Anonymous wrote:With all the days off and delays, could we still get to the minimum number of hours if we cut 3 days from the calendar?

The year started August 18, just getting the end to June 12 would make it a tie for the longest school year (with 22-23) but that is still better than breaking the record.
Get rid of the off day on April 10 and have the meeting at night. Since April 10 is on a Friday have the meeting on another night that week.
If that happens the year can end on June 11 and avoid even tying the 22-23 mark. The sooner the end the better, although I'm not sure how many hours they would have if they ended on June 5 (same as FCCPS), June 10 (same length as 23-24,24-25 years), June 11 (avoid tying record) or June 12 (tied but no longer than 22-23). This year's calendar is criminal! I made a thread 2 years ago saying the calendar should be changed and nobody took it seriously. The main issue on this board is that there are too many year round fanatics! If you want a year round calendar go to such a school, otherwise get the year over ASAP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We don’t want school on Columbus Day or Veterans Day.

Who is “we”?

Those days were gifts from God when my kids were in early elementary school. I got the day off and the kids went to school.
Even more important for parents who have to work those days.

We like the 4 day weeks. They help tremendously for our high schoolers and middle school kid.

What has changed about middle and high schoolers that they can't handle 5 day weeks anymore? They sure seem to need a lot of breaks. The teens and twenties are the time to work really hard when you have the energy. If you play your cards right, by your thirties you can have choices that give you flexibility and freedom that have been earned.

It’s a well known fact that adolescents need more sleep. The 7:30 am start time is brutal for the middle schoolers. Any extra chance to sleep in is a blessing. High schoolers start a bit later, but the work load with honors and AP classes is staggering. With after school activities and what not, the time these kids get to start on their homework is late, which makes them have to stay up and be tired and the cycle continues. High schoolers get a ton of work and it’s hard.

Elementary school work is a joke. Do you have a middle schooler or a high schooler? When you go, get back to me. The random days off are a lifesaver.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We don’t want school on Columbus Day or Veterans Day.

Who is “we”?

Those days were gifts from God when my kids were in early elementary school. I got the day off and the kids went to school.
Even more important for parents who have to work those days.

We like the 4 day weeks. They help tremendously for our high schoolers and middle school kid.

What has changed about middle and high schoolers that they can't handle 5 day weeks anymore? They sure seem to need a lot of breaks. The teens and twenties are the time to work really hard when you have the energy. If you play your cards right, by your thirties you can have choices that give you flexibility and freedom that have been earned.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason that ONLY ES schools get 3 hrs releases?
I get planning days, IEP mtgs, whatever, but what about MS and HS teachers???
Are they not privy to 3 hr releases?

In theory, MS and, especially, HS teachers' work load is heavier, courses they reach are more intense, (in HS) college-bound students need xyz from them, multi-page essays and FRQs, grading science fair binders, and the list goes on...

HS is more important curriculum wise so they can’t afford to lose the 3 hours. There is too much at stake.

In addition, HS and MS teachers get more planning on a daily basis than elementary school teachers and they only have one subject to teach. They get one full period of planning daily (85-90 minutes) and another period is advisory/Flex Time.

Elementary school teachers need more planning time than they are currently getting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We don’t want school on Columbus Day or Veterans Day.

Who is “we”?

Those days were gifts from God when my kids were in early elementary school. I got the day off and the kids went to school.
Even more important for parents who have to work those days.

We like the 4 day weeks. They help tremendously for our high schoolers and middle school kid.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We don’t want school on Columbus Day or Veterans Day.

Who is “we”?

Those days were gifts from God when my kids were in early elementary school. I got the day off and the kids went to school.
Even more important for parents who have to work those days.

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. People have been complaining about all the random holidays, weather delays and closures, early releases, and the answer is to shorten the calendar?

The school board members that are championing for calendar reform have lost the plot. Meren was first looking to minimize childcare burden. Surely she recognizes the childcare burden has already been endured 75% into the school year and that the post she endorsed would add another 3 days of unplanned childcare for parents to cover.

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. People have been complaining about all the random holidays, weather delays and closures, early releases, and the answer is to shorten the calendar?

What do you think kids will do at school those last couple of days. If you answered absolutely nothing you are correct.

Is there a reason that ONLY ES schools get 3 hrs releases?
I get planning days, IEP mtgs, whatever, but what about MS and HS teachers???
Are they not privy to 3 hr releases?

In theory, MS and, especially, HS teachers' work load is heavier, courses they reach are more intense, (in HS) college-bound students need xyz from them, multi-page essays and FRQs, grading science fair binders, and the list goes on...

Next year’s calendar is great too. Lots of 4 day weeks! We don’t want any changes.

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. People have been complaining about all the random holidays, weather delays and closures, early releases, and the answer is to shorten the calendar?

Yes, get rid of useless days in June. We need to be in school in November, March, April - June is a wasteland.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The year goes absurdly late this June.

Yes, please chop those days

Absurdly late? No ma’am. Absurdly late is when we went until June 23 a few years ago.

https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/9TR4TS0060EE/$file/Draft%20-%20Standard%20Calendar%20for%20School%20Year%202015-2016.pdf

With a start date of September 8.

Even if you shifted it up 2 weeks, we’d only get out a week earlier with this bare bones calendar. I prefer the 2026-27 calendar (which has the same late Labor Day.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The year goes absurdly late this June.

Yes, please chop those days

Absurdly late? No ma’am. Absurdly late is when we went until June 23 a few years ago.

https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/9TR4TS0060EE/$file/Draft%20-%20Standard%20Calendar%20for%20School%20Year%202015-2016.pdf

With a start date of September 8.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The year goes absurdly late this June.

Yes, please chop those days

Absurdly late? No ma’am. Absurdly late is when we went until June 23 a few years ago.

https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/9TR4TS0060EE/$file/Draft%20-%20Standard%20Calendar%20for%20School%20Year%202015-2016.pdf

The calendar you linked is from 2015-2016, when the school year started on Sept. 8. This year we started on Aug. 18, so not a fair comparison and getting out on June 17 does seem absurdly late.
-DP

Anonymous wrote:The year goes absurdly late this June.

Yes, please chop those days

Absurdly late? No ma’am. Absurdly late is when we went until June 23 a few years ago.

https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/9TR4TS0060EE/$file/Draft%20-%20Standard%20Calendar%20for%20School%20Year%202015-2016.pdf