School

[TraditionalFrog]

I'm writing up a WWII era historical fiction which involves a family on the home front (in the USA). While I have plenty of info on my subject, a few things puzzle me.

What were the typical classroom room hours for elementary and high school? Also, what vacations did pupils have? I assume basically Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving? And how long for each? One thing I am already aware of is in most areas the school year started after Labor Day and ended around Memorial day.

While there is plenty of info about schools and education in the day, there is very little on these particular details. And yes, I know it may be due to local variation as there was much less standardization back in the day.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Around here the school year began the Tuesday after Labor Day, and continued until the second week of June. There were two days off at Thanksgiving -- the holiday itself and the Friday after -- a week at Christmas, a week in mid-February coinciding with Washington's Birthday (February 22nd) and the high school basketball tournament season, and the third week of April coinciding with Patriots Day (April 19th, observed only in Maine and Massachusetts.) Other holidays observed were Columbus Day (October 12th), Armistice Day (November 11th), Lincoln's Birthday (February 12th) and Memorial Day (May 30th.)

Classes began at 8:30 am and ended at 3pm for grammar school and 2:30pm for junior high and high school. There was a half hour lunch period, and students in grammar school and junior high got a total of half an hour for recess.

In agricultural areas it was common for school to start in late August and then close for two weeks in September to allow children to help with the harvest.