Calendar survey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No Columbus or Veterans Day.
Keep Christmas and Thanksgiving as is.
If there was a place for suggestions - Give a holiday or two to Muslims or other groups who don't get any.

And no I'm not Muslim.

They’ve been putting stray professional development/makeup days to align with Chinese New Year and Eid recently.

And Diwali also

Thank you for clarifying! I hadn't realized. I wish they actually would call it that for transparency and so people can learn about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

OP here (although not the PP you’re responding to). I wonder how much our preferences are dictated by what we’re used to. Two weeks of winter break has never felt long to me, even if we don’t travel, but that’s what I grew up with. On the other hand, someone mentioned mid-February break, and I wouldn’t even have thought of that - but I’ve also never had one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No Columbus or Veterans Day.
Keep Christmas and Thanksgiving as is.
If there was a place for suggestions - Give a holiday or two to Muslims or other groups who don't get any.

And no I'm not Muslim.

They’ve been putting stray professional development/makeup days to align with Chinese New Year and Eid recently.

And Diwali also

Thank you for clarifying! I hadn't realized. I wish they actually would call it that for transparency and so people can learn about it.

Agreed, they need to acknowledge cultural celebrations and have kids learn about the diverse traditions of their classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

The survey actually said starting the school year up to 3 days earlier, or ending it up to 3 days later, as two ways of making room for more days off the rest of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I said longer winter break and Columbus Day. I wish there was an option for a later start though.

Neither Columbus Day nor Veterans Day since I don't work at a bank. Also wish there was an option for fewer religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

What two week winter break are you referring to? It's ten days. It's so short already. Plan better. Use that time to for break with your NY family. This isnt hard or difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

What two week winter break are you referring to? It's ten days. It's so short already. Plan better. Use that time to for break with your NY family. This isnt hard or difficult.

The survey asked the following question:

5. Which of the following are you most interested in seeing in SY 2023–2024 calendar scenarios? (Select one)
Closed for the full Thanksgiving Week
A longer Winter Break (currently Winter Breaks are 9 days, including the weekends)
More frequent, shorter breaks throughout the year
Nothing. Leave the calendar like it is.
I don't know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

What two week winter break are you referring to? It's ten days. It's so short already. Plan better. Use that time to for break with your NY family. This isnt hard or difficult.

I don't feel like it's too short. With it being expensive and crowded to travel Christmas week, I really don't want it to be any longer, which is one of the proposals. I find that it already drags on. I don't want extra days to be taken from the beginning or end of the year to make that longer.

And I wasn't complaining about not having Feb. My family who still gets Fed thinks it's weird that I don't.

[Anonymous]

I think January - Spring break in late March/early April is too long with no break.

The Fall is full of lots of breaks. That winter slog sucks for both teachers and students. But, that wasn't an option either!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No Columbus or Veterans Day.
Keep Christmas and Thanksgiving as is.
If there was a place for suggestions - Give a holiday or two to Muslims or other groups who don't get any.

This has been resolved. The timing of workdays is now at Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year.

But MCPS won't mark dates on the calendar, so no one knows unless you look at a calendar.

[Anonymous]

It need an other option or comments field so people could vote for less half days. And if we’re going to have them let them all be Fridays or late start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a 2-week winter break.

That would take away from so many other days we have off. I get antsy after a week off and would rather have other long weekends here and there. It's so expensive to travel that time of year, and the weather is junk that I don't want to sit around being cold and bored.

It wouldn't have to take away from other days off if the first day of school was a week earlier. That was one of the questions on the survey.

Ick that's a BIG no from me if that's the trade off. I was the one who said 2 week winter break is too long.

And yes, I'm sure it's based on what you're used to. My family is all in NY and every year they're confused why we can't plan something with them over mid winter/ Feb break.

What two week winter break are you referring to? It's ten days. It's so short already. Plan better. Use that time to for break with your NY family. This isnt hard or difficult.

I don't feel like it's too short. With it being expensive and crowded to travel Christmas week, I really don't want it to be any longer, which is one of the proposals. I find that it already drags on. I don't want extra days to be taken from the beginning or end of the year to make that longer.

And I wasn't complaining about not having Feb. My family who still gets Fed thinks it's weird that I don't.

I agree with you totally. Winter Break is a terrible time weather-wise around here, it’s so expensive to travel basically anywhere, it seems to drag on forever. I definitely do not want to miss a week of summer or have school drag on later in June so I can have 3 extra gray cold December days to fill with antsy children on top of the 9 I already have.

Making winter break two weeks would mainly benefit students whose families travel overseas to their home countries over the holidays. I don’t know what percentage of families that is. Mcps should have worded the survey better, linking the longer winter break or whatnot to the idea that the school year would be extended. People are going to prefer longer breaks but are not going to be willing to add the days on either end, so the results will be useless and mcps will decide something no one is happy about!

I also don’t think it’s really fair for parents/community members to weigh in on whether minority holidays should be teacher work days. That’s between the school system and the teachers union. I don’t know how many teachers would be impacted if they suddenly had to work on Rosh Hashanah, Eid or Juneteenth. Who am I to say whether that’s reasonable? I think if we’ve decided the students are off, then it’s a bit inequitable to say teachers need to work. But maybe teachers would prefer this so they could have Veteran’s Day? Seems silly.