Is the 22-23 Calendar designed to be an f-u to parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a two parent working household and I prefer more days off school during the year for the kids and a shorter summer break. 9 weeks off is not a short break anyways. The total number of school days remains the same, but kids get more days off during the longer school year to rest, recuperate, and re-energize. The money I am saving for having one week less summer break, I will put towards more care during the year on the days off. The better approach for students is to have a school year with more breaks. There is no need for a long summer break, which is counter-productive as lots of material needs to be retaught at the beginning of the following year.

Personally I would prefer a year-round approach to school (i.e,., with 2-3 weeks off after each trimester). Sure, school functions as childcare for kids, but ultimately the primary purpose is to benefit the kids education and that is what a calendar with more frequent breaks does.

Good thing you’re not in charge.

I agree with the first PP. Kids forget material over the long summer.

Me too. It surely has to be better for teachers as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a two parent working household and I prefer more days off school during the year for the kids and a shorter summer break. 9 weeks off is not a short break anyways. The total number of school days remains the same, but kids get more days off during the longer school year to rest, recuperate, and re-energize. The money I am saving for having one week less summer break, I will put towards more care during the year on the days off. The better approach for students is to have a school year with more breaks. There is no need for a long summer break, which is counter-productive as lots of material needs to be retaught at the beginning of the following year.

Personally I would prefer a year-round approach to school (i.e,., with 2-3 weeks off after each trimester). Sure, school functions as childcare for kids, but ultimately the primary purpose is to benefit the kids education and that is what a calendar with more frequent breaks does.

Good thing you’re not in charge.

I agree with the first PP. Kids forget material over the long summer.

Me too. It surely has to be better for teachers as well.

I prefer a longer summer break, myself. The days off here and there don’t do much for me because I am still in the grip of work anxiety and compulsions. The summer gives me time to breathe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought routine was supposed to be good for kids? I'd love to have the teachers weigh in on this. Especially at the elementary school level, doesn't a regular schedule make classroom management and routines easier?

My main problem with this calendar is that it's so choppy. But if the dedicated teachers think that is easier for teaching, then I'm happy to defer to their experience. My sense is that teachers weren't consulted on this calendar any more than parents were.

Teacher here. While I am happy to have these new holidays off, they should have moved some of the TWD to make less choppy weeks. There were a few things they could have done to add more full weeks without getting rid of the new holidays. I sent my suggestions to SB and obviously they did not listen.

Or, maybe they did listen... AND listened to many other voices and considered many other factors in addition to yours that you may not be aware of or considering. Not adopting your suggestions =/= Not listening to and considering them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought routine was supposed to be good for kids? I'd love to have the teachers weigh in on this. Especially at the elementary school level, doesn't a regular schedule make classroom management and routines easier?

My main problem with this calendar is that it's so choppy. But if the dedicated teachers think that is easier for teaching, then I'm happy to defer to their experience. My sense is that teachers weren't consulted on this calendar any more than parents were.

Teacher here. While I am happy to have these new holidays off, they should have moved some of the TWD to make less choppy weeks. There were a few things they could have done to add more full weeks without getting rid of the new holidays. I sent my suggestions to SB and obviously they did not listen.

Or, maybe they did listen... AND listened to many other voices and considered many other factors in addition to yours that you may not be aware of or considering. Not adopting your suggestions =/= Not listening to and considering them.

Or maybe they don't listen to anybody other than their hand picked committee of stooges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought routine was supposed to be good for kids? I'd love to have the teachers weigh in on this. Especially at the elementary school level, doesn't a regular schedule make classroom management and routines easier?

My main problem with this calendar is that it's so choppy. But if the dedicated teachers think that is easier for teaching, then I'm happy to defer to their experience. My sense is that teachers weren't consulted on this calendar any more than parents were.

Teacher here. While I am happy to have these new holidays off, they should have moved some of the TWD to make less choppy weeks. There were a few things they could have done to add more full weeks without getting rid of the new holidays. I sent my suggestions to SB and obviously they did not listen.

Or, maybe they did listen... AND listened to many other voices and considered many other factors in addition to yours that you may not be aware of or considering. Not adopting your suggestions =/= Not listening to and considering them.

Or maybe they don't listen to anybody other than their hand picked committee of stooges.

Maybe, the calendar reflects almost all of what the majority of people voted for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There never will be happy parents in FCPS. I, for one, am happy that for once my family's holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur) are recognized and that at least my youngest child won't have to endure tests and quizzes on the Holy Days. This year, despite that BS thing called "Religious Observance", my middle child had to take THREE tests on Yom Kippur. No one gave a shit that it was a religious holiday. And dear me, we will have 9 weeks of summer break and not 10. Are you people filthy rich? Aren't you tired of paying for summer care week after week.

No one cared because there was no secular reason for Yom Kippur to be a day off at school. Religion is completely optional and has no place in public schools. If you want your child to take off religious holidays without disruption then go to one of the many private religious schools out there.

+100% YES

+1. Agreed. If you want to take off a religious holiday, take your kids out of school. The rest of us do not have to miss school or claim holidays for the myriad of religious or cultural holidays that people want off. Secular schools please!!

YES - I have no desire to take two weeks off in December. PLEASE just take your kids out of school for Christmas and let us have normal school those weeks. So sick of Christians thinking they own this country. Christmas should also NOT be a federal holiday. It's total BS.

Lmao good thing dreaming is free of charge.

I don’t recall the folk who made the treacherous and Brave trip across the ocean observing yomkippur. We do not own the country. But we founded it. You should’ve come before. Oh well, time for you to sit down and keep crying

[Anonymous]

“ Maybe, the calendar reflects almost all of what the majority of people voted for.”

Oh bless your heart.
FCPS is smart enough not to let anyone vote on things it really does not want to do. For instance there was no option to vote on eliminating O days or paring them back nor to vote on whether we should be adding religious holidays to a secular school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought routine was supposed to be good for kids? I'd love to have the teachers weigh in on this. Especially at the elementary school level, doesn't a regular schedule make classroom management and routines easier?

My main problem with this calendar is that it's so choppy. But if the dedicated teachers think that is easier for teaching, then I'm happy to defer to their experience. My sense is that teachers weren't consulted on this calendar any more than parents were.

Teacher here. While I am happy to have these new holidays off, they should have moved some of the TWD to make less choppy weeks. There were a few things they could have done to add more full weeks without getting rid of the new holidays. I sent my suggestions to SB and obviously they did not listen.

Or, maybe they did listen... AND listened to many other voices and considered many other factors in addition to yours that you may not be aware of or considering. Not adopting your suggestions =/= Not listening to and considering them.

Or maybe they don't listen to anybody other than their hand picked committee of stooges.

Maybe, the calendar reflects almost all of what the majority of people voted for.

I don't recall being asked to vote for taking Yom Kippur off (or any other religious holiday). Put kids in school.

[Anonymous]

What a ridiculous thread title

[Anonymous]

Oh and did you know that besides the many no school days for kids because of increased holidays to support inclusivity, there are many “observed holidays” on the calendar on which days NO NEW instruction can be given. Yep. My kid is at TJ and said that on observed holidays, teachers are not allowed to introduce any new learning material. My middle schooler says the same thing. Basically a wasted day.

And For kids that take summer school, I’m guessing they will have one week between the end of the school year and start of summer school which will now run into the first week of August. And then they will have just two weeks of break before the new school year begins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh and did you know that besides the many no school days for kids because of increased holidays to support inclusivity, there are many “observed holidays” on the calendar on which days NO NEW instruction can be given. Yep. My kid is at TJ and said that on observed holidays, teachers are not allowed to introduce any new learning material. My middle schooler says the same thing. Basically a wasted day.

And For kids that take summer school, I’m guessing they will have one week between the end of the school year and start of summer school which will now run into the first week of August. And then they will have just two weeks of break before the new school year begins.

I find this funny that you have the energy to post, but you have incorrect info, cause you haven’t been paying attention. Next school year, New content will be taught on O days.

[Anonymous]

You can please some of the people some of the time... There is no "winning" here. I say move on and gripe about something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There never will be happy parents in FCPS. I, for one, am happy that for once my family's holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur) are recognized and that at least my youngest child won't have to endure tests and quizzes on the Holy Days. This year, despite that BS thing called "Religious Observance", my middle child had to take THREE tests on Yom Kippur. No one gave a shit that it was a religious holiday. And dear me, we will have 9 weeks of summer break and not 10. Are you people filthy rich? Aren't you tired of paying for summer care week after week.

No one cared because there was no secular reason for Yom Kippur to be a day off at school. Religion is completely optional and has no place in public schools. If you want your child to take off religious holidays without disruption then go to one of the many private religious schools out there.

+100% YES

+1. Agreed. If you want to take off a religious holiday, take your kids out of school. The rest of us do not have to miss school or claim holidays for the myriad of religious or cultural holidays that people want off. Secular schools please!!

YES - I have no desire to take two weeks off in December. PLEASE just take your kids out of school for Christmas and let us have normal school those weeks. So sick of Christians thinking they own this country. Christmas should also NOT be a federal holiday. It's total BS.

Sorry, hon. That's not changing. A) end of the calendar year is a logical -and ingrained- break in the school year. Maybe 2 weeks isn't needed but you should make your peace with the break. It's not changing.
B) Regardless of your view, Xmas IS a federal holiday. It IS a holiday celebrated by most people (even non-Christians I know enjoy some aspects of it). And it's not always religious to the people who celebrate .

It's not changing. You can make this your hill to die on. But, it won't matter. And you'll just look silly.

[Anonymous]

I hate that school starts 2 weeks before Labor Day.

I’d prefer less random days off during the school year and starting just 1 week before Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate that school starts 2 weeks before Labor Day.

I’d prefer less random days off during the school year and starting just 1 week before Labor Day.

Me too. And eliminate religious days and cut back the snow days (or eliminate altogether) and get out earlier.