Anonymous wrote:Did anyone see the email from FCPS today about possible start dates for 2018? There are three calendar options - either starting aug 22, 23 or 28. How can they change He clansae so drastically again with such (relatively) short notice? I know tons of people that have already booked beach houses for that week in August!

It’s being discussed at length in this thread:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/649230.page#11844881

I'm staring at that as well.

None of the other school districts around follow this idea -- Loudon, Arlington, etc All summer activities were still keyed to the old schedule -- few camps early in the season, the swim league that now goes right to the beginning of school.

And if the school starts early, it will be another short summer, followed by a 1-week short winter break.

Did anyone see the email from FCPS today about possible start dates for 2018? There are three calendar options - either starting aug 22, 23 or 28. How can they change He clansae so drastically again with such (relatively) short notice? I know tons of people that have already booked beach houses for that week in August!

I WISH FCPS would shorten the winter break. My husband gets off the week between christmas and new year, but it's a hassle trying to pull together childcare for that extra time before and after.

FCPS elementary parent here. In my DC's case, going back one week early was just a waste of time. Also DC has a dud for a teacher this year. I saw a glimmer of this at the back to school night. So far DC has turned in four weekly packets. But to date, none has been reviewed or returned by the teacher. No feedback on any work.

Anonymous wrote:In Falls Church City we started this year after Labor Day and get out June 15. However, we only get a week and two days for winter break whereas I understand Fairfax gets two weeks plus one day. We get three full days at Thanksgiving, they get two days plus an early release day. There are a few other variations as well but the biggest differences are start date and length of winter break.

And BTW we always get 9 weeks at summer and sometimes 10.

This. +1000

We could easily do a post labor day start and shorten the excessively long winter break to get out mid-June. But despite all these parents complaining about AP tests and wanting to start a week early for that reason, I don't hear any of them complaining about their kid losing all that instructional time at Christmas break.

When we moved to full day Mondays for elementary is when they started bloating the calendar with these Strategic Planning Days to make up for the lost time where the elementary teachers used to have their PDs. Now we all have to suffer through this God-awful, useless PD a few times a year when really I'd rather we just have our students in class and our school year end earlier.

In Falls Church City we started this year after Labor Day and get out June 15. However, we only get a week and two days for winter break whereas I understand Fairfax gets two weeks plus one day. We get three full days at Thanksgiving, they get two days plus an early release day. There are a few other variations as well but the biggest differences are start date and length of winter break.

And BTW we always get 9 weeks at summer and sometimes 10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

FCPS has one of the shortest summer breaks of public schools. This doesn't include last summer which lost a week because of the change in calendar.

Typically, summer break is around 12 weeks. In FCPS, it is 10 weeks, and last summer even shorter at only 9 weeks.

WHereis it 12 weeks? Everyone I now has a 10 or 1 week summer break - or shorter.

The school district I attended as a child in Ohio still starts after Labor Day and gets out about the first week of June.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

FCPS has one of the shortest summer breaks of public schools. This doesn't include last summer which lost a week because of the change in calendar.

Typically, summer break is around 12 weeks. In FCPS, it is 10 weeks, and last summer even shorter at only 9 weeks.

WHereis it 12 weeks? Everyone I now has a 10 or 1 week summer break - or shorter.

Anonymous wrote:We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

FCPS has one of the shortest summer breaks of public schools. This doesn't include last summer which lost a week because of the change in calendar.

Typically, summer break is around 12 weeks. In FCPS, it is 10 weeks, and last summer even shorter at only 9 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

There is no evidence of that -- this year summer was one week shorted, but that was a one off. Next year (and going forward), school will end in mid June, one week earlier than it would have before).

Anonymous wrote:We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

It would be trivially easy to have a post Labor Day start and get out mid June or even earlier. The previous superintendent came up with the current bloated school calendar.

We hated going back in august this year, but my son (sixth grader) was paging through the school lunch calendar last night and he was thrilled when he saw the last day was June 15. I still think we could do a post Labor Day start date and get out mid June. I feel like fcps is working on making summer break shorter and the school year longer.

Very unlikely they will go back to post-Labor day start next year. They went to all the trouble to get the waiver and since it is for SOLs and APs, they will want to see if it helps. Plus, they gave a one year heads up before they moved it to his year. So, they should give a years notice before they change it back. Monday before Labor Day seems like a good bet. But-- new superintendent, so who knows?

They may have some draft calendars out, but a final calendar is several months away.

Sorry for the probably dumb question but does anyone know when FCPS will start in 2018? I am assuming August 27 but see that a calendar hasn't yet been finalized. Would appreciate any information for those of us not so familiar with the school board and when the calendar gets set and this whole waiver/starting before Labor Day thing. Thanks in advance!