Setting up the school year
The maker starts in August with twelve months on one portrait page and a title you can change to your school’s name and year. Each break is one entry with a start and an end date, shaded in the calendar’s light color; single days such as the first day of school, picture day or a teacher planning day are boxed on the page. Everything is listed in date order under the months, so a parent can read the year as a list or as a calendar.
| School year | First month | Months |
|---|---|---|
| August to June | August | 11 |
| August to July | August | 12 |
| September to June | September | 10 |
| September to July | September | 11 |
| Calendar-year schools (Australia, New Zealand) | January | 12 |
Terms, semesters and breaks
Schools divide the year differently. Many US schools use two semesters or four grading quarters with breaks at Thanksgiving, in winter and in spring; schools in England and Wales usually have three terms, each split by a half-term week; Australian and New Zealand schools have four terms in the calendar year. However your school works, add each break as a span and, if you like, each term as a span too, so the page shows the rhythm of the year.
For a teacher’s copy, add assessment weeks, report deadlines and parent conferences as single dates. For a family copy, add the children’s activities and days off from work with the family calendar maker, which gives each person a column.
Printing for a classroom or a fridge
A one-page school year on Letter or A4 suits a fridge or a binder. For a classroom wall, print the same page on Tabloid or A3 at a copy shop, or switch to a month per page and print each month as it comes. On a black-and-white printer the shading of breaks prints as pale gray; a darker color scheme such as navy or green keeps the month names and holidays distinct as well.
Questions
Are the dates in the preview real school dates?
No. They are examples that show how breaks and key dates look. Remove them with “Remove all” and add your school’s or district’s own dates, which are set locally and differ from place to place.
How do I show a break that runs over New Year?
Add one date with an end date, such as December 21 to January 1. The whole span is shaded across both months and listed once, on its first day.
Can I make a page for every month instead?
Yes. Change the layout to “One month per page”. Breaks are shaded day by day and their names appear on the first day and again on the 1st of a new month, so a classroom can see what is coming.
Our school year starts in September. What do I change?
Set the first month to September. Use 11 months for September to July or 10 for September to June.
Can I show public holidays as well as school breaks?
Yes. Choose your country, state or province under Holidays. Public holidays are marked in the holiday color; your breaks are shaded. When a break and a holiday fall on the same day, both are shown.