Calendar Adjustments: Please advocate to end Transition Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The addition of Transition Day is what dropped us from 2 to 1 snow day. If we get rid of transition day and return to the preserve orientation model, we will automatically get an additional snow day back in the calendar. There is no downside to that.

No we won't. They will still plan for 181 days. They won't go back to 182.

The entire goal of the proposed calendar adjustments is to add days to the school year. They are trying to get from 181 to 184. If they revert Transition Day to a regular school day, they get to 182 immediately. That leaves only two other calendar adjustments to get to their proposed goal: Make November 9 and December 23 school days. Done.

Wrong they aren't proposing adding any days. They want to start the school year three days early so they can end it three days early so they can make up snow days after the school year ends but before Juneteenth to comply with what the State BOE directed.

Exactly. They will still only have 181 days, no matter what they choose.

Not true - if they eliminate transition day, they will automatically be up to 182 days without changing anything else. When transition day was added, it dropped our total instructional days from 182 to 181. They literally used an emergency day to implement that.

Most schools had an open house or transition day for new students so this is Taylor doing something for the sake of doing it rather than looking at what was being done. Another epic fail.

[Anonymous]

All 3 of my kids went to transition day last year…it was great, especially for the 2 new to high school. The first day in a new building or at school can be a shock. I much preferred that day to the rushed half day during summer…and not all parents are privileged enough to work from home or have flexible work schedules to make a random day in summer work…plus vacations are rarely scheduled around those days because you don’t know when they will be when scheduling them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All 3 of my kids went to transition day last year…it was great, especially for the 2 new to high school. The first day in a new building or at school can be a shock. I much preferred that day to the rushed half day during summer…and not all parents are privileged enough to work from home or have flexible work schedules to make a random day in summer work…plus vacations are rarely scheduled around those days because you don’t know when they will be when scheduling them.

The half day orientation during teacher pre-service week is not random at all. It works exactly like an early release school day, with bus transportation both ways. It allows all students to orient themselves prior to week one so that all students can start the year off fresh on a Monday and without having already used an emergency day (which is how they used Transition Day last year).

[Anonymous]

If Transition Day is a sacred cow, why not just move it to Friday?

I think most families would be fine moving the 1st day up 1 day to Monday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Transition Day is a sacred cow, why not just move it to Friday?

I think most families would be fine moving the 1st day up 1 day to Monday

Yesss

There are so many other much better options but Taylor chose violence

[Anonymous]

Given the problems with the calendar and student dissatisfied with transition day, getting rid of it is a no-brainer.

[Anonymous]

I like transition day!

For anyone who has a kindergartner or kid starting school, it’s very important.

[Anonymous]

Is Taylor recommending starting school earlier to the board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Taylor recommending starting school earlier to the board?

Yes, he is proposing starting on 8/20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Taylor recommending starting school earlier to the board?

Yes, he is proposing starting on 8/20.

And you know with this Board it will be rubber stamped.

Transition day will be 8/19.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I like transition day!

For anyone who has a kindergartner or kid starting school, it’s very important.

They can have a transition day on the Friday before school starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I like transition day!

For anyone who has a kindergartner or kid starting school, it’s very important.

They can have a transition day on the Friday before school starts.

Anyone who has a kindergartner should be advocating for a 1/2 day orientation/transition day the week before school starts. Asking 5-6 year olds to begin with a full day of transition is way too long. They need a shorter introduction to the school and their teacher to get the lay of the land, before returning to start a full day routine. My kindergarten students were exhausted and miserable by the end of transition day last year. The shorter orientation we had done before was much more successful.

[Anonymous]

My ninth grader enjoyed transition day as a chance to explore the building without older kids. He thought it was too long, but that a half-day wouldn't be enough time.

I personally think they should use part of the time to do some executive function bootcamp activities. MS to HS is a big level up in executive function needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ninth grader enjoyed transition day as a chance to explore the building without older kids. He thought it was too long, but that a half-day wouldn't be enough time.

I personally think they should use part of the time to do some executive function bootcamp activities. MS to HS is a big level up in executive function needs.

That might be well and good IF Transition Day counted as a school day. As it is, transition day is using one of our emergency snow days. It's like putting a snow day on the calendar and using it before school starts. They could be handing out $20 bills to students on that day, and it wouldn't justify anyone putting in a full day that does not count toward the school year. We clearly need the instructional days, so to waste one entire day on orientation is something we cannot afford. To have it count as a school day, we would need to invite all kids in k-12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ninth grader enjoyed transition day as a chance to explore the building without older kids. He thought it was too long, but that a half-day wouldn't be enough time.

I personally think they should use part of the time to do some executive function bootcamp activities. MS to HS is a big level up in executive function needs.

That might be well and good IF Transition Day counted as a school day. As it is, transition day is using one of our emergency snow days. It's like putting a snow day on the calendar and using it before school starts. They could be handing out $20 bills to students on that day, and it wouldn't justify anyone putting in a full day that does not count toward the school year. We clearly need the instructional days, so to waste one entire day on orientation is something we cannot afford. To have it count as a school day, we would need to invite all kids in k-12.

Maybe the best idea is making Transition Day applicable to all students. Anyone who wants to come in for an initial day of orientation activities to prepare for the year is invited to do so. We just wouldn't use our first school day for academic instruction - it would be devoted to activities that provide a strong foundation for the year but anyone could attend. Maybe it could count as a school day then?