Why is school closed on Sept. 25th?

[Anonymous]

Just to piss you off.

Glad it’s working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

Neat. Well, feel free to homeschool and you can institute that calendar. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't observe, it's a great day to tour colleges with your high schoolers.

don't have a high schooler, I have a 6th grader if they want to keep high schooler a holiday that is fine, we don't even have that many Jews at our schools.

Our school district doesn't have that many Jewish students, but we have a lot of Jewish teachers. Before we had the Jewish holidays on the calendar, there were enough leave requests for these days from teachers and school staff that they had problems staffing school. Substitutes only covered about 1/10-1/4 of the requested leave and then administrative staff helped to watch over classrooms where kids were essentially idle and not actually learning much (they would get one worksheet that took about 10 minutes to occupy a 45 min class), so the students were just sitting around bored or worse, causing trouble. Finally, our school district scheduled teacher professional days (teachers worked, students off) for those days. Teachers could elect to take accrued leave on those days and would not need a substitute, but for those who didn't need to take the holiday off, they got one of the professional days to catch up on grading, papers, prep work, etc, all the work that teachers said that they didn't have enough time to do. It's a happy compromise.

Yeah, but people like OP didn’t care if her kids didn’t learn anything. They were out of her house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would anyone feel if FCPS didn’t give Christmas off?

Sigh. It’s a federal holiday and they would not be able to staff schools, transport kids, etc. When FCPS gets the government to reverse the designation of 12/25 as a federal holiday, feel free to ask that question again.

Sigh. How convenient for you. Then other religions’ holidays will be days off in public school too, since Christians’ are. Cope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every religion has at least 1 day off on the FCPS calendar. Remember: equity!

Yes, equity. How horrible it is to show respect to a diverse community & let them celebrate their holidays. /sarcasm

Why are some people so rattled by being inclusive and making folks feel a part of our community. It is really gross.

Because they’re imbeciles who use words like “libs.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

I'm the outlier that loves all the random days off in FCPS. The long weekends give us a chance to see family, relax, whatever.

I completely disagreed with the previous O day policy where they couldn't teach any new material or give a test or take a field trip. That was more of an issue than the days off. But recognizing major religious holidays with a school closure is fine with me.

That's cool. Some parents work for a living.

That’s cool. Most parents in the DMW work for a living. Arrange childcare for the day if you need it. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every religion has at least 1 day off on the FCPS calendar. Remember: equity!

Yes, equity. How horrible it is to show respect to a diverse community & let them celebrate their holidays. /sarcasm

Rastafarians? No insult to them (just an example), but if everyone was to get a holiday, there would be no school. What should be the size of the student population or petition necessary to get a holiday?

I don't have the answer.

You are not actually comparing Jews to Rastafarians

Are YOU saying Jews are more important than Rastafarians?

I am saying you cannot seriously compare taking a day to celebrate the holiday of one of the 3 major Abrahamic religions to taking days off for every single faith no matter how niche. There is a huge difference between schools saying let’s take off for Buddhist and Rastafarian and Bah’ai and Pagan and whatever else holidays and schools saying, this is a major Jewish holiday that many people observe.

Do you have any rough numbers for Fairfax? Relatively it may not be that many.

I think there is just some general frustration that there are lots of partial weeks (disruptive for many families) and despite the fact that school starts much earlier, it still doesn't end until mid June.

I personally think there are too many other closures and the winter break is at least 3 days too long.

Yes, 2 weeks + 1 day is too long for winter break. And 1 week + 2 days is too long for spring break (though I recognize this year that they just tacked on end of the quarter days at the end, instead of breaking up the following week. Those long breaks are more problematic than 2-4 extra days here and there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

I'm the outlier that loves all the random days off in FCPS. The long weekends give us a chance to see family, relax, whatever.

I completely disagreed with the previous O day policy where they couldn't teach any new material or give a test or take a field trip. That was more of an issue than the days off. But recognizing major religious holidays with a school closure is fine with me.

That's cool. Some parents work for a living.

So use a vacation day? It must be so easy to just take a day, since that's the suggestion for Jewish teachers and students to just take time off to observe Yom Kippur.

The observance of Yom Kippur, or any other religious holiday, is a personal choice. I know I know, not a popular opinion. But no one has a gun to your head. I don’t see why 99% of students and their families need to be inconvenienced to enable others to seamlessly engage with the faith that they chose.

-Culturally Jewish family that does not celebrate any religious holiday

You’ll survive being “inconvenienced.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you start bemoaning Columbus Day and Presidents’ day I will listen.

I think the kids should be in school on Columbus Day and President’s Day. Toss in MLK and Veteran’s Day and I would be thrilled. I think a good number of parents who have the Federal Holidays off enjoyed it when the kids were in school on Veteran’s Day. It was nice to have a day to run errands or get a lunch date in. For every religious/cultural day we add, remove a Federal Holiday.

I would like more 5 day school weeks and for the school year to not drag into the middle of June. This year isn’t as bad as last year because so many of the new days off are on the weekend but last years schedule was awful. There were too many disruptions. The lack of a consistent schedule is hard for kids with disabilities and ES kids.

Oh, you’re one of those lazy parents. It’s all clear now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every religion has at least 1 day off on the FCPS calendar. Remember: equity!

Yes, equity. How horrible it is to show respect to a diverse community & let them celebrate their holidays. /sarcasm

Rastafarians? No insult to them (just an example), but if everyone was to get a holiday, there would be no school. What should be the size of the student population or petition necessary to get a holiday?

I don't have the answer.

You are not actually comparing Jews to Rastafarians

Are YOU saying Jews are more important than Rastafarians?

I am saying you cannot seriously compare taking a day to celebrate the holiday of one of the 3 major Abrahamic religions to taking days off for every single faith no matter how niche. There is a huge difference between schools saying let’s take off for Buddhist and Rastafarian and Bah’ai and Pagan and whatever else holidays and schools saying, this is a major Jewish holiday that many people observe.

Do you have any rough numbers for Fairfax? Relatively it may not be that many.

I think there is just some general frustration that there are lots of partial weeks (disruptive for many families) and despite the fact that school starts much earlier, it still doesn't end until mid June.

I personally think there are too many other closures and the winter break is at least 3 days too long.

And if it bothers you enough, you have other educational options available to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

I'm the outlier that loves all the random days off in FCPS. The long weekends give us a chance to see family, relax, whatever.

I completely disagreed with the previous O day policy where they couldn't teach any new material or give a test or take a field trip. That was more of an issue than the days off. But recognizing major religious holidays with a school closure is fine with me.

That's cool. Some parents work for a living.

So use a vacation day? It must be so easy to just take a day, since that's the suggestion for Jewish teachers and students to just take time off to observe Yom Kippur.

It’s not hard to take A day off particularly to mark a day you celebrate. It is burdensome to have to take like 5-6 days off all for holidays you don’t celebrate. It’s not just Yom Kippur. It’s multiple other days that were added too.

You know that kids get 180 days in school, right? 5 days off for holidays during the "school year" means that you do not need to pay for an extra week of summer camp. There are plenty of cheap drop-off childcare locations or tweens that are also out of school and looking to babysit.

It's only FOUR days!

Okay? Depends on the year. Diwali falls on a Sunday this year, and it falls on a Friday next year. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would anyone feel if FCPS didn’t give Christmas off?

Sigh. It’s a federal holiday and they would not be able to staff schools, transport kids, etc. When FCPS gets the government to reverse the designation of 12/25 as a federal holiday, feel free to ask that question again.

Sigh. How convenient for you. Then other religions’ holidays will be days off in public school too, since Christians’ are. Cope.

I love people who are dying on the "keep schools open on 12/25" hill. You're too stupid to even talk to. I celebrate Christmas culturally, not religiously. MANY people do, across faiths. I have many Muslim and Jewish friends who do. So it will never not be a holiday. And you know this. The holiday off reflects that NO ONE will be in school.

So I suggest you, as you glibly put it, be the one to cope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

So no Good Friday or Easter Monday?

Don't be a dick. I grew up with immigrant catholic families on both sides, in what amounted to a Catholic enclave. Went to Catholic School. Did all the Catholic things and then some.

Good Friday was off b/c the schools paired spring break with it, it wasn't a stand alone holiday. And, "Easter Monday" is not a thing for which there is a day off.

Easter Monday is a thing in Washington DC. If you look at the calendar for DCPS, they have a star denoting the Easter Monday is a "Major Religious Observance" but they don't have the day off. DCPS has moved their Spring break for SY23-24 to April 15-19 neither on Easter week (3/25-3/30) nor Passover (4/22-4/30).

DCPS calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2023-24%20Calendar%20Final%2002092023%20English.pdf

Reason for Easter Monday: https://www.theroot.com/for-dc-easter-monday-at-the-national-zoo-is-an-african-1790859364

I'm aware it is here is DC. So what? Sh-- changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every religion has at least 1 day off on the FCPS calendar. Remember: equity!

Yes, equity. How horrible it is to show respect to a diverse community & let them celebrate their holidays. /sarcasm

Rastafarians? No insult to them (just an example), but if everyone was to get a holiday, there would be no school. What should be the size of the student population or petition necessary to get a holiday?

I don't have the answer.

You are not actually comparing Jews to Rastafarians

Are YOU saying Jews are more important than Rastafarians?

I am saying you cannot seriously compare taking a day to celebrate the holiday of one of the 3 major Abrahamic religions to taking days off for every single faith no matter how niche. There is a huge difference between schools saying let’s take off for Buddhist and Rastafarian and Bah’ai and Pagan and whatever else holidays and schools saying, this is a major Jewish holiday that many people observe.

Do you have any rough numbers for Fairfax? Relatively it may not be that many.

I think there is just some general frustration that there are lots of partial weeks (disruptive for many families) and despite the fact that school starts much earlier, it still doesn't end until mid June.

I personally think there are too many other closures and the winter break is at least 3 days too long.

And if it bothers you enough, you have other educational options available to you.

Simply making an argument based on logic against the elongated school calendar. I have every right to express my opinion as you do. You may like the current schedule, I do not. Other options may be available, but my tax dollars give me a right to fight for change. Now, if you would like to provide vouchers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should only get Federal Holidays off. We don't need Yom Kippur off.

I'm the outlier that loves all the random days off in FCPS. The long weekends give us a chance to see family, relax, whatever.

I completely disagreed with the previous O day policy where they couldn't teach any new material or give a test or take a field trip. That was more of an issue than the days off. But recognizing major religious holidays with a school closure is fine with me.

That's cool. Some parents work for a living.

So use a vacation day? It must be so easy to just take a day, since that's the suggestion for Jewish teachers and students to just take time off to observe Yom Kippur.

The observance of Yom Kippur, or any other religious holiday, is a personal choice. I know I know, not a popular opinion. But no one has a gun to your head. I don’t see why 99% of students and their families need to be inconvenienced to enable others to seamlessly engage with the faith that they chose.

-Culturally Jewish family that does not celebrate any religious holiday

You’ll survive being “inconvenienced.”

You’re right, I’ll survive. But guaranteed there is some unsupervised teen or tween out there who won’t. In this day and age, I don’t know why we are creating more opportunities for kids to OD.