APS - what is up with the calendar in September??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m fine with the extra holidays, but what’s up with the grade prep day on a Tuesday with Diwali on Thursday. Why couldn’t grade prep happen on Friday for a less disruptive week? Wouldn’t kids get more done Mon-Wed instead of M/W/F?

+1 It's the grade prep days that make me crazy.

There are 3 grade prep days all year, on the calendar and tons of camps run those days. Not sure why that makes you crazy,

DP, but it drives me crazy too because it just hinders the flow of school. Too many unnecessary breaks in the routine, which can be challenging for certain students who rely on routine and continuity. It's far better to stick those oddball days off on a Monday or a Friday than to make kids go to school Monday, Wednesday, and thursday, for example. Just seems dumb from a logical perspective and disruptive from a practical one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade prep always happens after the quarter ends and before the next one begins. The timing varies by the calendar.

Not necessary to have grade prep day the day after a long break or mid-week following a long break. Just incorporate it into the long break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need a ski week break more than we need xmas or Easter.

Do "we" really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade prep always happens after the quarter ends and before the next one begins. The timing varies by the calendar.

Not necessary to have grade prep day the day after a long break or mid-week following a long break. Just incorporate it into the long break.

+1. It's a super choppy schedule. There's no reason to be closed Tu/Th where one of those is a grade prep day. Move the grade prep day to the Friday.

The five day weekend opening the year is also ridiculous. Kids should have school that Friday and then a 4 day weekend, at the very least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade prep always happens after the quarter ends and before the next one begins. The timing varies by the calendar.

Not necessary to have grade prep day the day after a long break or mid-week following a long break. Just incorporate it into the long break.

+1. It's a super choppy schedule. There's no reason to be closed Tu/Th where one of those is a grade prep day. Move the grade prep day to the Friday.

The five day weekend opening the year is also ridiculous. Kids should have school that Friday and then a 4 day weekend, at the very least.

Schools in Virginia are required by state law to be closed that Friday. Please get educated before criticizing APS for a day off over which they have no control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade prep always happens after the quarter ends and before the next one begins. The timing varies by the calendar.

Not necessary to have grade prep day the day after a long break or mid-week following a long break. Just incorporate it into the long break.

+1. It's a super choppy schedule. There's no reason to be closed Tu/Th where one of those is a grade prep day. Move the grade prep day to the Friday.

The five day weekend opening the year is also ridiculous. Kids should have school that Friday and then a 4 day weekend, at the very least.

Schools in Virginia are required by state law to be closed that Friday. Please get educated before criticizing APS for a day off over which they have no control.

Starting before Labor Day was the first fail.

[Anonymous]

The Tuesday "Grade Prep" day on November 2 is also Election Day. That's why they can't move it to Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Tuesday "Grade Prep" day on November 2 is also Election Day. That's why they can't move it to Friday.

NP: I mean do people even consider looking at the facts before throwing out the criticism. Armchair quarterbacking at its finest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that school starts in 2 weeks and some people are just now lining at the calendar.

*looking

Some of us are struggling and only looking at one week at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that school starts in 2 weeks and some people are just now lining at the calendar.

*looking

Some of us are struggling and only looking at one week at a time.

Maybe get off DCUM then and look into this kind of basic information for your kid's school year? JS.

[Anonymous]

Personally I wish they only had one week off for Winter Break and then could use the other week in February. That’s how it was growing up in New England. It’s a long haul for students and teachers to basically have no break between January and Spring Break which is in April this year. My high schooler gets burned out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that school starts in 2 weeks and some people are just now lining at the calendar.

*looking

Some of us are struggling and only looking at one week at a time.

Ok but you, as an APS parent, were asked to vote on the calendar choices last Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family who celebrates Diwali, I am happy that APS acknowledges one of our holidays. Wish they did more of them.

No complaints for Christmas and Easter I see? *crickets*

More of them? So if each of top 5 or so faiths in terms of proportion of adherents gets ~2-4 holidays from school, when will the kids actually be in class?

Agree. I did pay attention to this issue and the truth is no one will object because then you’ll be viewed as insensitive to other cultures. APS is hamstrung by teacher contracts when it comes to prep days/time/breaks and it may get worse with collective bargaining. (And, no, I’m not anti-teacher, APS doesn’t pay its teachers nearly enough and has terrible benefits compared to other districts.)

[Anonymous]

More of them? So if each of top 5 or so faiths in terms of proportion of adherents gets ~2-4 holidays from school, when will the kids actually be in class?

This year’s calendar answers that question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that school starts in 2 weeks and some people are just now lining at the calendar.

*looking

Some of us are struggling and only looking at one week at a time.

Maybe you wouldn't struggle so much if you would have taken 5 minutes to look over the school calendar back when they first passed it.