Family vacations, swimming pool subscriptions and corn spreading; such were the experiences of traditional Midwestern summers. For centuries, young American children attended school during the winter months, during agricultural off-seasons, when their families could afford to do without them. Families have become accustomed to a traditional school calendar that provides time for bonding throughout the year. Students have become accustomed to an eight-week break during the summer months, where they are allowed to refresh their minds before returning for a new school year. Unfortunately, these traditional experiences and practices are now under threat. In today's race to improve student outcomes, traditional school calendars have become a point of contention. Today, more school districts and parents have begun to debate the pros and cons of an alternative school calendar. According to writer Vanessa St Gerard of The Education Digest, a traditional school year is defined as "large blocks of teaching with week-long breaks, culminating in a long summer break" (2007). This structure is more familiar to Americans today, but the new alternative schedule presents variation in the time allocated for breaks throughout the school year. “During a modified school year, teaching periods are generally divided into sessions of 45 or 60 days, each of which is divided by breaks of three to four weeks” (St Gérard, 2007). Under the alternative schedule, schools would still have a break for a summer session, but in most cases the break would last about five weeks instead of eight. Although the calendars may differ in terms of session times, they would both meet the federally mandated 180 days of registration...... middle of paper...... l). Schools open all year round are always more beautiful. TheEducation Digest, 72(8), 56-58. Retrieved November 29, 2011 from EducationPeriodicals. (Document ID: 1253545861). Thomma, S. (2009). Policy. Obama insists on longer school year | Seattle Times Newspaper. The Seattle Times | Seattle Times Newspaper. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008838703_schools11.html Werner, Erica. (September 27, 2010). Obama: School year should be longer. Latest news and opinions from the Huffington Post. Retrieved December 1, 2011 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/obama-school-year-should-_n_741338.htmlUBIÑAS, LA and GABRIELI, C. (August 22, 2011). Traded by the bell. New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/opinion/shortchanged-by-the-school-bell.html?_r=