September has always been known as the start of school. But is that really the best time to start?
Many schools down south start in August, and then end in May.Is there really any benefit to starting early, and should we at New Hartford start earlier?
With many state and national exams such as the SATS, AP tests and state tests being held in May, starting school in September gives students a serious disadvantage because other schools that start in August get an extra month to study and learn the material than those who start later in the year.
Since New York Regents are taken in June, starting earlier could cause issues for NH students. Also starting in August would mean losing summer vacation during a month which typically has better weather than spring in New York. So we would be saying bye to trips to lakes and beaches in August and saying hi to sitting in a hot, sweaty classroom.
When talking to students they responded with an overwhelming no to starting school in August.
“August is peak summer,” said senior Nicole Calogero.
Other students felt that it would be too hot in school to be learning. If the whole school had AC they might have changed their minds, but all students I interviewed felt that September was the perfect time to begin the school year.
Teachers had a mixed response. They all liked having August off, but some, like Mrs. Clive, who teaches English, said they “could see the benefits” of starting early. She acknowledged that starting in August would give the AP student a whole extra month to prepare for the tests.
There are some other benefits as well. Starting school early means ending school early. So instead of trudging through school in June, we all could be out enjoying the sunshine in May. In addition, many sports tournaments, summer internships, and summer classes all start in May so students who are getting out of school in June can not participate in these events. Also May is when all the college students get out of school, so if you have an older sibling, and are planning a family vacation, being on different schedules makes planning a struggle.
Still it begs the question of if starting in August is really better than starting in September. For testing it may be so, but who could even focus in a hot classroom?
Personally, I feel starting two weeks before we typically start would still allow us to have the benefits of starting early, but only if we can have AC.
