No intention to hang the OP out to dry. But the term "hell week" IS regents week, when the ny Jewish schools are off and they come down to Aruba for vacation. So yes, it is referring to this group, because every other non homeschooled kid is IN SCHOOL that week. If the behavior is as folks say it is, that is sad. It is also sad that we still call it hell week, knowing full well (as tug history shows) what this week is referring to. Can't it just be called "regents week Aruba"? Or Aruba week 3 (or 4 this yr). Or better yet, stop creating the thread year after year, so we can stop having posts about "them" and "those people". . Enough already .[/QUOTE
You are WRONG. I am a career NYS teacher - as are other on this forum. During Regents Week, mid-year and final exams for half-year HIGH SCHOOL courses are given. All elementary and middle school students are in normal school that week, for normal hours. SOME HS students will not be required to be at school every day, so parents *might* choose to vacation then - especially if they have ONLY HS -age children, who miraculously do not have ANY exams - which is rare; I asked my private flute students this week, at their lessons, what was going in on school, and they said that there are a LOT of tests, exams, extra sports practicesand even one-week *fun* classes - and the school is pretty full!. However, as I have explained several times before, PRIVATE schools - religious, secular, charter schools - ANY kind - need only fulfill their amount of days an hours of instructional time - so can keep their school OPEN, or CLOSE them at their discretion, essentially. The problem week this year actually was a full week BEFORE Regents week began; do not paint residents of NY state and their school-age children with your brush. This entire discussion is NOT about anything religious, ethnic, or anything else - it is about a GROUP from the same school that chooses to vacation together, and their intolerable behavior. This could be a sports academy, a performing arts school, a charter school, or ANY private school that determines its own calendar, and then runs a large group trip. Our concern here is their horrendous behavior - period. Those of us who have invested our money, time and planning in a nice family vacation need to KNOW when optimum travel times are - and when to think twice. We think about rainy season, cold, hurricanes, snowstorms - and this is hardly different in our planning - except the previous are acts of God, or seasonal - and Hell Week is created by crude behavior, and the MARRIOTT corporation looks the other way - away from the chaos, and towards the bank.
I do not own at Aruba, and we have only a possible interest of going there - but despite the cold and snow here in NY state in January, I would now NOT EVER think of going in mid-January - and am VERY GRATEFUL that this was brought to my attention, and that there is Sticky about other things I might wish to avoid. We drive down to NYC often for concerts, etc. - but NOT THIS WEEK - I hear that there are a few extra people in town because there is *some kind of sports thing* going on??? Really?? Hmm - very good to know. At least New York's Finest (and New Jersey's Finest, too) will ensure that insofar as is possible, everyone will behave themselves this week and weekend. Unfortunately, they have no jurisdiction over a private resort community in Aruba.
Mamianka
This is way too important to just make it go away!
