Yay! Another religious holiday!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the breaks, it helps my HS stay on top of their studies and be able to have enough down time.

+1

I think it’s fine for high school, but for working parents with younger kids the inconsistent schedule is really hard.

It's not "inconsistent" if it's on a set schedule far in advance, which these days off are.

There is time to plan. I'm not saying it's easy or ideal, I get that it isn't. But calling it "inconsistent", as if schools just airily declare on a whim on Wednesday that the next Monday is a day off, whenever, is incorrect.

It’s inconsistent for my kid because that day of sitting around (I work outside the home) gets him in a funk. He would rather be in school.

You could have easily given him things to work on (reading, extra homework prep, chores, raking leaves, volunteering in the neighbor hood, etc.) if he did nothing that I’d definitely on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kinda sad that you can’t just enjoy a day with your kids.

I enjoy the days I can spend with my kid but I, like a good number of parents, work. Luckily, DS is old enough to entertain himself at home for the day so we don’t need to pay for a camp to watch him this year. And yes, I would need to find coverage for him during the summer but there are more options for summer camp that DS enjoys.

But the child care is not the issue. Many kids need a stable routine. This screwed up calendar causes all sorts of issues for my kids friend with anxiety. He already struggles with going to school but giving him another day off makes going to school on Tuesday that much worse. It is another day for him to stress about school and issues and increases his anxiety. His family has a routine that makes this manageable that works reasonably well during a normal week but the extra day can lead to refusal to attend school.

He is not the only kid who has issues when their routine is disrupted. And there are the kids who have a required number of pull outs and push in help that are required to help them because of an IEP. Those are disrupted.

I know that you all want to blame it on working parents being annoyed about child care but it is about disrupting routines for kids who need routines.

I would far prefer a year round school with a 2 week break after the end of quarters and a 6 week summer vacation because I do worry about learning loss. For the same reason as I don’t like all these random days off. Most kids do far better with structure and a reliable schedule. The calendar does not provide that for the kids right now. I know that isn’t going to happen but I can dream.

That would be nice, and then the teacher work days could happen during these breaks too, instead of disrupting the routines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really should stop reading DCUM a full month before an election.

Yup...all the trolls are on full blast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had 3 (4?) religious holidays so far this year... and endless more to come.

Liberals fought hard to remove any entanglement between public school and Christian religion, now these hypocrites can't add enough religious holidays to the schedule.

Wish my kids were in school and learning. Wish the School Board even cared about that.

Do you complain about getting off for Christmas???????????????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a longer year, though. As a teacher, I would prefer less days off during the year and a longer summer. These days off here and there help to catch up on sleep, but I can’t clear my head. I am always thinking about teaching.

I am also a teacher, but I have the opposite opinion. I support what research shows, that shorter and more frequent breaks are better for learning, and for preventing learning loss, than long summer breaks are.

I'm not sure how you can ever clear your head. Even with long summers, I am always thinking about teaching. In fact, I spend most of the summer each year catching up on professional reading and planning that I did not have time for during the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a longer year, though. As a teacher, I would prefer less days off during the year and a longer summer. These days off here and there help to catch up on sleep, but I can’t clear my head. I am always thinking about teaching.

I am also a teacher, but I have the opposite opinion. I support what research shows, that shorter and more frequent breaks are better for learning, and for preventing learning loss, than long summer breaks are.

I'm not sure how you can ever clear your head. Even with long summers, I am always thinking about teaching. In fact, I spend most of the summer each year catching up on professional reading and planning that I did not have time for during the school year.

You spend nearly 10 weeks on “professional reading”? Doubt that. What exactly are you reading - FCPS doesn’t assign anything or have one standardized book. I’m sure you have vacations. Sick of the exaggerations of how teachers spend all summer reading and planning. They don’t.

-former FCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the breaks, it helps my HS stay on top of their studies and be able to have enough down time.

+1

I think it’s fine for high school, but for working parents with younger kids the inconsistent schedule is really hard.

It's not "inconsistent" if it's on a set schedule far in advance, which these days off are.

There is time to plan. I'm not saying it's easy or ideal, I get that it isn't. But calling it "inconsistent", as if schools just airily declare on a whim on Wednesday that the next Monday is a day off, whenever, is incorrect.

It’s inconsistent for my kid because that day of sitting around (I work outside the home) gets him in a funk. He would rather be in school.

You could have easily given him things to work on (reading, extra homework prep, chores, raking leaves, volunteering in the neighbor hood, etc.) if he did nothing that I’d definitely on you.

DP, but how old are your kids, where they can do these things independently and this parent can work without interruptions? Good luck finding volunteer opportunities without a parent. If anyone has a magic way to get kids to rake leaves for hours and actually do it, please let me know. Money doesn’t work. Any of these activities can occupy them for a little while but it’s constant start and stop all day for a parent trying to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had 3 (4?) religious holidays so far this year... and endless more to come.

Liberals fought hard to remove any entanglement between public school and Christian religion, now these hypocrites can't add enough religious holidays to the schedule.

Wish my kids were in school and learning. Wish the School Board even cared about that.

So happy we had a religious holiday yesterday, but I feel your pain about learning loss, and to that end, I think it’s reasonable to reduce Christmas holidays to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to make you happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had 3 (4?) religious holidays so far this year... and endless more to come.

Liberals fought hard to remove any entanglement between public school and Christian religion, now these hypocrites can't add enough religious holidays to the schedule.

Wish my kids were in school and learning. Wish the School Board even cared about that.

Since for you people, whining and moaning is like oxygen, I'd think you'd be happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pull the plug on stupid religious holidays, end sooner in June, start after Labor Day.

Not happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get over yourself, OP. There’s still plenty of school days in the year.

NP. Lay off OP. I happen to entirely agree with them. The momentum this school year has been lackluster. Kiddos need to be in school.

Kids are in school. For 180 days. Cope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me translate for OP:

"ugh, I hate having to take care of my own kids, wish I could go to Monday Barre class"

Yeah, if only it were that simple. I’d love to be going to barre class instead of paying private tutors to get my kids somewhat caught up after the scamdemic school closures, woke ideology run amock and now more holidays and days off. I think everyone and their beliefs should be celebrated but weve truly lost sight of the bigger picture here.

"Scamdemic?" Oh, you're dumb. Your poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If FCPS was threatened by vouchers this silliness would go away, look at he private school calendars of nearby schools, very few holidays and no teacher work days

https://school.saintagnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-2021-School-Calendar-Parents.pdf

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1570202101/potomac/dcgsyyegrw2szijs9tlo/2019-20CalendarGrid.pdf

You're not getting "vouchers," Trumper. Take that crap back to Parler where it belongs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kinda sad that you can’t just enjoy a day with your kids.

Most people can enjoy one, or even 2, but 10 days off in 2.5 months is BS. You must not be employed

You get the schedule before the school year starts. Plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the breaks, it helps my HS stay on top of their studies and be able to have enough down time.

+1

I think it’s fine for high school, but for working parents with younger kids the inconsistent schedule is really hard.

It's not "inconsistent" if it's on a set schedule far in advance, which these days off are.

There is time to plan. I'm not saying it's easy or ideal, I get that it isn't. But calling it "inconsistent", as if schools just airily declare on a whim on Wednesday that the next Monday is a day off, whenever, is incorrect.

It’s inconsistent for my kid because that day of sitting around (I work outside the home) gets him in a funk. He would rather be in school.

You could have easily given him things to work on (reading, extra homework prep, chores, raking leaves, volunteering in the neighbor hood, etc.) if he did nothing that I’d definitely on you.

DP, but how old are your kids, where they can do these things independently and this parent can work without interruptions? Good luck finding volunteer opportunities without a parent. If anyone has a magic way to get kids to rake leaves for hours and actually do it, please let me know. Money doesn’t work. Any of these activities can occupy them for a little while but it’s constant start and stop all day for a parent trying to work.

No one said "rake leaves for hours," and you don't need "magic" to get your kids to do what you tell them to do. Have you tried -- oh, I don't know -- parenting?