When I was a public school teacher, I taught at a school that had a “balanced calendar.” This was basically a modified, year-round school calendar (their breaks needed to also coincide with the breaks of the rest of the school corporation, which was on a traditional calendar).

At our school, we received six weeks off for the summer, two weeks off at the end of October for a fall break, three weeks off for Christmas, and three weeks off for Spring Break. Plus, of course, there were the occassional long weekends. I enjoyed this calendar, and so did the students. It always seemed like there was a long break on the horizon exactly when we needed it.

This is only one example of a “year-round” calendar. Here is a graphic that actually compares a calendar similar to where I worked with a more traditional school calendar.

What do other year-round calendars look like?

The most common examples of year-round calendars are:

• 45 days on/15 days off
• 60 days on/20 days off
• 45 days on/10 days off (allowing for a summer break longer than the first 45-day option)

Obviously, these all also include the occassional long weekend.

The beauty of homeschooling, of course, is that you can go with a traditional school calendar (but you get the choice of starting in August or September, or some other month, for that matter!), or you can choose a balanced calendar or a year-round calendar. Or, you know what? You can also choose a calendar that is unique to your family.

Do you use 0ne of the more traditional calendars (balanced, traditional, or year-round) listed above, or do you simply do whatever works best for your family? Are there calendar variations that you have tried before and never want to do again?

Angie can be found writing about faith, family, and household management at Many Little Blessings, as well as writing with her friends about homeschooling at The Homeschool Classroom.

photo by Eric Rice