Vic School Term 4 Ending Dates

I HATE how Paris doesn't finish up till NEXT friday. I mean for goodness sake its like 2 days and then its Christmas Eve. Absolutely Ridiculous. Its made life so difficult for me, and not to mention she's well and truly over it. Other schools finished either on the 7th or 14th. I'm also not impressed with the way it starts in Term 1 2008 either. They are doing the midweek start again. Which I think is stupid. They should just start on the Monday or start the following week.

It really bugs me that half the schools do their own thing too. It should be standard across the board.

I hear you Cai!! We finish next friday too and everyone is exhausted already. My class are Yr 1 so only little still and they are so restless and in need of a holiday. Next year at least we finish on 19/12. We start back on 30th Jan (kids anyway) Its actually better for the kids to start back mid week after such a long holiday cause they go into it slowly instead of straight in for a full week.

My kids finish on the 20th as they have a teacher day on the 21st!
But over in WA, my cousins little boy finished school last week!

In our area, Primary Schools finish the week before Christmas, and Secondary Schools in the first or second week of December. I think its pretty crap too since I remember not doing much other than colouring in etc in the last week.
We always had midweek starts in both PS and SS. I think its aimed at easing them back in to it, so not having a full week straight up.

We finished up on the Friday just gone (14th), and return back on the 29th of Jan. Kids did nothing in the last week of school, cept colouring, watching DVD's and playing games.

I actually have a kid in a bad mood cause he can't go to school tomorrow ;)

Love

I can't believe the kids don't finish till the Friday before Xmas.. My eldest just finished this Friday just gone.. same as the poster above...

So unfair for the poor kids.. they must be so tired and over it

I reckon this would annoy me if I were home full time but I think for working parents it would be a godsend.....

tell me about it - we were supposed to have my DH's step-son up here next week but when we rang to check it was ok with his mum (over this weekend) we were told that he wasn't finishing schools until the 21st - WTF! I had checked the Vic education site in October/November to check end of term dates, even it said the 14th!

Talk about a pain, just as well we hadn't booked the flights! He misses out on doing the christmas lights with us on Saturday night in the new car. We get him up here some-time in January now, but it isn't the same, we miss out on our christmas/yule rituals with him (like the tree, the christmas lights etc), he usually flys back on xmas eve-eve (as in the 23rd) after about a week with us.

I must admit that I am glad that school here doesn't finish until Friday. he will be over it and bored by new years so the longer he is at school the better LOL. Last year it was a bit earlier that they finished.

If you don't like the schedule for school talk to the school and express your concerns. Parents have more power than they think. And you can always just keep the kids home before Christmas as the last few days before a break are not packed full of learning but more social/crafty activities. So talk to the teacher and find out what they have planned then you can decide if you should start Christmas early.

It's not just VIC this year Aunty Cai, most of the NSW schools are still going as well. Normally by this stage we have no schools ordering so can focus on Christmas stuff, but this year the schools are still going so we've really noticed the difference too. It seems as though in the last week of school too that parents are less inclined to make lunches so more kids go to the canteen which means more work for us. Good for business, but very hard when we're flat out with other normal Christmas trading.

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If you don't like the schedule for school talk to the school and express your concerns. Parents have more power than they think. .

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In Australian public schools you can't do that, its under the control of the government.

From a single mum who works 5 days a week i'm happy about it! I'd rather her be at school with her best friends leading up to christmas while i'm at work.

Our school finishes on the friday but they have a pupil free day that day so last day is actually thursday, but cause its a day earlier they don't do the 2.30pm finsih thing so it makes it easier for me cause I finish at 3pm

I also like the mid week start cause I think after having 5 or 6 weeks off its better for them to have a few days at school then a weekend rest rather than 5 straight days to kick off the year :)

Oh my god I can't believe Paris and Ash will both be in grade 1!

Meanwhile in NSW, time is dragging! I've already dealt with 4 kids who couldn't sit in a classroom, and I haven't even taught my own class yet! This is going to be a fun week...

What about some nice Christmas craft Gargy!!!! (Yr1 teacher talking LOL) I thought no-one ever went to high school in the last week??? (quote my teenage DD!)