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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
FCPS is considering pursuing a waiver to start school before Labor Day
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Anonymous
| They posted this as a Facebook status today and asked for feedback. This is for the 2012-2013 school year. School would start the week before Labor Day and get out one week earlier. I'm excited about this and hope that they decide to pursue this waiver. How do you feel about this? |
Anonymous
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Love it and I responded to their survey and said so!
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Anonymous
| I also like the idea. Too bad I am not on Facebook. |
Anonymous
| What is better about this? |
Anonymous
| I'm not on Facebook either, but that's not the only contact method FCPS is using. Are you in their Keep in Touch system? I received an e-mail from that system with an invite to complete a survey regarding starting before Labor Day. I imagine they'd want interested parents to take it, so http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/calendar2012 |
Anonymous
| MCPS family here - we hate it! DS started kindergarten when MCPS started after Labor Day. The next year they started a couple of days before Labor Day. They eventually started a whole week before Labor Day. We really didn't like it. In fact, we just let DS start after Labor Day anyway. It was the only convenient time to visit my parents. Once they moved to the Monday before Labor Day we realized that missing the first full week of school was not a good thing for DS. The rationale MCPS gave at the time was to have more days of instruction before the MSA's (maryland state assessments) in May .. .the only thing they really care about anyway. |
Anonymous
You can vote repeatedly. Not exactly a scientific survey. |
Anonymous
| As the parent of a high schooler, I believe that starting earlier is very helpful. The AP tests are given across the country on specific days in the spring. Those jurisdictions starting later place their students at a distinct disadvantage vis-a-vis students in other areas. Also, the college application process in the fall is extremely rushed; one more week to meet with counselors and work on college essays would be very helpful. |
Anonymous
They get out a week earlier in June, and for kids that take the SOLs, they are pretty much checked out of school after SOLs are done anyway. So we get some nice family time together in June when it is not As.Hot.As.Hades outside. |
Anonymous
| I am on the Keep in touch syatem and don't remember getting that info. I will check the website. THX. |
Anonymous
| MCPS starts the week before Labor Day. It's not bad but if your child is a HS athlete and you add pre season for fall sports it means being back in town by mid August at a minimum and this past year we had to be back by August 4th for camps and then pre season. So it does cut into summer a bit. |
Anonymous
Thanks for the answer. I grew up in Fairfax County so I'm used to starting after Labor Day. Isn't it weird to have a holiday off so soon after starting? |
Anonymous
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I just opened my e-mail after being away this weekend, and I definitely checked yes! I think it is great since the sol and ap tests are in the spring, and students will have more time to prepare, and teachers will have more time to teach. In addition, I think a pp said that basically after sol's and ap tests, the kids check out. They are done...so let's get out of school early.
To MCPS poster... 1) This is a virginia public school site. 2) I think that it is terrible that you kept your child out of school for a week (the first week), when everyone is getting to know eachother and adapt to a new school setting. |