use to.......but why does the H/S football season have to? There is no reason why the season for M/S and H/S cannot start a month or 2 later in the year. This whole problem could be avoided. Loosing one child is not worth having a football season to begin with!

This is coming From Me but to answer your question the reason why the Football team and the Marching Band start early is we the band member had to learn how to March do Drill Step In Time Mark Time and We had to start Putting our Show Together Before School Starts B/c of the Shows We would put on were Hard to do and we needed the practice but we mostly had the pleasure of working indoors and during the last half of the day we all would be outside but we had to Prefect every move before school event starts even the foot ball team needs the time to prefom that special play to make a touchdown but this is cominf from a former pchs band student heck I remember 1 yeear when my summer break was over july 22 which was well over a month before schoole evene started

Right now in Paulding County, football practice started the first week of July and school started on August 3. The first football game is scheduled for August 12. There are two options I can come up with to reduce the risk those in band and football suffering heat stroke.

The first one is move the start date of school to the first day after Labor Day and the first day of football and band practices to the third week of August With the first football game the first Friday of October. When I played high school football, our two-a-days were for conditioning. Limit it to one hour a sessions during August. The band should rehearse their marching on the football field instead of the parking lot. Also limit it to one hour sessions twice a day during those two weeks in August.

The other option would keep the start date of school as it is, but football practice wouldn't start until school started. This would eliminate two-a-days. Actually, all football players should be taking phys ed, so the phys ed classes could should concentrate on conditioning. Practice then could be after school for the last two weeks of August in t-shirt and shorts and walk through plays. Practice in pads could start the beginning of September with the first game the first Friday of October. Band practice could begin after school the beginning of September giving the band five weeks of rehearsal before the first game.

Summer Work outs actually started in June. Full pads started July 25th. Well at least for our Jr. teams. The Patriots are in shorts and tees today. We didn't have practice yesterday.

I don't know how it was before. And, what you have outlined sounds good to me.

 

[unionmom]

Something else to think about ... there are plenty of school districts in this country that do not start football practices or band practices until after school has started and they are held after school.

 

[gog8tors]

http://news.yahoo.com/enoughs-enough-too-many-kids-dying-heat-232548196.html?bouchon=524,ga

Really good article. It's a bit long, and really no way to post some of it so that it makes sense. It addresses quite a bit of the same things we have been discussing. One of the ideas is for EMTs to volunteer their time. We are lucky, we have many parents, and a couple of the coaches that are EMT, firefighters, and police with our team.

One thing that we are all focused on is that this is at the high school level, however it is also at the rec level as well. I'm thinking this needs to be addressed at all levels.