FCPS June 24th -full day or half?

[Anonymous]

The problem is that FCPS (or many parents) want their cake and they want to eat it too -- start the year late (sometimes as late as Sept. 8th!), two full weeks for Xmas break, a full week of Spring Break (when I was a kid we had Holy Thurs, Good Fri. and sometimes Easter Mon --- can you tell it was Catholic school? -- we didn't have a whole week off), a short trigger for cancelling/delaying school, and we want to end by the middle of June.

Well, you can't have everything! Either you start earlier, stay later each day or at the end of the year, you don't cancel school so easily, you make the breaks shorter, or something! (BTW, I'm not against a full week of spring break, but if FCPS/parents are unwilling to give up any of the other options... that would be one way to keep school from going into the last week of June). FCPS parents claim that they value education so much, but not if it inconveniences them in any way.

I support starting the year at least a week before Labor Day. I support a "winter break" that is 10 days rather than 2 weeks. I support kids going to school on MLK day. I support a shorter spring break. I support adding 15 min to each day (all year or Feb-May). I don't support extending the year into the last week of June b/c IME, the teachers aren't seriously teaching much of anything.

[Anonymous]

This is how it was in our old WI district

School started right after Labor Day
Two days off in October
Two days off in November
Christmas break determined by where Christmas fell, usually ended up about seven school days off
One day off in Feb or March
Spring break alternated every other year between having the week off before Easter off or the Thursday Friday before and Monday/Tueaday after Easter off
Memorial Day off
School out between June 2nd and June 7th

Pretty nice schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is how it was in our old WI district

School started right after Labor Day
Two days off in October
Two days off in November
Christmas break determined by where Christmas fell, usually ended up about seven school days off
One day off in Feb or March
Spring break alternated every other year between having the week off before Easter off or the Thursday Friday before and Monday/Tueaday after Easter off
Memorial Day off
School out between June 2nd and June 7th

Pretty nice schedule.

I would be willing to bet the teacher contract was only 2 or 3 days longer than the student calendar too. The helps to shorten the school year a bit. Our students are scheduled for 183 days and the teachers 194. Five of those extra days are before school starts, but you still have a week and a day during the school year of student holidays/teacher workdays.

[Anonymous]

The 2 week winter break occurred this year only because of where Christmas and New Years fell. It is NOT a z week break next year according to the already published calendar. It wasn't a two week break last year either. It would be nice to start B4 Labor Day. Doesn't Prince William county? Why did they get beyond the Kings Dominion Act?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the "well my kids won't be there" are just from parents who have already paid LOTS of money for a summer camp that isn't canceling their program AND those that have already booked vacations the last week of June. This week is "usually" a bit cheaper at beaches and resorts/parks etc before the summer season rates sky rocket, thus lots of families book it.

Yep, wealthy families. Us middle class people will be there til the last day.

I don't see how this is about wealthy families. We are middle class, both working parents that HaVe to put our kids in summer camp so we can work And we are taking a weeks summer vacation and a long weekend or too. Definitely not rolling in the dough but saving for a little fun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 2 week winter break occurred this year only because of where Christmas and New Years fell. It is NOT a z week break next year according to the already published calendar. It wasn't a two week break last year either. It would be nice to start B4 Labor Day. Doesn't Prince William county? Why did they get beyond the Kings Dominion Act?

Yes it is a 2-week break next year. Dec 22 - Jan 2 (which is essentially Jan 5). Two full weeks.

[Anonymous]

^^^ whoops I completely read the calendar wrong. Wishful thinking as well! There doesn't seem to be away to send kids in between the two holidays.

[Anonymous]

I think PW starts after Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

I think PW starts after Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2 week winter break occurred this year only because of where Christmas and New Years fell. It is NOT a z week break next year according to the already published calendar. It wasn't a two week break last year either. It would be nice to start B4 Labor Day. Doesn't Prince William county? Why did they get beyond the Kings Dominion Act?

Yes it is a 2-week break next year. Dec 22 - Jan 2 (which is essentially Jan 5). Two full weeks.

As a teacher in FCPS, I honestly think they gave us 2 weeks again in lieu of a raise. Something to help keep morale up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 2 week winter break occurred this year only because of where Christmas and New Years fell. It is NOT a z week break next year according to the already published calendar. It wasn't a two week break last year either. It would be nice to start B4 Labor Day. Doesn't Prince William county? Why did they get beyond the Kings Dominion Act?

Actually, it is two weeks next year (2014-2015) according to the published calendar.

[Anonymous]

Will they still apply for a waiver in a month and if granted(I know a high probability not-but MCPS seems to think they will get a waiver) change the date back? Can they do this? Trying to make plans with schedules and work commitments but it is getting hard. Hopefully it is set in stone now!

[Anonymous]

FCPS needs to transition to year round school. 8 wks on, 3 wks off or something similar. This system is proven effective and widely popular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS needs to transition to year round school. 8 wks on, 3 wks off or something similar. This system is proven effective and widely popular.

What percentage of school districts in the U.S. have all their schools on a year round schedule?

[Anonymous]

Actually they're doing away with the year round schools around here. I read a study somewhere that said they didn't help and cost more money.