(no subject)

[bluflamingo]

Americans, would there be a reason for a school, or all schools, to be closed on a Thursday specifically? Like in the UK, elections are held on Thursdays, and if a school hall is being used, the school closes. Not snow, though, it's summer in the fic, and nothing that would keep the teachers in school.

Thank you!

Comments

[spillingvelvet]

Sure, there could be any number of reasons.

Including, for instance, Staff Development days.

And sometimes my school would close if it was too hot and the air conditioning wasn't working.

[bluflamingo]

And sometimes my school would close if it was too hot and the air conditioning wasn't working.

Okay, I want to live somewhere that that's an actual thing that could happen - it never gets hot enough here, and even if it did, I'm pretty sure we'd all just have to suffer through it.

[spillingvelvet]

I feel like I should also mention that most schools close for summer vacation in the first few weeks of June, but that many have summer school classes for kids who need to make up credits or didn't pay attention and failed various things. Like, for instance, Algebra 2.

Not that I would know ANYTHING about that.

>.>

[bluflamingo]

Wow, that's early - when do kids go back? Even universities over here don't finish that early (except Oxford, but they spend more time on vacation than in term time,so they don't count).

[spillingvelvet]

I grew up in the mid-atlantic region, and so it was a pretty rare occurrence, but definitely happened a few times in my high-school career.

But in, say, Kansas? That might happen.

[bluflamingo]

In LA?

[spillingvelvet]

These days they go back at the end of August. Teachers have various things to do in the summer, though. I've got several high-school English teachers for friends.

Seniors graduate at the end of May, too.

What grade are you writing?

[collswan]

Schools are usually out for the summer in the USA, but there is technically such a thing as summer school.

In addition to the ideas you've already gotten, summer is often a time for maintenance and upkeep. So perhaps the school closed b/c it's being painted. Common in the summer as there are usually very few students attending anyway. If your fic is set in early June and/or late August, then it would be regular school session and 'painting' probably wouldn't work very well. A record high temp day combined with a broken A/C bit is probably the best way to get both teachers and students out of the building.

[spillingvelvet]

Oh, totally.

[bluflamingo]

Teachers have various things to do in the summer, though

I assumed, since you mentioned summer school.

What grade are you writing?

High school - well, mostly high school teachers, not students.

[bluflamingo]

Schools are usually out for the summer in the USA, but there is technically such a thing as summer school.

Learn something new every day :) We don't finish till nearly the end of July, so you get a good couple of summer months in school (and only 6 weeks holiday), I didn't realise you finished earlier.

A record high temp day combined with a broken A/C bit is probably the best way to get both teachers and students out of the building.

Sounds good to me!

[spillingvelvet]

I love casting the SG folks in AUs. kate and I do it over lunch sometimes. :D

If you want to be more specific in an e-mail or something, you can totally pick my brain.

[princessofgeeks]

Our national Thanksgiving holiday is always on a Thursday in November.

Also, it is possible that school could be let out for what is known as Teacher Professional Development Day. Teachers are supposed to Go Learn Stuff on such a day. That could be at any time.

[bluflamingo]

Teachers are supposed to Go Learn Stuff on such a day. That could be at any time.

I assume actually go, though - it's not one of those development days where you can stay home and say you read some relevant articles?

[bluflamingo]

Could I prevail on your goodwill for a read through of the fic? It's done, I'm just typing it up (ugh, why did I handwrite it?!)

[spillingvelvet]

Absolutely!

[i've got so much stuff that I scribbled down at one point and meant to transcribe. choooore.]

[princessofgeeks]

well, sure they're SUPPOSED to go learn stuff somewhere. But i'm sure it's conceivable that if they snuck off or played hooky.... nawww. teachers would never do that.

;)

[bluflamingo]

Thank you! Will try to send it early this week.

[bluflamingo]

We're talking about John Sheppard, so maybe not that inconceivable :)

[lilyleia78]

Just to add my two cents. By no means do all teachers teach summer school. And here in the Greater St. Louis area we always have vacation from the end of May to the end of August, so anytime in June, July or August the only excuse you'd need for teachers not being in school is that they elected not to teach summer school.

However, I have tons of teacher friends and most do take a summer job (though none have ever taught summer school) b/c teachers just don't make much money and three whole months to earn some extra cash is a blessing.

[bluflamingo]

Thanks.

three whole months to earn some extra cash is a blessing

I'd go out of my mind with three months and nothing to do - I always worked full-time straight through the university summer vacation when I was a student, though my sister never did anything with it - we both thought the other was nuts :)

[torachan]

If you mean LA as in Louisiana, maybe, I don't know.

But if you mean LA as in Los Angeles, then no. Definitely no. Schools are mostly not air-conditioned. And even if they were, it doesn't get hot enough that if the AC stopped working, anything would get cancelled.

[(Anonymous)]

I live in the San Joaquin Valley in California. It's in the middle of California. During the summer, it gets up to 117f...

Our schools close on Thursdays, during warm months, here for only school business. Only one Thursday a year is mandatory and that's Thanksgiving in November.

[bluflamingo]

I do celsius (centegrade? maybe centegrade) not f, but even to me, that sounds hot!

[bluflamingo]

Yeah, I mean LA as in Los Angeles, so, rats :( Back to the drawing board (or the failed plumbing standby!) Thanks!