Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:38
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
I’ve worked in FCPS for 25 years. I promise that All Saints Day has never been a religious holiday. If there was no school that day, it’s because it was a weekend or a teacher workday.
The calender lists it as All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead, so FCPS acknowleges the day off as a religious holiday.
Incorrect. When the day off is due that day for the sole reason that it’s a religious holiday, you’ll see it marked with only an “H”. There is no calendar where All Saints Day has an “H” and there never has been.
In the 27-28 calendar, you’ll see that Nov 1 is a day where no students attend. AND it is acknowledged below that Nov 1 is All Saints Day. FCPS does acknowledge this is a holiday for some. BUT the day on the calendar is marked with an SP which stands for School Planning Day. That means that school is not closed for students because it’s a religious holiday but because it’s a workday for staff.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:17
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
I’ve worked in FCPS for 25 years. I promise that All Saints Day has never been a religious holiday. If there was no school that day, it’s because it was a weekend or a teacher workday.
The calender lists it as All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead, so FCPS acknowleges the day off as a religious holiday.
Look at the calendar again. It is NOT a day off. No where does it say it is a day off. Please link the calendar.
Well it frequently falls on a Saturday or Sunday for the next couple years, so jumping ahead you can see in 2027-28 it’s off. There was a bunch of talk at the SB meeting when they added this. They decided to give it off for the holiday, but line it up every year as the official end of the quarter (you’ll notice every other quarter moves end dates a bit from year to year, except the first to accomodate this)
The SB meetings are all online you can still find it I’m sure but I’m not digging around for it.
https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2025-02/2027-2028-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf
Ding! Ding! Ding! It follows the quarter end. Friday before is Diwali which is listed as a holiday. Monday, Nov 1 is a "School Planning Day" and Nov 2 is a "Teacher Workday," which is traditional at the end of the quarter.
And, if it was a holiday on a prior year, it is because it was Quarter end Teacher Workday. It has never been a school holiday because of religion. Not in FCPS.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:14
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
That’s because it’s a Saturday. The holiday is still listed because it’s always off when it’s not on a weekend. They plan the end of the quarter around it so it’s always a 4 day break.
Exactly.
But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.
All Catholics feel this way? Is this why schools in all of Italy and France shut down?
I’ve heard Catholics upset when it wasn’t off because their church only had morning services.
I think maybe some people within a religion may have differing thoughts.
Not sure what the schools in France or Italy have to do with FCPS.
I guess you didn’t see the comment I was replying to. So here ya go:
“But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.”
Just responding to this absolute falsehood. Catholics all around the world take the day off. There’s way more countries all over Europe and South America where all schools close for catholic observance of the day.
Maybe white bread yuppie Catholics in NOVA sit it out, but they don’t speak for all.
And to go a step further, maybe you’ve noticed we have a high population in of South American catholic students?
I read your comment and it's still irrelevant. I'm sure many countries take varying religious and other holidays off. It's irrelevant to an American school system.
And no I haven't noticed we have a lot of South American Catholic students. How would anyone know that?
You would know it if you were familiar with the demographics of the county.
Sure, go ahead and show us these demographics that show South American Catholics students.
Have you not noticed any Latinos in the DCUM area?
LOL, now you're moving the goalposts. Hilarious to watch.
I'm so confused. Do you really not believe that we have a lot of students from South/Central America in FCPS? Do you really not realize that many of the immigrants from South/Central America are Catholic?
We know you're confused, because you've gone from South American, to Latino, to South/Central American students. None of these are the same. And there certainly aren't enough of them to justify closing schools.
Maybe not where your kids go to school. At the last 2 schools that I’ve taught at (30 minutes apart), they make-up 30-50% of the population. One year, I had 3 white students.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:09
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
I’ve worked in FCPS for 25 years. I promise that All Saints Day has never been a religious holiday. If there was no school that day, it’s because it was a weekend or a teacher workday.
The calender lists it as All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead, so FCPS acknowleges the day off as a religious holiday.
Look at the calendar again. It is NOT a day off. No where does it say it is a day off. Please link the calendar.
Well it frequently falls on a Saturday or Sunday for the next couple years, so jumping ahead you can see in 2027-28 it’s off. There was a bunch of talk at the SB meeting when they added this. They decided to give it off for the holiday, but line it up every year as the official end of the quarter (you’ll notice every other quarter moves end dates a bit from year to year, except the first to accomodate this)
The SB meetings are all online you can still find it I’m sure but I’m not digging around for it.
https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2025-02/2027-2028-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf
Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:04
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
That’s because it’s a Saturday. The holiday is still listed because it’s always off when it’s not on a weekend. They plan the end of the quarter around it so it’s always a 4 day break.
Exactly.
But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.
All Catholics feel this way? Is this why schools in all of Italy and France shut down?
I’ve heard Catholics upset when it wasn’t off because their church only had morning services.
I think maybe some people within a religion may have differing thoughts.
Not sure what the schools in France or Italy have to do with FCPS.
I guess you didn’t see the comment I was replying to. So here ya go:
“But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.”
Just responding to this absolute falsehood. Catholics all around the world take the day off. There’s way more countries all over Europe and South America where all schools close for catholic observance of the day.
Maybe white bread yuppie Catholics in NOVA sit it out, but they don’t speak for all.
And to go a step further, maybe you’ve noticed we have a high population in of South American catholic students?
I read your comment and it's still irrelevant. I'm sure many countries take varying religious and other holidays off. It's irrelevant to an American school system.
And no I haven't noticed we have a lot of South American Catholic students. How would anyone know that?
You would know it if you were familiar with the demographics of the county.
Sure, go ahead and show us these demographics that show South American Catholics students.
Have you not noticed any Latinos in the DCUM area?
LOL, now you're moving the goalposts. Hilarious to watch.
I'm so confused. Do you really not believe that we have a lot of students from South/Central America in FCPS? Do you really not realize that many of the immigrants from South/Central America are Catholic?
We know you're confused, because you've gone from South American, to Latino, to South/Central American students. None of these are the same. And there certainly aren't enough of them to justify closing schools.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:01
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:I love this for my HSers. They need breaks. Their course loads are insane!
Sounds like a time management issue for them.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:59
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:I’m a family of very devout Catholics and I went to catholic school. All Saints’ Day is not a major religious holiday. Even Ash Wednesday wasn’t a day off school. we all showed off our ashes at school and work
It’s a day of obligation. It makes sense that catholic schools aren’t off. They are supposed to be there. lol. Why would the have the day off and then just tell them all to come back?
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:53
Subject: All these days off...
I love this for my HSers. They need breaks. Their course loads are insane!
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:52
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
That’s because it’s a Saturday. The holiday is still listed because it’s always off when it’s not on a weekend. They plan the end of the quarter around it so it’s always a 4 day break.
Exactly.
But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.
All Catholics feel this way? Is this why schools in all of Italy and France shut down?
I’ve heard Catholics upset when it wasn’t off because their church only had morning services.
I think maybe some people within a religion may have differing thoughts.
Not sure what the schools in France or Italy have to do with FCPS.
I guess you didn’t see the comment I was replying to. So here ya go:
“But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.”
Just responding to this absolute falsehood. Catholics all around the world take the day off. There’s way more countries all over Europe and South America where all schools close for catholic observance of the day.
Maybe white bread yuppie Catholics in NOVA sit it out, but they don’t speak for all.
And to go a step further, maybe you’ve noticed we have a high population in of South American catholic students?
I read your comment and it's still irrelevant. I'm sure many countries take varying religious and other holidays off. It's irrelevant to an American school system.
And no I haven't noticed we have a lot of South American Catholic students. How would anyone know that?
You would know it if you were familiar with the demographics of the county.
Sure, go ahead and show us these demographics that show South American Catholics students.
Have you not noticed any Latinos in the DCUM area?
LOL, now you're moving the goalposts. Hilarious to watch.
I'm so confused. Do you really not believe that we have a lot of students from South/Central America in FCPS? Do you really not realize that many of the immigrants from South/Central America are Catholic?
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:50
Subject: All these days off...
These all used to be O days and that worked out fine. Colleges don’t give these days off and they work out fine. The SB wanted to appeal to their voters and the teacher unions and they don’t care about what parents actually want so they switched it.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:33
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
+1, last year it was on the same day as Diwali.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:03
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
I’ve worked in FCPS for 25 years. I promise that All Saints Day has never been a religious holiday. If there was no school that day, it’s because it was a weekend or a teacher workday.
The calender lists it as All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead, so FCPS acknowleges the day off as a religious holiday.
Look at the calendar again. It is NOT a day off. No where does it say it is a day off. Please link the calendar.
Well not this year. Duh. It’s a Saturday
Anonymous
10/02/2025 15:02
Subject: All these days off...
I’m a family of very devout Catholics and I went to catholic school. All Saints’ Day is not a major religious holiday. Even Ash Wednesday wasn’t a day off school. we all showed off our ashes at school and work
Anonymous
10/02/2025 14:00
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
That’s because it’s a Saturday. The holiday is still listed because it’s always off when it’s not on a weekend. They plan the end of the quarter around it so it’s always a 4 day break.
Exactly.
But if you ask any Catholic, practicing Cathokic or just culturally catholic, they will tell you unequivocally that All Saints Day should not be a day off school.
All Catholics feel this way? Is this why schools in all of Italy and France shut down?
I’ve heard Catholics upset when it wasn’t off because their church only had morning services.
I think maybe some people within a religion may have differing thoughts.
Is FCPS in Italy or France?
My dad was from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Protestant. We did not live there, but every November 1 he went down there to take his aunt to the cemetery to clean off the graves. However, it was a custom of the area and likely came from New Orleans. Not sure if it was a holiday, but no one in our family went to church that day. Just cleaned off the graves.
This is not needed for a day off and has not been a day off. We have likely had it off as a teacher workday at the end of the quarter.
Anonymous
10/02/2025 13:56
Subject: All these days off...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In 2020, 3% of the the adult living in Fairfax County identified as Jewish. (This does not include the under 18s and does not include employees that live outside of the county)
Hindus are around the same percentage (diwali off)
Orthodox Christians are a much tinier group. Are they even 1%? Yet we have Orthodox Epiphany off (Jan 17) and Orthodox Easter off (April 10)
FCPS gives Day of the Dead/All Saints Day off. (Nov 1)
That one is a complete head scratcher. Catholics (and Mexicans) do not view that as a day to take off work or school. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, but you don't take off work or school to meet the obligation. You simply go to Mass in the early morning or to one of the many evening Mass options. All Saints Day is not a particularly huge feast day accompanied by a bunch of significant religious and cultural traditions that require one to take off work and school.
Giving All Saints Day/ day of the dead off as a religious cultural holiday is performative and shows that FCPS doesn’t understand the holiday.
November 1 is not a day off.
It has been on past calenders.
I’ve worked in FCPS for 25 years. I promise that All Saints Day has never been a religious holiday. If there was no school that day, it’s because it was a weekend or a teacher workday.
The calender lists it as All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead, so FCPS acknowleges the day off as a religious holiday.
Look at the calendar again. It is NOT a day off. No where does it say it is a day off. Please link the calendar.