My first grader went to school, watched Monsters Inc., ate potato chips and then was dismissed. I guess he had fun, but it just goes to show the silliness of this ultra short day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am new to FCPS this year, but it seems to make little sense to have school for 2.5 hours. What is the point?

The point is to get it to count as a day of school for the state, so we are in for 180 days. Nothing more, just time to sign year books....

Then how did systems like Arlington and Falls Church City, who start the same day as us, get out last Thursday and Friday?

Each school system sets their own calendar of professional development and parent conference days and breaks. One school system might start their winter break on Dec 22 while another will start it on Dec 23.

It also depends on how many "inclement weather" days were used. If not all the days were used, the school system gets to 180 days sooner and can let out a few days earlier than originally scheduled. FCPS used their days up - Scroll to the bottom at http://www.fcps.edu/about/12-13cal.shtml. Arlington and Falls Church City may not have used all the days originally built into the school year. Since they're smaller school systems, they seem to close less often for weather than Fairfax does. Last year, when we didn't use all the weather days, FCPS dropped 2 days from the calendar and released on a Friday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am new to FCPS this year, but it seems to make little sense to have school for 2.5 hours. What is the point?

The point is to get it to count as a day of school for the state, so we are in for 180 days. Nothing more, just time to sign year books....

Then how did systems like Arlington and Falls Church City, who start the same day as us, get out last Thursday and Friday?

Each school system sets their own calendar of professional development and parent conference days and breaks. One school system might start their winter break on Dec 22 while another will start it on Dec 23.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am new to FCPS this year, but it seems to make little sense to have school for 2.5 hours. What is the point?

The point is to get it to count as a day of school for the state, so we are in for 180 days. Nothing more, just time to sign year books....

Then how did systems like Arlington and Falls Church City, who start the same day as us, get out last Thursday and Friday?

My students will be in long enough to watch one movie, but not quite two.

We start at 8:45 and get out at 11:10 tomorrow.

Our school starts at 9:05 and has an 11:40 dismissal tomorrow. HTH.

I know our times for tomorrow because I've been in and out of the school a lot the past few weeks volunteering, but I just now checked and our usually good official web page for the school (via the FCPS site) doesn't have the dismissal time and neither does the usually good PTA web site -- both just say "early dismissal"! Our classroom teacher told all the parents ages ago by e-mail what the day's schedule would be so we're fine but I'm quite surprised the web sites say nothing.

Folks, for next year, be sure to start in about May telling your school newsletter editor, PTA webmaster, etc. that the exact times need to be in there. Saying "whenever the buses come" isn't good enough -- the schools DO know a time. (Ours is 11:45 dismissal, BTW.)