LCPS Winter break

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because when they provided multiple calendar options this one won. You can’t have a full 2 week winter break without losing other holidays elsewhere or going later into the summer.

NP. Except we are going later in the summer this school year. Summer break will start nearly a week later than it did last school year. So, that doesn't account for a shorter winter break.
There's lots of single days off during the school year.

Yes, because it’s an inclusive calendar that also factors in Jewish, Hindu and Muslim holidays, which it previously did not. Again, it’s not fair to say that Muslim kids need to either come to school or miss content for Eid when Christian parents would never accept that for Christmas Eve or Christmas day. So the calendar has to be balanced with those holidays, federal holidays where they must be closed, and contracted teacher work days.

Yes, but it has been an inclusive calendar at least the last 2 years that my child has attended LCPS, and we still had a full 2 weeks for winter break, plus we weren’t in school until mid-June. This isn’t the first year that Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim holidays were observed.

Oh then that explains why you’re confused, you only have 2 years experience with the schools. Winter break isn’t always 2 full weeks. When Christmas is at the beginning of the week it is because we will go to the Friday before and end. But when it’s closer to mid week or end of week, it’s usually just the 8-9 days because there’s no reason to stop school Friday before Christmas when Christmas isn’t til the next Wednesday or Thursday . So we go longer then but we are always back on the 2nd or 3rd.

[Anonymous]

Ok, sure. But how does a shorter winter break result in a school year longer by nearly a week over the previous 2?
My beef isn't so much with the shorter time off at Christmas, it is with the fact that it doesn't equate to getting out in early June. Instead, kids will go nearly a week later this year than last.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, sure. But how does a shorter winter break result in a school year longer by nearly a week over the previous 2?
My beef isn't so much with the shorter time off at Christmas, it is with the fact that it doesn't equate to getting out in early June. Instead, kids will go nearly a week later this year than last.

Last year was an anomaly. There were only 170 days of school. No one knows why. Incompetence probably. This year we are back to the normal 180. The two-week winter break happens about 2/3 of the years.

Signed,
Parent of LCPS students for 11 years now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:they have to make room for everyone’s holidays

Do they? EVERYone’s? Where to draw the line?

[Anonymous]

LCPS is open for Veterans day . We stopped having that off years ago. I hear you on the lack of 5 day weeks but they have to make room for everyone’s holidays and they just pop up that way, especially in the fall

Yes, I know we go on Veterans Day, that’s kind of why I used that example—I’d rather attend on secular federal holidays like that and Indogenous People’s Day, Presidents Day, MLK Day, etc so that we can take the religious observance holidays off and have less impact to the schedule.

It’s not going to happen, but a teacher can dream!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

LCPS is open for Veterans day . We stopped having that off years ago. I hear you on the lack of 5 day weeks but they have to make room for everyone’s holidays and they just pop up that way, especially in the fall

Yes, I know we go on Veterans Day, that’s kind of why I used that example—I’d rather attend on secular federal holidays like that and Indogenous People’s Day, Presidents Day, MLK Day, etc so that we can take the religious observance holidays off and have less impact to the schedule.

It’s not going to happen, but a teacher can dream!

NP I think they should have school on those days too, plus Halloween. It's a great teaching opportunity to talk about the Presidents, MLK and what happened on 11/11 and why we celebrate

[Anonymous]

Legally it’s still Columbus Day. LCPS ignores that.

[Anonymous]

It’s crazy that LCPS is always closed on Halloween. How sad the kids don’t get parties and parades anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Legally it’s still Columbus Day. LCPS ignores that.

It’s both, actually. But whatever you call it, I would like to have school that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that LCPS is always closed on Halloween. How sad the kids don’t get parties and parades anymore.

LCPS is not always closed on Halloween, The schedule has worked out that way a lot in recent years, but it’s not always the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that LCPS is always closed on Halloween. How sad the kids don’t get parties and parades anymore.

Our school still does them - the last school day before Halloween.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that LCPS is always closed on Halloween. How sad the kids don’t get parties and parades anymore.

LCPS is not always closed on Halloween, The schedule has worked out that way a lot in recent years, but it’s not always the case.

Correct. Halloween has come at the very end of Q1 in the last 2 years. At the end of Q1 there are always two planning days for grading and conferencing since teachers have more need to conference after a quarter with the kids and now have data on them to share with parents. It happens that those are occurring on Halloween last year and this year, but they don’t always. There have been many halloweens I have been in school with the kids. Some of you really need more than 1-2 years in the schools before you make blanket statements on the calendars. What you know from your oldest attending K and 1st isn’t a hard and fast rule for what every year looks like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that LCPS is always closed on Halloween. How sad the kids don’t get parties and parades anymore.

LCPS is not always closed on Halloween, The schedule has worked out that way a lot in recent years, but it’s not always the case.

Correct. Halloween has come at the very end of Q1 in the last 2 years. At the end of Q1 there are always two planning days for grading and conferencing since teachers have more need to conference after a quarter with the kids and now have data on them to share with parents. It happens that those are occurring on Halloween last year and this year, but they don’t always. There have been many halloweens I have been in school with the kids. Some of you really need more than 1-2 years in the schools before you make blanket statements on the calendars. What you know from your oldest attending K and 1st isn’t a hard and fast rule for what every year looks like.

Exactly. Especially since they are basing it on the first two years following an unprecedented global pandemic. We are back to the two week winter break the next two years. You all know they are published through 2026, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because when they provided multiple calendar options this one won. You can’t have a full 2 week winter break without losing other holidays elsewhere or going later into the summer.

NP. Except we are going later in the summer this school year. Summer break will start nearly a week later than it did last school year. So, that doesn't account for a shorter winter break.
There's lots of single days off during the school year.

Yes, because it’s an inclusive calendar that also factors in Jewish, Hindu and Muslim holidays, which it previously did not. Again, it’s not fair to say that Muslim kids need to either come to school or miss content for Eid when Christian parents would never accept that for Christmas Eve or Christmas day. So the calendar has to be balanced with those holidays, federal holidays where they must be closed, and contracted teacher work days.

Isn’t every Friday the sabbath for Muslims? Should we not have school on Fridays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have to make room for everyone’s holidays

Do they? EVERYone’s? Where to draw the line?

They draw the line at maximizing student attendance. Don't be daft.