Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 12:41     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:The Jewish community was very outspoken avout needing their holidays off. They said absence data didn’t demonstrate the full need because many of their kids went to school anyway because they didn’t want to miss instruction.

I’m Indian American and we do not need Diwali off! There’s nothing that needs to be done during the day on Diwali. When I was a kid, we just celebrated on the closest weekend. Wasn’t an issue at all. But there were reps from the Indian community on the calendar committee and they seem to have a different opinion.


+1 I don't know who these reps were and where they found them, but I don't know anyone who has ever asked for this.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 12:40     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Look, the calendar situation in FCPS is absurd. I do not know why we have to go through this exercise every effing year. Why can't we just have a similar calendar every year, decided by Winter break or early Jan. so we know what we can plan for summer? This is NOT difficult and every year, no matter who is making the decision, it's a complete cluster.

Having said that, let's calm down about it being a "decline of FCPS." It's not. A) there is a LOOOOOOT of fluff in the school day. My honors/AP student in HS has so much that DC gets a big chunk of work done in the free time she has. Whether it's 177 v. 180 days, all 5 day weeks or a cobbled together version of a week, they're learning the same (Save for maybe end of year when SOLs and testing is done). and B) kids need to be able to function/pivot with a cobbled together schedule. That's life. I get the parents may not like it but if it's announced early enough, it simply does not matter as you have plenty of time to make arrangements.

I'm just so, so happy I only have 2 more years of this sh--.


I agree. I have heard about the decline of FCPS nearly continuously since I moved here in the 80’s.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 12:38     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All the options suck but esp the one that goes way late into June. No way!


Look at the calendar. It doesn’t actually go to the end of June for students. The last week is a fake week with Monday AND Wednesday off. Students will be done by June 14th.

It does screw over teachers who work over the summer. It pushes out their last day of work by 6 days.


I will quit. 100%. I’m already getting fed up, and they keep adding days. One of the benefits of teaching is having that break during the summer, and if they keep adding on days to each end of it, I’m done. I’ve had enough of the meetings and the professional development. Enough.


I don't think I want my child to have a teacher who doesn't see the value in professional development.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 12:35     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:I’m torn between the green and the orange choices.

Sorry- slip of the thumb here.

I would like for spring break to start April 1st. Come back on April 11th. The kids will be crazy for two days back in school but it will be a good transition back. For people who want cheaper plan tickets: get a plane ticket for April 2nd and you will have a great long spring break. Or just take the kids out of school for the full second week. I really want this because it’s too cold in late March for travel to Europe anyway. But that second week in April- is fantastic.

The green option is amazing except for the last week. If they were to take the PW day from February and May away- we could end school on June 14th. I don’t want to start in august to early and I am eyeing that short week in November for a quick trip to Mexico.

This is all a little tongue in cheek but yes, this would be the way I would do it. I really like the green one more than the orange one except for that last week. And moving spring break to make it longer would be a treat.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 12:27     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
I’m torn between the green and the orange choices.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:55     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:I think next year, we're going to plan a nice long two week European vacation in the spring.


Exactly what I was thinking!
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:50     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it really telling that they included Montgomery county as a 'surrounding jurisdiction' but did not include Falls Church City. I recognize that FCC is tiny- but it actually borders Fairfax and it adopted a much better calendar that did not include the additional religious holidays. It seems like they want to control the narrative that 'everyone' is including the holidays.


This was my exact first thought as well! Take a look at the plan for 2023-24. It’s so beautiful.

Very suspicious that it’s not even mentioned. I know the Falls Church City Calendar was discussed at length came up in at least one of the calendar focus groups. Someone at Gatehouse is intentionally trying to remove it from the discussion.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t30_0em4B90tiPFpskQUiCNiNPBfxZKW/view

That calendar is awesome. I would love if FCPS was done by June 7th.


I know people love the FCC calendar: but I’m going to point out that this calendar is most likely the reason why we have spring break during the last week of March- so that things match up.

Eff that.

The more I look at the options, if they gave us spring break for 7 days as another poster suggested, the Orange calendar would win hands down. Like without a doubt.

Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:46     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Falls Church City has it figured out.

McLean and Great Falls need to figure out how to leave Fairfax County and establish their own schools.


Lol good luck with that.


Don’t underestimate MCA. I can see it happening within the next decade.


What is MCA?
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:45     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Falls Church City has it figured out.

McLean and Great Falls need to figure out how to leave Fairfax County and establish their own schools.


State law would have to change
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:39     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Falls Church City has it figured out.

McLean and Great Falls need to figure out how to leave Fairfax County and establish their own schools.


Lol good luck with that.


Don’t underestimate MCA. I can see it happening within the next decade.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:23     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Look, the calendar situation in FCPS is absurd. I do not know why we have to go through this exercise every effing year. Why can't we just have a similar calendar every year, decided by Winter break or early Jan. so we know what we can plan for summer? This is NOT difficult and every year, no matter who is making the decision, it's a complete cluster.

Having said that, let's calm down about it being a "decline of FCPS." It's not. A) there is a LOOOOOOT of fluff in the school day. My honors/AP student in HS has so much that DC gets a big chunk of work done in the free time she has. Whether it's 177 v. 180 days, all 5 day weeks or a cobbled together version of a week, they're learning the same (Save for maybe end of year when SOLs and testing is done). and B) kids need to be able to function/pivot with a cobbled together schedule. That's life. I get the parents may not like it but if it's announced early enough, it simply does not matter as you have plenty of time to make arrangements.

I'm just so, so happy I only have 2 more years of this sh--.


+1

Also what people here don’t realize is that most counties don’t have a dedicated message board to agonize over this bs and most counties don’t give parents or teachers a choice.

This is a very transparent process and I’m going to be honest- I like knowing the options. Knowing the options really makes me understand how bad or worse it could be.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:19     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Falls Church City has it figured out.

McLean and Great Falls need to figure out how to leave Fairfax County and establish their own schools.


Lol good luck with that.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:18     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Falls Church City has it figured out.

McLean and Great Falls need to figure out how to leave Fairfax County and establish their own schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:16     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Teacher on Team Orange here! We get *almost* 2 weeks off at Christmas, and I like starting as early as possible. I sure wish that they would have scheduled spring break one week later to match it with the end of the quarter.


It's absurd that they don't do this. I would much rather have a 7 day spring break to align with the end of the quarter than a week off, then a three day week back in which absolutely nothing will happen (and will older kids be studying for exams over spring break?)


And if you look at the days per quarter, there doesn't seem to be much reason they couldn't have had 3rd quarter end before Spring break rather than have it go 7 days longer than 4th quarter and 6 days longer than 2nd quarter. If they moved it to before spring break for the 23-24 calendar the quarters would be 46 days, 43 days, 44 days, 47 days. Also for any families or teachers traveling to celebrate Easter, having Mon and Tues as PW would allow for them to you know actually spend Easter with their family instead of having to spend part of it traveling home. Also for all the claims to care about student mental health, surely starting break with all your end of quarter assignments and tests completed is better for a relaxing and refreshing break than having to think about and work on it over break. They basically did it because they don't want that calendar to win.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 11:16     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think next year, we're going to plan a nice long two week European vacation in the spring.


Much better use of time than three throw away days in April. I bet plenty of teachers will call in sick as well.


+1
I have a TON of leave. Way too much saved up and I keep saying I should more of it. DH and so have each been teaching 30 years and that might be a good time to actually do a nice trip for ourselves.


Good for you!