Why are some Catholic Schools starting after Labor Day in the fall??

[Anonymous]

It's something weird schools in this area do, that most other schools have dropped OP. In many ways this is an unusually traditional area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DMV public schools are the schools that shorten the school learning time. With all the teacher professional days, half days and the snow days for no snow. Catholic schools get more learning time than public schools hands-down and they’re also in school less time. Definitely coming from public school.

This is untrue. I have children at FCPS and at a Catholic k-8. The public kid is in school more days and hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saint Marys is probably opening later due to the schedule construction this summer.

If that is the case, it would have been great to say that, just like they said in 2020, we need another week to get things ready to have the kids back to school in a Covid-safe environment. Instead, there is a note in the weekly newsletter which just says, school starts on this date. A date which is different than it had been for years pre-covid.

I’m pretty sure that’s only St Mary’s. My understanding is that the Arlington Diocese schools are opening the week of 8/22 this year.

[Anonymous]

St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

So kids are losing out on 2 weeks of instruction time bc of construction? Is tuition prorated accordingly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DMV public schools are the schools that shorten the school learning time. With all the teacher professional days, half days and the snow days for no snow. Catholic schools get more learning time than public schools hands-down and they’re also in school less time. Definitely coming from public school.

This is untrue. I have children at FCPS and at a Catholic k-8. The public kid is in school more days and hours.

Wash DC area schools have almost 20 less instruction days than the 180 public schools must have. Especially if your kid has Wednesdays off, tons of half days, 4 day weekends every month, 2 weeks for winter break, 2 weeks for spring break.

[Anonymous]

The catholic schools are closer in number of days if school and total hours to public schools. Not closer to the “independent schools.”

[Anonymous]

So that the family can visit Ocean City, Md for one last long weekend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

So kids are losing out on 2 weeks of instruction time bc of construction? Is tuition prorated accordingly?

St. Marys parent here: the school is undergoing a construction project and the delay in the school year is due to the construction. I would rather be delayed now than pushed back this summer if the project has a problem or something! I appreciate the heads up and time to plan rather than a last minute change.

This is actually pretty early to find out an Arlington Diocese Catholic K-8 schedule as normally the Office of Catholic Schools hasn’t approved them yet! Unlike public schools which post their schedules a year in advance, Arlington K-8s are slow with their schedules due to the approval of the OCS.

Also, the newsletter said they are extending Wednesdays to be a full day versus the earlier dismissal (which changed 10 years ago it used to be a normal dismissal day), so I think the students will get their full education and no calls for prorated tuition are necessary.

OP- call the school office for any questions next time as I have found they are happy to help any questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

So kids are losing out on 2 weeks of instruction time bc of construction? Is tuition prorated accordingly?

St. Marys parent here: the school is undergoing a construction project and the delay in the school year is due to the construction. I would rather be delayed now than pushed back this summer if the project has a problem or something! I appreciate the heads up and time to plan rather than a last minute change.

This is actually pretty early to find out an Arlington Diocese Catholic K-8 schedule as normally the Office of Catholic Schools hasn’t approved them yet! Unlike public schools which post their schedules a year in advance, Arlington K-8s are slow with their schedules due to the approval of the OCS.

Also, the newsletter said they are extending Wednesdays to be a full day versus the earlier dismissal (which changed 10 years ago it used to be a normal dismissal day), so I think the students will get their full education and no calls for prorated tuition are necessary.

OP- call the school office for any questions next time as I have found they are happy to help any questions.

Thank you for this info. Your post was infinitely more informative than what the school put out — which I suppose is my concern. The official announcement was brief, vague, dismissive, surprising, and completely unhelpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

So kids are losing out on 2 weeks of instruction time bc of construction? Is tuition prorated accordingly?

St. Marys parent here: the school is undergoing a construction project and the delay in the school year is due to the construction. I would rather be delayed now than pushed back this summer if the project has a problem or something! I appreciate the heads up and time to plan rather than a last minute change.

This is actually pretty early to find out an Arlington Diocese Catholic K-8 schedule as normally the Office of Catholic Schools hasn’t approved them yet! Unlike public schools which post their schedules a year in advance, Arlington K-8s are slow with their schedules due to the approval of the OCS.

Also, the newsletter said they are extending Wednesdays to be a full day versus the earlier dismissal (which changed 10 years ago it used to be a normal dismissal day), so I think the students will get their full education and no calls for prorated tuition are necessary.

OP- call the school office for any questions next time as I have found they are happy to help any questions.

Thank you for this info. Your post was infinitely more informative than what the school put out — which I suppose is my concern. The official announcement was brief, vague, dismissive, surprising, and completely unhelpful.

OP: are you a kindergarten parent? As schools normally don’t give you a ton of details…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Mary has a link for parents to go to for updates on all things related to the construction. If you are at the school it seems a bit strange that you wouldn’t be able to figure out why this was the reason for the 2 week delay.

So kids are losing out on 2 weeks of instruction time bc of construction? Is tuition prorated accordingly?

St. Marys parent here: the school is undergoing a construction project and the delay in the school year is due to the construction. I would rather be delayed now than pushed back this summer if the project has a problem or something! I appreciate the heads up and time to plan rather than a last minute change.

This is actually pretty early to find out an Arlington Diocese Catholic K-8 schedule as normally the Office of Catholic Schools hasn’t approved them yet! Unlike public schools which post their schedules a year in advance, Arlington K-8s are slow with their schedules due to the approval of the OCS.

Also, the newsletter said they are extending Wednesdays to be a full day versus the earlier dismissal (which changed 10 years ago it used to be a normal dismissal day), so I think the students will get their full education and no calls for prorated tuition are necessary.

OP- call the school office for any questions next time as I have found they are happy to help any questions.

Thank you for this info. Your post was infinitely more informative than what the school put out — which I suppose is my concern. The official announcement was brief, vague, dismissive, surprising, and completely unhelpful.

Another parent here ... I'm not sure how you didn't know this. All of the above info is in the newsletter.

[Anonymous]

I love school starting after Labor Day. More summer days and more time with my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DMV public schools are the schools that shorten the school learning time. With all the teacher professional days, half days and the snow days for no snow. Catholic schools get more learning time than public schools hands-down and they’re also in school less time. Definitely coming from public school.

This is untrue. I have children at FCPS and at a Catholic k-8. The public kid is in school more days and hours.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your post was infinitely more informative than what the school put out — which I suppose is my concern. The official announcement was brief, vague, dismissive, surprising, and completely unhelpful.

Welcome to the Diocese of Arlington. Unfortunately the above adjectives describe nearly every communication from our Catholic school in Fairfax County as well. No rationale is ever offered, sorry to say