SPOKANE, Wash. -

While most public schools in our area have a couple more weeks to enjoy the summer heat, that's not the case for the Continuous Curriculum School in Spokane Valley, which takes a different approach to the school year.

The K-8 school has a shorter summer break, holds classes for eight weeks and then takes a two week fall break, then hits the books for seven weeks before Christmas break.

The morning rush is over here at CCS and the bell rings at 7:50. The kids were lining up for class bright and early.

These kids have already done their back to school shopping, which means they are ready for pictures for the first day of first grade and headed off to class, but where they were greeted with some words of wisdom: "Remember you don't have to be great to start but you have to start to be great."

Starting earlier than everyone else is one way they do that. Kids are in class for six weeks at a time and then get a one or two week vacation throughout the year.

"I think they don't forget so much material, like they normally do during the summer time. They kind of forget and teachers spend the whole first month just reviewing what we did the previous year. This time they just start fresh," parent Jeni Stephens said.

They don't miss out on summer because they just came off a month and a half break, a schedule a number of parents prefer.

"We also get to enjoy breaks that other people don't get to enjoy, so vacations and stuff are a lot less crowded," parent Sarah Peterson said.

While summer vacation ended Tuesday, these students' next break is just weeks away.