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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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#8

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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#18

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Eva Bryson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, teachers want you in class to learn, not loitering in the bathroom.

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#21

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The Zooble
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So we aren't "distracted". Even rooms with windows usually had the blinds closed.

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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Erin Kavik
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently, a few years after I left, my (British) secondary school buit a full sports centre, including an Olympic size pool.

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Dilly Millandry
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My UK schools both had simming pools. The one at my primary school was built by the parents when I went there.

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n i k o
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but my middle school has a tennis court that they rent out. Not a playground since middle schoolers are, "too old for that" so during recess you literally just walk laps. For an hour. They also were building a park nearby so after school you weren't allowed to go on it since if you were too loud the neighbors would complain to the school.

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YosemiteCat
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not many middle or elementary but high schools yes mine has a swimming movie night one weekend in a while

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Bendy Rainbow
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

um sorry no... but I live in a town/rural setting so maybe it's elsewhere that this happens.

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Lauretta Payne
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Swimming is an important life skill, so it is taught in many school districts. Every year, children die because nobody taught them to swim. It is also a basis for athletic inter-school competitions.

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Randy Volz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty much every high school except specialized ones with curriculum focused on S.T.E.M., or vocational training/education.

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Bill Skinner
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our school had a full size indoor pool, when I was a freshman they were in the process of removing the High Dive (Insurance reasons) We also had a planetarium, to look at a replica of the night sky, and Identifying constellations. I graduated in 88.

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Lamalo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of these schools are huge. I had 796 people in my graduating class. That means they population of the 4 year HS was about 3000. We had a pool, 2 gymnasiums, a large auditorium and an entire music wing... 3 stories. Getting across the building took forever.

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Paul Beebe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ours had TWO. One indoor and the other outside.....Next to the PARKING LOT....LOL

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Nightshade1972
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the school. Sometimes an entire district will have an "athletic complex" with a competition-sized pool, that's shared among all the schools in the district.

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CincyReds
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some do...They also have diving teams and swimming team....I don't see what is so strange aobut that

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Caffeine72
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grade school did. We all had to take lifeguarding classes.

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DONNA L HENSON BOHLEN
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nah, it is across the street to the left (not being sarcastic, it really is)

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Jan De Boey
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is not typically American... I'm Belgian and my school had one too. Neighbouring schools came to our location for swimming lessons;

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Susan Egan
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some. Our town is small but we have an agreement with the college to let the little kids have classes there part of the year so they learn to swim.

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Miranda Prince
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My middle school had a soda machine, but it was only open for use after school.

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Patti Renwick Parrish
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we did and think it's great! some kids would never have learned to swim otherwise

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Ronnie Beaton
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

UK person here. I went to secondary school (high school) in the early 80s and my school had a pool. Fair enough it was a very *small* pool - affectionately nicknamed "The Puddle" - but a pool nonetheless.

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Faith Hurst
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some high schools. Swim teams and water polo teams kind of need them.

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Arenite
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most of them don’t. Just schools in wealthy neighborhoods. I think swim class is required in Japan.

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Kimberly Herbert
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More likely, a district has 1 pool for all the High Schools to use for swim teams. It can also operate as a community pool. Both the district I grew up in, and the one I taught in had mandatory swim lessons for either 4th or 5th grade. Because of segregation, the grandparents/great grandparents of POC kids in school today may have never learned to swim. There can still be racist barriers. We have a horrific rate of kids drowning in pools, bayous, creeks, retention ponds, and teaching kids to swim is vital to ending that. The district I taught in had yearly swim lessons for severely disabled kids and PT/OT that used the pool. It is hard to find a regular swim class that can work correctly with these medically fragile kids, so doing it through the schools means the instructors have the additional training needed. Both places have very low cost passes for community swim in the summer.

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Pauline Guien
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3 years ago

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Pauline Guien
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I left my comprehensive English school in 1973, we had an indoor swimming pool.

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Emily Smith
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of the nicer or newer high schools do. Elementary schools usually don't.

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Monica A. M.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My high school did and we had to take swimming as a PE class. It was in SW Florida, so it was like 100 degrees out. I got a nice tan that semester.

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Kristin Bernet
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went to a private, Quker school in Philadelphia; my highschool had a pool in the basement and an AstroTurf roof for field hockey and soccer

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Lynn Cai
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not always. Though at my high school we liked to joke that there's a swimming pool on the roof thanks to a ceiling ladder on the top floor.

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Helen Slape
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in Australia, my son's high school has a pool and my mother-in-law's primary school has a pool (she used to teach there). The pools aren't huge, but are used for swimming lessons and swimming carnivals. A private school near where I used to live had a huge sports complex and would have lessons in swimming, dance, basketball, gymnastics etc for the public at their complex. A nice way of getting kids into sports at the school and raising funds for the school at the same time.

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Lord Mysticlaw
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some schools in SA have swimming pools. the really fancy expensive schools.

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Don't Look
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The school board has to decide on that sort of amenity and someone has to choose how to spend that tax money.

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Citizen Josie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And it is awesome. Swimming lessons and club for free paid by the school. Who doesn't want that? All schools should have sports, art and music

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NWB
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In NZ they do too, Oz they don't sadly, more kids need swimming lessons! Thats what governments need to help parents fund.

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Seth Linn
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Private schools? Probably. Public schools? If you live in the more wealthy areas, probably.

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CatWoman312
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in high school the way the seniors pranked the freshmen is by telling them that their class was on the third floor by the swimming pool. There was no swimming pool or 3rd floor.

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JessG
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Believe it or not, some Non-American schools do too.

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Dippin Dot
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. Where I grew up it was at the middle school (I was a lifeguard there) and where I live now they are at both the middle and high schools.

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Eric Lafleur
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Quebec, Canada here. We had one and we also had a hockey arena, football/soccer field, a gymnasuim big enough to fit four gym classes and a track field. I guess We had it good, for a public high school.

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Calypso poet
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My high school did. We took swimming classes there in elementary school. They also offered swimming lessons to the public. Needless to say I am a very strong swimmer. All my friends from school are.

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Bunzilla
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh yeees. A slight upside since school is virtual this year because otherwise I was going to have to do gym and i would have to swim in the pooool

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Sportsgal
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not back in 90s...also, only foreign languages you could learn were Spanish and French

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Whawhawhatsis
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If the school district has enough money. The district had a single pool when my son was in elementary and the kids would get a couple of weeks of swimming (for drown-proofing, to make sure everybody can learn basic swimming) but we moved and later when my daughter was in high school in a different city her school had its own pool. She loved it.

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Auli Riot
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went to a shite high school in Glasgow and we had a swimming pool. F**k using it though, thing was manky

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sylvantic
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

only the newer ones do. mine does, but it was built like 14 years ago.

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Erin D
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine did but it was abandoned and filled with archery arrows lol (in the ceiling as well)

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Alexis draskinis
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ours all do. But we also have a system for most of the public schools were the middle school (6th to 8th gr) is semi attached to its high school. At least in my city anyway, but not all of them in my state. So for example, most kids that i went to ms with filtered into our hs, unless they went to a private one. Our 2 buildings were separate, except for a connecting hallway here or there, and the 2 schools shared a gym & pool. We had separate fields for things like baseball & soccer if I remember correctly. I imagine this way can save a decent chunk of movie without sacrificing activities. 1 pool for 2 schools is better than not having a swim team in 1 vs the other...

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lara
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and many schools, especially in California have competitive swim teams.

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Little Ms. Quirky
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in the school in HK I currently am in there's a swimming pool (smells gross tho)

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ArtistinResidence
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some do. It’s always a problem though if the budget for the schools don’t pass the first thing they look at is closing the pool. Most of our students take one of their PE quarters learning to swim which since we live near a Lake, it’s probably a good idea since we haven’t had a drowning in a long time. I will say the students hate it because you have to get totally wet and then try and get your hair dry before your next class and it’s really difficult.

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Gwenda Christenson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not a lot of them. The larger schools might -- small school (400 kids in kindergarten through 12th grade) usually don't. it is all based on the amount of money a school has (which is paid for by local property taxes. Wealthy areas get the good stuff -- rural and poor areas get crap

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Betsy Knox
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hah! My high school was located in an old mansion. We were bummed to find out that in order to give us a library they boarded up the swimming pool and built a library over it.

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Roadkill The Brave
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all of them. There might be some but I never went to a school with one.

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jewel cat
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dont but i know that some do. i go to a really small school

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WhatEvenIsLife
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not in small town Texas. Any money the district has goes straight to football. Even if it's really crappy football.

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Hannah M
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In New Zealand most schools have a pool as well, but they're pretty small. Also, because of the shape and isolation of NZ everyone NEEDS to be able to swim

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Soph the Loaf
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of them do, but a lot of the time the community uses the pool too, not just students.

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Sophie McGregor
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our school in forfar, Scotland has a community pool attached to is

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Luther von Wolfen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only the ones in rich neighborhoods, which are the ones you see on TV.

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Hailey Scullen-Miller
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

some reason theres a rumor here that theres an actual pool under thhe gym but how would you get to it then????

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rgr8
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of my schools apparently have had one on the roof.

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Aiyana Menrige
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought he ment like ELEMENTARY or something. My elementary school didn't have one.

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#32

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

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