Calendar Adjustments: Please advocate to end Transition Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

It won't count as a school day if it is optional. And the whole point of having a transition day is to be there without everyone else.

[Anonymous]

If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

I thought teachers always used to do a transition day during preservice week for middle and high school anyway? So I guess kindergarten teachers would go from having 5 days of preservice that week to 4 but otherwise it shouldn't be much different than in prior years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

I thought teachers always used to do a transition day during preservice week for middle and high school anyway? So I guess kindergarten teachers would go from having 5 days of preservice that week to 4 but otherwise it shouldn't be much different than in prior years?

1. At our school, it isn't a transition day. It is a one hour open house for all grades, and they still do it during pre-service week. It is pretty chaotic.
2. I don't think reducing preservice days is an option

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

I thought teachers always used to do a transition day during preservice week for middle and high school anyway? So I guess kindergarten teachers would go from having 5 days of preservice that week to 4 but otherwise it shouldn't be much different than in prior years?

1. At our school, it isn't a transition day. It is a one hour open house for all grades, and they still do it during pre-service week. It is pretty chaotic.
2. I don't think reducing preservice days is an option

Oh interesting. What middle or high school are you at? That is similar to what our elementary school does, but it had been my understanding that all middle or high schools were previously doing either a half or full day for new students during preservice week. But yours was only an hour and for all grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

I thought teachers always used to do a transition day during preservice week for middle and high school anyway? So I guess kindergarten teachers would go from having 5 days of preservice that week to 4 but otherwise it shouldn't be much different than in prior years?

1. At our school, it isn't a transition day. It is a one hour open house for all grades, and they still do it during pre-service week. It is pretty chaotic.
2. I don't think reducing preservice days is an option

Oh interesting. What middle or high school are you at? That is similar to what our elementary school does, but it had been my understanding that all middle or high schools were previously doing either a half or full day for new students during preservice week. But yours was only an hour and for all grades?

I was talking about an elementary school. Sorry didn't read your post correctly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they want to keep doing transition day they should do it on the Friday before, and start the regular school year on Monday. That would still save a day timewise.

Not for the teachers

I thought teachers always used to do a transition day during preservice week for middle and high school anyway? So I guess kindergarten teachers would go from having 5 days of preservice that week to 4 but otherwise it shouldn't be much different than in prior years?

1. At our school, it isn't a transition day. It is a one hour open house for all grades, and they still do it during pre-service week. It is pretty chaotic.
2. I don't think reducing preservice days is an option

Oh interesting. What middle or high school are you at? That is similar to what our elementary school does, but it had been my understanding that all middle or high schools were previously doing either a half or full day for new students during preservice week. But yours was only an hour and for all grades?

DP. Your understanding is correct -- all secondary schools used to have a 1/2 day for new students on the Thursday of preservice week, with bus service. Students would go from class to class and meet teachers for maybe a 20 minute class. That has now been replaced with transition day.

I presume the person you are responding to is in ES.

[Anonymous]

I have a 9th grader this year and I thought the transition day had value. HOWEVER, it wasn’t so valuable that I would start the entire school year a whole week early for everyone in order to preserve it. Given the tough choices and MCPS’s insistence on commemorating holidays for every group regardless of operational impact (and in conflict with their own policy), the transition day should obviously be cut.