September 18, 2012
The Meridian school district chopped 3 days off Christmas
break this year—I guess they’re trying to make up for having such a short year
last year (although those lesson plans have come and gone, folks—it’s not like
you can actually get the time back). At least one person is taking it very ill.
She wrote a letter to the paper, from which I quote:
Have you heard Meridian Joint School District No. 2 doesn’t plan to
provide a single vacation day before Christmas Eve this year? Not a single day
for shopping with family for loved ones. Not a single day for baking cookies
and sweets for neighbors. Not a single day’s vacation for any special Christmas
preparations or longstanding family traditions. Has some radical anti-Christmas
zealotry taken hold within the district office? Are they trying to depress the
economy by limiting Christmas sales and limit the time available for district
patrons to enjoy Christmas shopping? Are they trying to depress spirits by
limiting their patrons’ time for Christmas caroling and holiday community
service?
It goes on. But here’s the thing: the kids go through
Friday, Dec. 21st. That leaves them, if I’m not mistaken, the night
of the 21st for caroling and the 22nd and the 23rd
to shop, bake, etc. before Christmas Eve. In 2011 the schools went through Dec.
20th, and in 2010 they got the 20th and 21st
off—adding a whopping total of two days, maximum, for their carousing. I think
I actually remember going through Dec. 23rd one year in high school.
So it’s disappointing, but hardly a conspiracy.
And as for depressing the economy: call me old-fashioned,
but I was under the impression that the kids were at the age where receiving,
not giving, is the order of the day; and nobody’s stopping their parents and
grandparents from shopping.
On the plus side, due no doubt to her concern for the
economy, the writer didn’t gripe that Christmas has become too commercial and
that everyone is missing the reason for the season. That’s a refreshing change.
2 comments:
It's been my experience in schools that homwork loads get lighter during the holiday season.It seems to me that the kids are dependent on the parents for rides to caroling, or for cookie frenzies. It is too bad, though, for people who have to travel to see family. It really leaves no time for that before the holiday, and it gets more expensive as the holidays approach.
Yes, it is too bad, and I do feel for the families. I just didn't think that it merited a conspiracy theory. Sometimes it just happens! (Seriously--we had to go through the 23rd once, and that was when we were still allowed to call it a Christmas concert at school.)
The thing that STILL bugs me is making college kids have class the day before Thanksgiving. The colleges gripe because so many kids cut, but what do they expect?
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