Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:37     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Teacher on Team Orange here! We get *almost* 2 weeks off at Christmas, and I like starting as early as possible. I sure wish that they would have scheduled spring break one week later to match it with the end of the quarter.


+1

The end of March, beginning of April schedule is ridiculous for all of the options.


+1 -- Orange is the only one I really like.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:35     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, since their top priority is a "multi-year calendar that allows for forward planning" will we at least get a 2 or 3 year calendar out of this? Even if it's bad? I'd prefer that.


Not me. I would rather the new SB next year gets to set their own calendar when the religious holiday bonanza can be reassessed. Binding the new SB into this approach is why they are promising to keep it steady for multiple years, NOT because parents want it for planning.


If you go to the section with the focus groups, the inclusion of the religious holidays is the thing that they all agree on. They are here in perpetuity, no matter who the SB is.


The surveys tell a different story. Parents don’t like the random religious days off.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:32     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Where in the freaking page are the calendars? I can't seem to find them.


https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/fi...%20SB%202023.01.17%20final.pdf
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:16     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, since their top priority is a "multi-year calendar that allows for forward planning" will we at least get a 2 or 3 year calendar out of this? Even if it's bad? I'd prefer that.


Not me. I would rather the new SB next year gets to set their own calendar when the religious holiday bonanza can be reassessed. Binding the new SB into this approach is why they are promising to keep it steady for multiple years, NOT because parents want it for planning.


If you go to the section with the focus groups, the inclusion of the religious holidays is the thing that they all agree on. They are here in perpetuity, no matter who the SB is.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:16     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it really telling that they included Montgomery county as a 'surrounding jurisdiction' but did not include Falls Church City. I recognize that FCC is tiny- but it actually borders Fairfax and it adopted a much better calendar that did not include the additional religious holidays. It seems like they want to control the narrative that 'everyone' is including the holidays.


+1
There is no chance we have many staff commuting from MoCo to work in FCPS.


The McLean schools have plenty of MCPS teachers and staff.

Very odd that Falls Church City is ignored entirely.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:14     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:Teacher on Team Orange here! We get *almost* 2 weeks off at Christmas, and I like starting as early as possible. I sure wish that they would have scheduled spring break one week later to match it with the end of the quarter.


+1

The end of March, beginning of April schedule is ridiculous for all of the options.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:12     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:I find it really telling that they included Montgomery county as a 'surrounding jurisdiction' but did not include Falls Church City. I recognize that FCC is tiny- but it actually borders Fairfax and it adopted a much better calendar that did not include the additional religious holidays. It seems like they want to control the narrative that 'everyone' is including the holidays.


This was my exact first thought as well! Take a look at the plan for 2023-24. It’s so beautiful.

Very suspicious that it’s not even mentioned. I know the Falls Church City Calendar was discussed at length came up in at least one of the calendar focus groups. Someone at Gatehouse is intentionally trying to remove it from the discussion.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t30_0em4B90tiPFpskQUiCNiNPBfxZKW/view
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:11     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:I find it really telling that they included Montgomery county as a 'surrounding jurisdiction' but did not include Falls Church City. I recognize that FCC is tiny- but it actually borders Fairfax and it adopted a much better calendar that did not include the additional religious holidays. It seems like they want to control the narrative that 'everyone' is including the holidays.


+1
There is no chance we have many staff commuting from MoCo to work in FCPS.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:08     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What in the world were they think with the last week of school on the green calendar??? 2 days off in a 4 day week of class time the last week of school? No one will be there. It's too bad, cause I'd like to start only 1 week before labor day. That also has a full week for spring break, one week back to end 3rd quarter and then a 5.5 day weekend. Dumb.


It was included only to show you “can’t” start just 1 week before Labor Day.


How did we used to manage to start after labor day, have a 2 week winter break, a week spring break, and get out by june 20? Lets go back to that.


Yes of course it’s possible. You only “can’t” do it if you keep th e religious holidays they are handing out like candy now.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:05     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:For the 2024-25 school year, Spring Break is scheduled for the middle of April for ALL calendars. The other years it’s the same last week in March.

Why? I thought we were done linking Spring Break and Easter.


They’ll link it as long as the other counties do. They learned from this mistake last year.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 09:03     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
For the 2024-25 school year, Spring Break is scheduled for the middle of April for ALL calendars. The other years it’s the same last week in March.

Why? I thought we were done linking Spring Break and Easter.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 08:53     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
I find it really telling that they included Montgomery county as a 'surrounding jurisdiction' but did not include Falls Church City. I recognize that FCC is tiny- but it actually borders Fairfax and it adopted a much better calendar that did not include the additional religious holidays. It seems like they want to control the narrative that 'everyone' is including the holidays.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 08:52     Subject: 2023 - 2024 school calendar
Did we have a two week winter break when we started after Labor Day? I don’t think so — it’s relatively new.

Personally I do not want a two week winter break or to start after Labor Day.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 08:52     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Teacher on Team Orange here! We get *almost* 2 weeks off at Christmas, and I like starting as early as possible. I sure wish that they would have scheduled spring break one week later to match it with the end of the quarter.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2023 08:39     Subject: Re:2023 - 2024 school calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What in the world were they think with the last week of school on the green calendar??? 2 days off in a 4 day week of class time the last week of school? No one will be there. It's too bad, cause I'd like to start only 1 week before labor day. That also has a full week for spring break, one week back to end 3rd quarter and then a 5.5 day weekend. Dumb.


It was included only to show you “can’t” start just 1 week before Labor Day.


How did we used to manage to start after labor day, have a 2 week winter break, a week spring break, and get out by june 20? Lets go back to that.


They had fewer of the religious/cultural observance days.