Finals before the holiday.

For APS students, the week before the holiday is finals week.

There is a great deal of energy invested in starting school early enough in August to be able to end the semester and administer final tests before winter break.

One of the main reasons for doing so is, if kids took their finals after the break, they would perform less well on them; considerably less well.

The situation speaks to the longevity of their learning.
I have heard it argued that most of everything you learn
is forgotten if you don't use it rather immediately after learning it.

The situation is aggravated by children's reaction to having to "learn" something that they don't want to learn. Whatever learning there for recalcitrant learners, it must be among the most transitory.

Yet another effect of cemetery seating thinking.