How many Muslim students are in APS?

Response from School Board on June 6 holiday:

Thank you for contacting the School Board regarding the proposed calendar change for Friday, June 6, 2025. We have received your message and will share it with the appropriate staff members.

We understand that changes to the school calendar can significantly impact our community, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.



This proposed change is based on our calendar policy, which requires us to recognize certain holidays that fall during the school week—including Eid al Adha. The need for this revision arose due to a recent update in the timing of Eid al Adha, which is now expected to begin after sunset on Thursday, June 5. Because this updated timing was confirmed only earlier this week (on Monday), the proposal is being brought forward on short notice.



The School Board will review and vote on this proposed change at its meeting this evening, May 15, 2025. We will communicate the outcome once a decision has been made. If the Board approves making June 6 a holiday, the Superintendent’s Office will work closely with schools that have events scheduled on that date to ensure appropriate back-up plans are in place.

Anonymous wrote:Who do we email to state our opinions on this? Can someone provide an email address, please?

JFC, it’s been posted at least twice on this thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proposed Calendar Change: The School Board will also decide on a possible calendar change for this school year to make Friday, June 6, 2025, a holiday because of Eid al Adha. This change is proposed because the holiday will now start on June 6 instead of Saturday, June 7.

how did they just realize this now?

Clouds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got a response back that says we are putting this for a school board vote because it is our calendar policy to to have this day off from school. Total tone deaf response.

That is so stupid. Before it was policy to have the day off it wasn’t the policy to have the day off. Policies change based on reconsideration of issues that come up.

Basically saying this is how we do things because this is how we do things is not a legitimate answer.

I think the rationale is that as long as you follow policy no one can blame you, personally, for stupid decisions. It was all the policy's fault. That's the galaxy brain thinking we have coming out of Syphax.

Anonymous wrote:I got a response back that says we are putting this for a school board vote because it is our calendar policy to to have this day off from school. Total tone deaf response.

That is so stupid. Before it was policy to have the day off it wasn’t the policy to have the day off. Policies change based on reconsideration of issues that come up.

Basically saying this is how we do things because this is how we do things is not a legitimate answer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who do we email to state our opinions on this? Can someone provide an email address, please?

miranda.turner@apsva.us,
kathleen.clark2@apsva.us,
mary.kadera@apsva.us,
bethany.zechersutton@apsva.us,
zuraya.tapiahadley@apsva.us
superintendent@apsva.us

Thank you! Will email them now to tell them how much it screws everything up to cancel school with 3 weeks of notice.

Anonymous wrote:Who do we email to state our opinions on this? Can someone provide an email address, please?

miranda.turner@apsva.us,
kathleen.clark2@apsva.us,
mary.kadera@apsva.us,
bethany.zechersutton@apsva.us,
zuraya.tapiahadley@apsva.us
superintendent@apsva.us

Who do we email to state our opinions on this? Can someone provide an email address, please?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. The main tradition of Eid al-Adha is sacrificing an animal, which no Muslim schoolkids are going to be doing. And going to prayers which can be after school. And the celebration lasts for 3 days so it's not like anyone is really missing out on anything by being at school for a few hours on Friday.

Wait til the School Board finds out about all the other faiths that exist in the world, there are numerous holidays for Bahai'i, Zoroastrians, lots of other religions.

Right. This wasn’t one of the ‘original’ holidays that triggered this silly calendar being created. If you can add this last minute what else can be added. There are holidays all the time that are significant to someone.

I believe it always been listed as a "holiday" on the calendar, but has fallen during the summer the past two years.

As it so happens it falls on May 27 (a Wednesday) next year, so the calendar currently gives a five day break with the tuesday after memorial day off. Not sure if the date of Eid, can slip a day as well, which would really throw a wrench in that week (just school Wednesday and Friday?) Or if Eid is moved to Tuesday do the cancel the Wednesday holiday?

Thank you for highlighting the absurdity of this.

Gotta love that the Boarddocs agenda says "The School Board will vote to adjust the APS calendar". Is that how this works now? The Board just votes how it's told? No need to even suggest that the Board might make its own decisions here?

My feelings right now:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feedback I got from high school PTA is that it doesn’t impact us since graduation is already done and kids can study at home for finals that day.

If that’s true, why does school go another week and a half?! This is so dumb.

For those of you not in high school yet get ready for this. There is pretty much no school in June.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. The main tradition of Eid al-Adha is sacrificing an animal, which no Muslim schoolkids are going to be doing. And going to prayers which can be after school. And the celebration lasts for 3 days so it's not like anyone is really missing out on anything by being at school for a few hours on Friday.

Wait til the School Board finds out about all the other faiths that exist in the world, there are numerous holidays for Bahai'i, Zoroastrians, lots of other religions.

Right. This wasn’t one of the ‘original’ holidays that triggered this silly calendar being created. If you can add this last minute what else can be added. There are holidays all the time that are significant to someone.

I believe it always been listed as a "holiday" on the calendar, but has fallen during the summer the past two years.

As it so happens it falls on May 27 (a Wednesday) next year, so the calendar currently gives a five day break with the tuesday after memorial day off. Not sure if the date of Eid, can slip a day as well, which would really throw a wrench in that week (just school Wednesday and Friday?) Or if Eid is moved to Tuesday do the cancel the Wednesday holiday?

Anonymous wrote:Feedback I got from high school PTA is that it doesn’t impact us since graduation is already done and kids can study at home for finals that day.

But my kid’s math class still has material to cover! And they are gonna get better prep being with teachers!

Anonymous wrote:Feedback I got from high school PTA is that it doesn’t impact us since graduation is already done and kids can study at home for finals that day.

If that’s true, why does school go another week and a half?! This is so dumb.