FCPS 2018-2019 school calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Note that if you want the WED before Thanksgiving off -- Option A is your choice. I like that one.

Taking two weeks off after Xmas is just too much.

+1. The way it falls in the week, we would not sending be kids back until January 7. In school for two weeks (assuming weather is perfect)) then a three day week. With two 4 day weeks in February. And there will be snow days in there. That’s ridiculous. Why is FCPS so incapable of keeping kids in school in January and February?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All three of these options but the fall break TWD on the first Tuesday in November, with school on Monday. If they are going to cut fall break down from a 4 day weekend, would it kill them to put the TWD on a Monday so we could have a long weekend?

That Tuesday is Election Day. It’s always off.

[Anonymous]

I don't need a 3-day Thanksgiving break.

And I like short weeks, so I'm not going to complain about TWDs and Federal holidays in Jan/Feb along with snow days.

[Anonymous]

When are they going to schedule parent conferences?

Is MLK or Columbus Day still off for any of the options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All three of these options but the fall break TWD on the first Tuesday in November, with school on Monday. If they are going to cut fall break down from a 4 day weekend, would it kill them to put the TWD on a Monday so we could have a long weekend?

That Tuesday is Election Day. It’s always off.

That makes sense. They need to add Monday back, then.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Options A and B-no way. So they shortened summer last year and want to shorten it again this year? Wow. That's harsh. Kids in sports and band would start camps a week earlier-that means near the end of July? Weather can't always been depended on in early June. We like to buy a pool membership but probably would not if options A or B were chosen. We would barely make use of it. It was bad enough they started before Labor Day this year. It was tough for my kids and a lot of other kids I know.

The pools are empty in Augist.

Not that pool use should be the metric -- but they are empty in August because (1) everyone has had enough swim time by then and it's old news, and (2) many people leave town for vacations in Aug b/c Congress shuts down. So, yes, pools are generally not very full in Aug. People are excited about summer in June/right after Memorial Day. By August, they are looking toward the next thing and summer is a has-been.

The pools are packed in June and empty in August.

Pools are not going to lose any business by fcps starting mid August

Somebody upthread said they wouldn’t join if the season was shortened.

That person is just like the actors who said they are moving to Canada when Trump won.

They will still join the pool. Because, well, swim team.

It is not the swim team parents who won't join. Its the people not on the swim team but who just use the pool. Less people renting and owning translates into less people paying for the pool which translates into less maintenance and pools closing. It's possible they could move up the entire swim team calendar to allow for a July-August rental after swim team, but then the kids get one less week to practice so that will not be popular either. Plus most kids that staff pools are high schoolers who then won't be able to staff the pool in August. The pools already open up on Memorial Day and the weather isn't warm enough to typically open earlier.

REALLY??? don't those same High schooler staff the pool in June as we have it now? They just open the pools at 3:00 and close at 8:00. They can do the same thing if school starts Aug. 23rd. Pools are open in the evening for a week (plus all day on the weekend.) Not such a hard problem to solve.

The solvency of your private swim club is not more important than the education of 190,000 kids.

But if you're changing the start dates to better prepare for AP/IB tests, it is not for the betterment of 190,000 kids. It's for the kids in high school taking those tests.

Ummm...

School is about school, which includes AP and IB tests.

School is not about swimming pools (that are always half empty in August anyway, even with a post Labor Day start).

Pool time is irrelevant to this discussion and is not even a little bit on par with the very important AP and IB exams.

Another positive with ending early June is that now our high schoolers will be able to participate in competitive summer academic programs that start mid June. They are iced out of so many of them with fcps going so late into June.

This is a win win (yes, a win even for those attached to empty August pools.)

What percentage of the 190,000 Fairfax County students participate in competitive summer academic programs?

In a place as affluent and educated as Fairfax County? Probably more people than you realize once you hit middle school and higher. JHU CTY, UVa’s SEP, VCU’s Girls STEM program, Governor’s schools, other private university based programs. The McLean, Langley, and Western County AAP kids definately apply in large numbers to these programs. The late release can also knock out internship opportunities. It even messes with DD’s Girl Scout Camp plans. Summer music internives. If you have a 3rd grader going to Rec Center Camp, it might be hard to see that in parts of Fairfax County, kids with specializes interests and talents are actively seeking out summer enrichment. And unlike you pool dues, SEP or CTY or a STEM internship has educational value. We should be making these opportunities possible.

[Anonymous]

When are they going to decide? My children attend FCPS but I teach somewhere else. I’m seriously considering the pay cut and applying since our schedules are becoming more and more different. This is a huge issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When are they going to decide? My children attend FCPS but I teach somewhere else. I’m seriously considering the pay cut and applying since our schedules are becoming more and more different. This is a huge issue.

I saw the date. It’s mid-December.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All three of these options but the fall break TWD on the first Tuesday in November, with school on Monday. If they are going to cut fall break down from a 4 day weekend, would it kill them to put the TWD on a Monday so we could have a long weekend?

That Tuesday is Election Day. It’s always off.

That makes sense. They need to add Monday back, then.

The problem is half of this year’s Monday was staff development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note that if you want the WED before Thanksgiving off -- Option A is your choice. I like that one.

Taking two weeks off after Xmas is just too much.

+1. The way it falls in the week, we would not sending be kids back until January 7. In school for two weeks (assuming weather is perfect)) then a three day week. With two 4 day weeks in February. And there will be snow days in there. That’s ridiculous. Why is FCPS so incapable of keeping kids in school in January and February?

So many holidays, work days, and other randomness in Jan/Feb. It's like FCPS doesn't want our kids in school.

Nov/Dec are already shot to hell with holidays/days off, why are Jan/Feb also stuffed full of them?

Get the kids in school, then the AP anxiety will start to go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note that if you want the WED before Thanksgiving off -- Option A is your choice. I like that one.

Taking two weeks off after Xmas is just too much.

+1. The way it falls in the week, we would not sending be kids back until January 7. In school for two weeks (assuming weather is perfect)) then a three day week. With two 4 day weeks in February. And there will be snow days in there. That’s ridiculous. Why is FCPS so incapable of keeping kids in school in January and February?

So many holidays, work days, and other randomness in Jan/Feb. It's like FCPS doesn't want our kids in school.

Nov/Dec are already shot to hell with holidays/days off, why are Jan/Feb also stuffed full of them?

Get the kids in school, then the AP anxiety will start to go away.

The teachers have 14 more days than the students. Up through this year 5 of those days fell before the first day of school. The other contract days have to fall somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All three of these options but the fall break TWD on the first Tuesday in November, with school on Monday. If they are going to cut fall break down from a 4 day weekend, would it kill them to put the TWD on a Monday so we could have a long weekend?

That Tuesday is Election Day. It’s always off.

Starting last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All three of these options but the fall break TWD on the first Tuesday in November, with school on Monday. If they are going to cut fall break down from a 4 day weekend, would it kill them to put the TWD on a Monday so we could have a long weekend?

That Tuesday is Election Day. It’s always off.

Starting last year.

The end of the first quarter has always been aligned with elections even when it meant that first quarter was only 8 weeks. You may be thinking of the random primary election day that we had off last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please keep in mind that this change has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOLs. It is SOLELY for the AP/IB students who have to take national exams.

I know some of you know that but I still see people talking about the SOLs in the conversation (both here and a thread I'm following elsewhere on this topic).

When the school year shifts, SO DO THE SOLs. The entire FCPS testing window moved up a week this year due to the one week earlier start date. The county window goes to May 31 this year which is a week earlier than last year. No matter what you do to the schedule the SOLs will move with it.

I think you're right here - do you have anything you can share like the SOL calendar for last year or this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please keep in mind that this change has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOLs. It is SOLELY for the AP/IB students who have to take national exams.

I know some of you know that but I still see people talking about the SOLs in the conversation (both here and a thread I'm following elsewhere on this topic).

When the school year shifts, SO DO THE SOLs. The entire FCPS testing window moved up a week this year due to the one week earlier start date. The county window goes to May 31 this year which is a week earlier than last year. No matter what you do to the schedule the SOLs will move with it.

I think you're right here - do you have anything you can share like the SOL calendar for last year or this year?

PP you quoted is exactly right. Last year, SOL window opened on Monday, May 16, 2017. This year, they begin on May 7, 2018. The calendars are inside our intranet, so I can’t post a link.
— an FCPS elementary principal