NoVA counties Fix spring break to one consistent spot in the school year.

[Anonymous]

From year to year spring break shifts weeks in many NoVA Counties but has one thing in common.
It's always the week preceding Easter regardless of how early or late that is. Since Easter is on Sunday the only possible off day needed is Good Friday. We don't need that entire week to be the spring break unless it's a year where it falls at a logical time (post 3rd quarter or 1st full week of April). In any other year Good Friday should be a single day off and spring break should be set secularly.
In 2025 Spring break is April 14-18 with 14 long weeks between breaks (January 6-April 11) although the consolation is that there is only 8 weeks after spring break.
In 2027 Easter is super early on March 28 which would result in 11 or 12 weeks post spring break including 2 or 3 just in 3rd MP.

Alexandria, Arlington, Loudon, Prince William etc need to make spring break 2027 April 5-9 so all of these counties should be done with 3rd MP but still try to cut down on long stretches pre or post SB. A 5 day weekend in February or early March might be needed to break up the February/March slog.

[Anonymous]

I agree with setting spring break at a specific point in April and not attaching it to Easter.

Disagree with your reasoning re: holidays. I don't know of any Christian denominations that specifically don't work on Good Friday: it can be a school day. And I understand observant Jews often don't work or attend school the first two days of Passover, so you'd potentially need those to be holidays.

[Anonymous]

Why does counties aligning matter? I'd think more parents would like catholic high schools to align with their county than would care than another county. How many parents have a kid in ACPS and another in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with setting spring break at a specific point in April and not attaching it to Easter.

Disagree with your reasoning re: holidays. I don't know of any Christian denominations that specifically don't work on Good Friday: it can be a school day. And I understand observant Jews often don't work or attend school the first two days of Passover, so you'd potentially need those to be holidays.

I thought Good Friday is to Christians as Yom Kippur is to Jews. Apparently not. If many people would be absent on Good Friday schools should be closed, if not they can be open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does counties aligning matter? I'd think more parents would like catholic high schools to align with their county than would care than another county. How many parents have a kid in ACPS and another in FCPS?

I don't think it should matter but some teachers who live in one county but teach in another may lose their mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with setting spring break at a specific point in April and not attaching it to Easter.

Disagree with your reasoning re: holidays. I don't know of any Christian denominations that specifically don't work on Good Friday: it can be a school day. And I understand observant Jews often don't work or attend school the first two days of Passover, so you'd potentially need those to be holidays.

I thought Good Friday is to Christians as Yom Kippur is to Jews. Apparently not. If many people would be absent on Good Friday schools should be closed, if not they can be open.

At our church the kid-specific Good Friday stuff was during the day, but the main services (which can include kids) were in the evening after adults were done work. As a committed believer I would be fine either way. It's not like Good Friday is a fun family day or anything; it's somber.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of all the religious holidays and make spring break a fixed week. Only observe fesral holidays.

[Anonymous]

*federal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of all the religious holidays and make spring break a fixed week. Only observe fesral holidays.

Falls Church City public schools did that EXCEPT for Spring Break still being in that week before Easter so Western Christians still don't have any major religious holiday on a school day. They should change spring break starting in 2027 to the 1st full week of April and have a 5-day weekend in February to break the long stretch up from January-March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does counties aligning matter? I'd think more parents would like catholic high schools to align with their county than would care than another county. How many parents have a kid in ACPS and another in FCPS?

I don't think it should matter but some teachers who live in one county but teach in another may lose their mind.

There are a lot. It would be a huge issue if the counties did not line up for spring break.

[Anonymous]

I agree. There is no reason for spring break to be tied to easter. Pick a week in March or April and make it easier for folks to plan. I'd be thrilled with the first week of April every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with setting spring break at a specific point in April and not attaching it to Easter.

Disagree with your reasoning re: holidays. I don't know of any Christian denominations that specifically don't work on Good Friday: it can be a school day. And I understand observant Jews often don't work or attend school the first two days of Passover, so you'd potentially need those to be holidays.

I thought Good Friday is to Christians as Yom Kippur is to Jews. Apparently not. If many people would be absent on Good Friday schools should be closed, if not they can be open.

Nobody except the very devout celebrate Easter. Most Christians are not devout or even remotely religious, as you can see by the election results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does counties aligning matter? I'd think more parents would like catholic high schools to align with their county than would care than another county. How many parents have a kid in ACPS and another in FCPS?

I don't think it should matter but some teachers who live in one county but teach in another may lose their mind.

There are a lot. It would be a huge issue if the counties did not line up for spring break.

They didn’t use to align, it just happened in the last couple years. As a teacher, I think it should be at the end of third quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with setting spring break at a specific point in April and not attaching it to Easter.

Disagree with your reasoning re: holidays. I don't know of any Christian denominations that specifically don't work on Good Friday: it can be a school day. And I understand observant Jews often don't work or attend school the first two days of Passover, so you'd potentially need those to be holidays.

If you're that observant that you're taking off for pesach yom tov then either 1) you're not in public school or 2) you'll be taking it off whether the school system is closed or not. Taking off for pesach yom tov is a very high level of observance that most jews do not practice. As a jew, even I would have a hard time supporting closing for those days. FYI---the last two days of pesach are also holidays. If you're closing schools for the first two and the last two days of an 8 day holiday, you might as well close for the entire week. That's not going to go over well. However, I do appreciate the inclusion and recognition of the holidays!

[Anonymous]

Practicing Catholic and I totally agree.

Pin it to the first week of April. Always. Done.

Families can plan. Teachers who live and teach in different counties don't have a unique childcare scramble that no one else faces. It seems like a no-brainer.