APS ES schedule- is this how it’s always been?

[Anonymous]

Out of 9 weeks of school, it feels like we’ve had maybe 2 that were all 5 days with no early dismissal. Is that the way it’s always been? My child is in K so I’m new to the system- just seems like a lot of time out of class/a lot of things to juggle for working parents. And yes, I appreciate that school isn’t childcare, I just am curious if this is how it’s always been.

[Anonymous]

One-a-month early release Wednesdays is standard, as is the early-release Thursday and day off on Friday for elementary parent-teacher conferences. What is new this year is having off for the major Jewish holidays and Diwali. Also new is the start before Labor Day, which Virginia law only allows if school systems give a four-day weekend for Labor Day (a concession to the tourism industry).

So yes, a lot of it is new, and I won't deny that it's been difficult to manage as a working parent, especially with the more limited options for single-day camps on days off than pre-covid. If your child isn't in extended day, you might want to consider it in the future because extended day runs until the usual closing time on early release days (and the extended day programs often do special events on those days since it's a couple of extra hours for the kids), which makes it a lot easier to manage those days while working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One-a-month early release Wednesdays is standard, as is the early-release Thursday and day off on Friday for elementary parent-teacher conferences. What is new this year is having off for the major Jewish holidays and Diwali. Also new is the start before Labor Day, which Virginia law only allows if school systems give a four-day weekend for Labor Day (a concession to the tourism industry).

So yes, a lot of it is new, and I won't deny that it's been difficult to manage as a working parent, especially with the more limited options for single-day camps on days off than pre-covid. If your child isn't in extended day, you might want to consider it in the future because extended day runs until the usual closing time on early release days (and the extended day programs often do special events on those days since it's a couple of extra hours for the kids), which makes it a lot easier to manage those days while working.

+1 to all of this. Starting the day after Labor Day, and then other than one early release not having another day off until mid-October this is a huge shift. We are fortunate to still be teleworking but yes I can imagine this is very hard on families who don't have an adult at home. Extended Day is one option, also look for one-day camps.

[Anonymous]

In addition to the extra holidays this year, we've had a number of absences due to cold symptoms requiring our kids to stay home until they get a negative covid test and quarantines as close contacts. These absences make the year feel even more choppy.

[Anonymous]

Extended day pays for itself in the early dismissal days alone.