Do people typically travel for the fall holidays? My understanding is that the extra days at Thanksgiving and Christmas are to accommodate teachers' travel to visit family. I appreciate the effort at inclusiveness, but as a someone who grew up in an immigrant family (with a very small community in the US), I understand that MY holidays don't get celebrated in the US. And yes, they are religiously important to me. It isn't reasonable to accommodate everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments to dump all the religious holidays (including separating spring break from Easter) and just allow religious observances. But, yeah, not going to happen.

Easy for you to say when you already know you’ll have no school for Christmas and Easter.

I’m agnostic so don’t care about any of it. But winter break will never change because too many companies work around it as well. I’d be fine with a shorter winter break too.

I’m not saying get rid of winter break - I’m saying keep the fall holidays.

Right. But the implication was that I was okay getting rid of the fall religious holidays because I have my Christian holidays. And I'm saying I don't think we should have any of them, Christian ones included (i.e. separate spring break from Easter). Let people have religious holidays off as needed without any penalty (no tests etc). FCPS ultimately went this way.

Either way, I agree the surrounding counties should all try to align better, and specifically spring break.

But as you admit, we will never get rid of winter break - so Christmas is covered no matter what happens. The only ones negatively impacted by getting rid of fall holidays are the ones that celebrate the fall holidays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments to dump all the religious holidays (including separating spring break from Easter) and just allow religious observances. But, yeah, not going to happen.

Easy for you to say when you already know you’ll have no school for Christmas and Easter.

I’m agnostic so don’t care about any of it. But winter break will never change because too many companies work around it as well. I’d be fine with a shorter winter break too.

I’m not saying get rid of winter break - I’m saying keep the fall holidays.

Right. But the implication was that I was okay getting rid of the fall religious holidays because I have my Christian holidays. And I'm saying I don't think we should have any of them, Christian ones included (i.e. separate spring break from Easter). Let people have religious holidays off as needed without any penalty (no tests etc). FCPS ultimately went this way.

Either way, I agree the surrounding counties should all try to align better, and specifically spring break.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments to dump all the religious holidays (including separating spring break from Easter) and just allow religious observances. But, yeah, not going to happen.

Easy for you to say when you already know you’ll have no school for Christmas and Easter.

I’m agnostic so don’t care about any of it. But winter break will never change because too many companies work around it as well. I’d be fine with a shorter winter break too.

I’m not saying get rid of winter break - I’m saying keep the fall holidays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments to dump all the religious holidays (including separating spring break from Easter) and just allow religious observances. But, yeah, not going to happen.

Easy for you to say when you already know you’ll have no school for Christmas and Easter.

I’m agnostic so don’t care about any of it. But winter break will never change because too many companies work around it as well. I’d be fine with a shorter winter break too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The longer winter break is to match Fairfax and the teachers like it.

The schedule is about the teachers not parents. Don’t know why they bother to survey.

I like long winter break as a teacher, but don’t really care if it stays or goes. Not a deal breaker. The deal breaker for me is spring break being different than FCPS. Many teachers can’t afford the million dollar condos/townhomes and SFH Arlington offers so our children go to FCPS where we can afford housing.Now the spring break doesn’t align. It may be a deal breaker for me and tip the scales to me being an FPCS employee

Totally agree. All the counties need to get on board with the same Spring Break next year.

Anonymous wrote:The longer winter break is to match Fairfax and the teachers like it.

The schedule is about the teachers not parents. Don’t know why they bother to survey.

I like long winter break as a teacher, but don’t really care if it stays or goes. Not a deal breaker. The deal breaker for me is spring break being different than FCPS. Many teachers can’t afford the million dollar condos/townhomes and SFH Arlington offers so our children go to FCPS where we can afford housing.Now the spring break doesn’t align. It may be a deal breaker for me and tip the scales to me being an FPCS employee

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments asking to shorten winter break. Two weeks is so long and it would start on 12/17. I suggested starting winter break on 12/21 and then ending the year earlier. I’m sure they won’t, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to try.

Same! No need to have a full week before xmas.

Anonymous wrote:The illusion of choice. The two “options” aren’t very different. There is no option to start after Labor Day, or shorten winter break, or consolidate random mid-week days off to make long weekends/a fall break.

There’s a five day weekend on both calendars in late October. Although initial calendars for 21-22 also had this 5 day week, which morphed into a 4 day weekend with a half day at the start.

Anonymous wrote:I submitted comments to dump all the religious holidays (including separating spring break from Easter) and just allow religious observances. But, yeah, not going to happen.

Easy for you to say when you already know you’ll have no school for Christmas and Easter.

We need two week winter break PLUS another break (4 day weekend) in Feb.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The longer winter break is to match Fairfax and the teachers like it.

The schedule is about the teachers not parents. Don’t know why they bother to survey.

Agree that it’s to match FCPS, but most of my fellow teachers would prefer one week for winter break and then have some long weekends or a week instead for Feb/March. It’s a long haul with no break until April for Spring Break.

I don’t know that’s universal, or even the majority opinion. My kids’ K and 1st grade teachers were really thrilled when we started giving 2 weeks for Winter Break. They said they needed it. I have yet to hear a teacher complain IRL.

Anonymous wrote:The longer winter break is to match Fairfax and the teachers like it.

The schedule is about the teachers not parents. Don’t know why they bother to survey.

Agree that it’s to match FCPS, but most of my fellow teachers would prefer one week for winter break and then have some long weekends or a week instead for Feb/March. It’s a long haul with no break until April for Spring Break.

The longer winter break is to match Fairfax and the teachers like it.

The schedule is about the teachers not parents. Don’t know why they bother to survey.

I asked for an earlier spring break and a shorter winter break. I also really hate the idea of school starting on a Thursday. I wish school started two weeks before labor day, but I didn't even bother asking for that.

I also thanked them for maintaining the fall religious holidays. I know they are a pain for those who don't celebrate -- but I really appreciate it as someone who almost moved to MoCo just so my kids wouldn't be one of the only ones pulled out of school for the jewish holidays.