Is the week leading up to Memorial Day effectively the last day of school in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Do you all complain like this when colleges you actually pay for end in mid may?
Makes sense that ap classes are lighter after the big exam.
I’m glad my kid is getting free college level material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

We are really strict about attendance, but have been letting our high schooler craft their own schedule since AP exams are over.

Most of their classes have seniors or are senior AP classes, so the finals were either early last week or prior to the AP exams.

They have basically been showing up for fun science labs that the science teachers have added on their own (FCPS has really limited science labs at everywhere but TJ since the Woodson chemistry fire a few years back), disection labs, and music class.

Most of the classes only have a few kids still attending. Many have been nothing but free periods or PG movies since AP exams. It has been this way for all of my high school kids, but moreso this year with this ridiculous schedule and pointless 2 day week for Memorial Day (seriously, wtf)

We have prioritized school and attendance all these years, but FCPS has sent a clear message this year eith this stupid calendar that consistent school attendance is a very low priority for the district.

No kid gets anything from a solid month in late May-June of wasted time after AP exams are over. At that point, the only reason to keep kids in school is funding. If it were about educating the students, most of the 2, 3 and 4 day weeks would have been 5 day weeks, and FCPS would give families a set number of free passes for their religious holidays, so we weren't canceling school for religious holidays that are fewer than 3% of the county population, and secular holidays not celebrated in the US like Lunar New Year

My kid goes to Woodson and they have done a ton of labs in Chemistry this year AND they still have more upcoming. DC is somewhat checked out mentally, however, that has only meant that I have had to check on their grades/assignments a little more often because there are still tests, projects, etc. I honestly would be thrilled if they could just be lazy now!

Sophomore?

Wait until Junior and senior year.

There is very little point in FCPS continuing school past AP exams.

This is why we should start school at the beginning of August and go until the end of May. (Or better yet... let's switch to a year round schedule with 6 weeks off in June and half of July!)

[Anonymous]

6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you all complain like this when colleges you actually pay for end in mid may?
Makes sense that ap classes are lighter after the big exam.
I’m glad my kid is getting free college level material.

When college end in May... they end.

They don't make students attend classes for 4 weeks just to watch PG movies or sit in a classroom playing on their phones, holding them at school a month after the material and classes are complete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

Reread the post. I believe PP was talking about the math SOL. They said they finished the science unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

Reread the post. I believe PP was talking about the math SOL. They said they finished the science unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL…

But the thread is about high school, likely about upper class students since the Oap is talking about the waste of time after AP exams.

Not elementary school which is a completely different ballgame

[Anonymous]

School effectively is over after the last SOL. Then it’s music concerts, field trips, and movies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you all complain like this when colleges you actually pay for end in mid may?
Makes sense that ap classes are lighter after the big exam.
I’m glad my kid is getting free college level material.

When college end in May... they end.

They don't make students attend classes for 4 weeks just to watch PG movies or sit in a classroom playing on their phones, holding them at school a month after the material and classes are complete.

Your college kid doesn’t come home and sit around for a couple of weeks playing games on their phones awaiting the start of their internships? All the college kids I know have this same plan, but at home while spending money “going out” with their friends. This is AFTER you pay 30K+ for room and board for 5 months.

At least they are on their phones on the wifi at school with an adult in charge of them not spending more money.

Go see the “what about the CALENDAR” people who moan about needing free daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

We are really strict about attendance, but have been letting our high schooler craft their own schedule since AP exams are over.

Most of their classes have seniors or are senior AP classes, so the finals were either early last week or prior to the AP exams.

They have basically been showing up for fun science labs that the science teachers have added on their own (FCPS has really limited science labs at everywhere but TJ since the Woodson chemistry fire a few years back), disection labs, and music class.

Most of the classes only have a few kids still attending. Many have been nothing but free periods or PG movies since AP exams. It has been this way for all of my high school kids, but moreso this year with this ridiculous schedule and pointless 2 day week for Memorial Day (seriously, wtf)

We have prioritized school and attendance all these years, but FCPS has sent a clear message this year eith this stupid calendar that consistent school attendance is a very low priority for the district.

No kid gets anything from a solid month in late May-June of wasted time after AP exams are over. At that point, the only reason to keep kids in school is funding. If it were about educating the students, most of the 2, 3 and 4 day weeks would have been 5 day weeks, and FCPS would give families a set number of free passes for their religious holidays, so we weren't canceling school for religious holidays that are fewer than 3% of the county population, and secular holidays not celebrated in the US like Lunar New Year

My kid goes to Woodson and they have done a ton of labs in Chemistry this year AND they still have more upcoming. DC is somewhat checked out mentally, however, that has only meant that I have had to check on their grades/assignments a little more often because there are still tests, projects, etc. I honestly would be thrilled if they could just be lazy now!

Sophomore?

Wait until Junior and senior year.

There is very little point in FCPS continuing school past AP exams.

This is why we should start school at the beginning of August and go until the end of May. (Or better yet... let's switch to a year round schedule with 6 weeks off in June and half of July!)

God no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

Reread the post. I believe PP was talking about the math SOL. They said they finished the science unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL…

But the thread is about high school, likely about upper class students since the Oap is talking about the waste of time after AP exams.

Not elementary school which is a completely different ballgame

So what? They were still talking about the math SOL, not the science SOL.

[Anonymous]

My HS DD doesn’t drive yet and we have to work. That is the only reason she’s going full days. The stories she is saying are that there is that some classes are completely over and they are doing nothing. Others have an upcoming test here or there but they are basically retake opportunities. It’s been this way for 1-2 weeks, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

Reread the post. I believe PP was talking about the math SOL. They said they finished the science unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL…

But the thread is about high school, likely about upper class students since the Oap is talking about the waste of time after AP exams.

Not elementary school which is a completely different ballgame

The question then becomes, why are high school teachers allowed to show movies and let their students just hang out after AP tests? Seems like an opportunity for extensions/enrichment. Work with kids on college essays if they are juniors. Do some career exploration with sophs/juniors. It seems there are different standards held for secondary teachers vs elementary school. That is the larger problem. I do think next year moving SOL testing and requiring kids to take the exam will help with this stupidity.

My high school is NY did testing the last two weeks of school. We didn’t have wasted instructional time in May. Even with IB courses, you gad to take the regents test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grader is still being exposed to new things. School continues.

Same here. My 6th grader is still learning. Civil War in SS, U8 in Benchmark, health lessons, etc. the only thing they are done with is science cause they finished the unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL and finished the content. Teacher is keeping them busy learning. I know by the last five days it will be mostly cleaning up, EOY events, etc.

There is no Science SOL in 6th grade. They take a science test in 8th grade with that content.

Reread the post. I believe PP was talking about the math SOL. They said they finished the science unit for the quarter and grade level standards in math since they took the SOL…

But the thread is about high school, likely about upper class students since the Oap is talking about the waste of time after AP exams.

Not elementary school which is a completely different ballgame

The question then becomes, why are high school teachers allowed to show movies and let their students just hang out after AP tests? Seems like an opportunity for extensions/enrichment. Work with kids on college essays if they are juniors. Do some career exploration with sophs/juniors. It seems there are different standards held for secondary teachers vs elementary school. That is the larger problem. I do think next year moving SOL testing and requiring kids to take the exam will help with this stupidity.

My high school is NY did testing the last two weeks of school. We didn’t have wasted instructional time in May. Even with IB courses, you gad to take the regents test.

Yes, this is very true. We are a two teacher household (ES and secondary) and they are very different.