Anonymous
09/09/2025 09:09
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
That accommodation isn’t made for any other holidays/religions. Think Ramadan (which I know is much longer) or even Christmas where kids haven’t been getting out of school until Xmas eve.
MCPS is almost always closed on Dec. 23. This year is a rare exception.
I thought most years it was open on the 23rd. The last few years have been an exception based on the day of the week the 23 falls on.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 08:40
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
That accommodation isn’t made for any other holidays/religions. Think Ramadan (which I know is much longer) or even Christmas where kids haven’t been getting out of school until Xmas eve.
MCPS is almost always closed on Dec. 23. This year is a rare exception.
Yet that same scenario was included in the calendar options.
I think it's a good question to ask people.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 08:34
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
That accommodation isn’t made for any other holidays/religions. Think Ramadan (which I know is much longer) or even Christmas where kids haven’t been getting out of school until Xmas eve.
MCPS is almost always closed on Dec. 23. This year is a rare exception.
Yet that same scenario was included in the calendar options.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 08:04
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
That accommodation isn’t made for any other holidays/religions. Think Ramadan (which I know is much longer) or even Christmas where kids haven’t been getting out of school until Xmas eve.
MCPS is almost always closed on Dec. 23. This year is a rare exception.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 08:01
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't really understand the logic behind the split spring break.
The start options are interesting. My oldest is in Kindergarten, so I'm very new to all of this, and while I like the idea of starting later, I'm learning that it's a challenge/hassle to fill those gap weeks between the end of camp and beginning of school. If school started later, would the camps in the area adjust their schedule accordingly?
No, college kids are home so camps don’t have the staff that late.
+1
College kids start leaving 1st-2nd week of August and camps/pools start to slim down times/sessions then. It would be better all around if the public schools matched the college calendar more closely. If they started mid-August they could finish 1st semester before winter break. Then they could finish early June. Better for testing in spring. Better for families to plan vacations with college students. Better timing for camps.
Many districts in other places already do this. It why they start earlier in August and are mostly out by Memorial Day.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 07:59
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
That accommodation isn’t made for any other holidays/religions. Think Ramadan (which I know is much longer) or even Christmas where kids haven’t been getting out of school until Xmas eve.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 07:54
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
I might be the only person who likes that idea, but I love having Easter and spring break be separate.
Do you like it as a split week though? I think a lot of people wouldn’t mind having spring break separate from Easter. I don’t have strong feelings about that, but I do have strong feelings about not getting a full week at once.
(I do understand the constraints about state required closures on Good Friday and Easter Monday.)
Exactly. Spring break should be a week and that week can be separate from Easter. Frankly the state should get rid of Monday following Easter.
Anonymous
09/09/2025 07:15
Subject: Calendar Survey
We never travel for spring break because it overlaps with Passover. I have been eyeing 2027 for several years specifically because Spring break and Passover won’t overlap!!
Anonymous
09/09/2025 07:03
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
It is to accomodate Passover where families might have to travel to family and also it is very difficult to eat lunch at school on Passover - most school cafeterias do not have great non-bread entree options according to my child who has had to navigate that in the past.
+1. Would be awesome to be able to travel for a Seder without missing school and avoid the packing lunch thing, yet still have a separate small vacation where we can eat normal food. Last year all of spring break was within Passover so we did not travel anywhere we couldn’t cook our own food. Which meant we stayed home and did day trips. Which was really nice actually but I’d be happy to switch it up next year.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 23:50
Subject: Calendar Survey
I want a late start and split spring break.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 19:09
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't really understand the logic behind the split spring break.
The start options are interesting. My oldest is in Kindergarten, so I'm very new to all of this, and while I like the idea of starting later, I'm learning that it's a challenge/hassle to fill those gap weeks between the end of camp and beginning of school. If school started later, would the camps in the area adjust their schedule accordingly?
No, college kids are home so camps don’t have the staff that late.
+1
College kids start leaving 1st-2nd week of August and camps/pools start to slim down times/sessions then. It would be better all around if the public schools matched the college calendar more closely. If they started mid-August they could finish 1st semester before winter break. Then they could finish early June. Better for testing in spring. Better for families to plan vacations with college students. Better timing for camps.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 18:01
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:I don't really understand the logic behind the split spring break.
The start options are interesting. My oldest is in Kindergarten, so I'm very new to all of this, and while I like the idea of starting later, I'm learning that it's a challenge/hassle to fill those gap weeks between the end of camp and beginning of school. If school started later, would the camps in the area adjust their schedule accordingly?
No, college kids are home so camps don’t have the staff that late.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 15:00
Subject: Re:Calendar Survey
Having several days off in late April isn't good for HS students preparing for AP/IB exams.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 14:57
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
I might be the only person who likes that idea, but I love having Easter and spring break be separate.
I like it too but can see where it would be unpopular as a lot of people like to take a week-long vacation at that time. March and April are so crazy for me at work that taking a week at that time of year is impossible but taking two 4-day short vacations would be doable.
I can see why it's unpopular with the full week of break fans, but I personally love it. Easter varies so much from year to year and I'd rather see a shorter, more predictable spring break.
Truly I’d be fine with that if they’d make it a week. It’s really just one extra day. Spring break/Easter break currently covers 6 weekdays. 2 are fixed. If we want to move the week, surely we can find another day somewhere to make it a full 5 days off.
Anonymous
09/08/2025 14:20
Subject: Calendar Survey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What's with that weird split spring break option?
I might be the only person who likes that idea, but I love having Easter and spring break be separate.
I like it too but can see where it would be unpopular as a lot of people like to take a week-long vacation at that time. March and April are so crazy for me at work that taking a week at that time of year is impossible but taking two 4-day short vacations would be doable.
I can see why it's unpopular with the full week of break fans, but I personally love it. Easter varies so much from year to year and I'd rather see a shorter, more predictable spring break.