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Treasure summer: Why year-round school shouldn't fly in Canada

by Lynne Bell

听听听听 The traditional school calendar is rooted in, well... tradition. The months- long summer break was implemented with an agrarian society in mind, where children's labour was needed in an agriculture-based economy to help their parents plant and harvest on the family farm.

听听听听 Although this isn't a strict necessity anymore-even in places within Canada where agriculture still predominates-a long summer break for school kids in this country still has a lot to recommend it.

听听听听 The reasons are many-parents with kids in different grades and different schools face a potential scheduling nightmare with the year-round school model. And although childcare is always a concern, during summer, a high school student can often pick up the slack if a regular sitter is on holiday. Students who need and/or want to work for an extended period in the summer-or take more classes-would be prevented from doing so without the traditional lengthy summer break. Teachers, too, often take classes in the summer or even have summer jobs of their own.

听听听听 However, for me, the most compelling argument in favour of a two-month long summer break for school kids is this: the dreaded Canadian winter.

听听听听 You're only young once, winter is long, summer is short, and kids have a lifetime ahead of them to work and study and get down to the serious business of life.

听听听听 As I write this, we have just enjoyed the first full weekend of beautiful, sunny weather. Cabins were opened up, seasonal visitors and locals alike were enjoying the parks, and although the pool isn't open yet and the lakes may still be a bit on the bracing side for a swim, golfers, boaters, and campers were out, finally enjoying something resembling summer.

听听听听 Even travel is easier in summertime, without the uncertainty of all kinds of snow, ice, and temperature-related events casting uncertainty over trip plans, whether we hapless Canucks are driving or flying. Instead, predictable, temperate weather (even with thunderstorms and hail) makes summer travel a breeze in comparison to even the most straightforward of winter journeys.

听听听听 Of course, this also means we're the visitor or the visited, or both, which can also make summer a hectic time. This, I would argue, is all the more reason to treasure summer. There are many practical, well-thought out arguments (which you will see in Kelly's column) which are valid in our fast-paced, uncertain, and fragmented economy.

听听听听 Although many families are able to take memorable family vacations, far from home; many aren't able to swing it. However, summer gives us all a chance to enjoy the longer days, the warm weather, the dramatic thunder and lightning storms, and each other. Summer moments and memories can be made, no matter how busy one is.

听听听听 Let's let our kids continue to have the chance to treasure summer, too.

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The benefits of year round schooling

By Kelly Running

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Since the dawn of time鈥� well, not really, but for many years school systems have promoted a version of an education system based on going to school from September to June with July and August free from the usual grind.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Is there a way for this system to become even more effective and conducive to our society today? The answer is yes. Switching from our current system to a system of year-round schooling not only fosters learning, prepares youth for the future, and combats burnout.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 A year-round schedule will allow students to continually use the skills they are being taught and will therefore be less likely to forget it over the summer break. Students often avoid anything school-like in the summer currently, so even reading is passed off for a different activity. However, smaller breaks in multitude spaced out over the year would be more conducive to learning and students keeping up with what they鈥檙e taught.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In Saskatchewan, after school, we have three weeks of holidays, other provinces work it differently, but when students finish school they are often met with the shock of working year-round. When they don鈥檛 get two months off in the summer, it鈥檚 difficult to remain motivated when fresh out of school.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Frequent breaks throughout the year, a week or two at a time, separated by a couple months of school would allow students and teachers to both relax and recharge more frequently throughout the year. Currently students and teachers can feel burnt out, will become ill, or exhausted. It鈥檚 a demanding schedule that allows for no room to recuperate during times when it鈥檚 needed.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Last year the school division, who offered options of schedules to schools, included one where local schools eliminated the February break, I think it might be back now. However, at the same time that the school division made this as one of the proposed schedules, universities were figuring out a way to put in a break in November. Thus stressed students, after preparing and finishing midterms would be given a week cushion before having to delve into the second part of the semester.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In Lethbridge the break in February was called, 鈥淔ebruary Break,鈥� and there were no slang terms the students used, or at least no students that I came into contact with. However, my friend in Saskatoon discovered that students in her classes called it 鈥淪uicide Week.鈥� It was a time where stress was at its max and the week off was necessary to catch up with homework and to reduce the load of stress.

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 So a longer school year with more of these weeks off would be beneficial to reduce stress in both teachers and students, which ultimately will produce a more productive student.