We are so excited to announce our transition to a year-round school calendar. The school improvement committee and staff believe that such a change would bring numerous benefits to our students, teachers, and families such as:
- It would help mitigate the problem of summer learning loss. Research consistently shows that students tend to forget a significant portion of what they learned during the long summer break. By spreading breaks more evenly throughout the year, we can ensure that students retain more knowledge and skills, leading to better academic outcomes.
- It can provide more opportunities for enrichment and remediation. Rather than cramming all extracurricular activities and interventions into a short summer window, we could distribute them more evenly across the year. This would allow students who need extra support to receive it in a timely manner, without having to wait until the next school year.
- It can also help alleviate some of the challenges associated with peak vacation times. By staggering breaks throughout the year, we can reduce overcrowding and make travel more affordable for families. This could also benefit our teachers, who often struggle to find affordable vacation options during peak seasons.
Of course, we understand that implementing a year-round calendar would require careful planning and consideration. We would need to ensure that teachers and staff have adequate time for rest and professional development, and that families have sufficient notice to adjust their schedules accordingly. However, I believe that the long-term benefits of such a change would far outweigh any initial challenges.
In conclusion, I urge you to seriously consider the transition to a year-round school calendar. Not only would it help address some of the shortcomings of the traditional calendar, but it would also better prepare our students for success in an increasingly competitive world.
Tentative Schedule:
August 5-September 27 (8 weeks)
September 30-October 11 Student Vacation (2 weeks)
October 14-December 13 (8 weeks)
Dec. 16-Jan 3 Student Vacation (3 weeks)
January 6-February 28 (8 weeks)
March 3-March 14 Student Vacation (2 weeks)
March 17-May 9 (8 weeks)
May 12-May 23 Student Vacation (2 weeks)
May 27-July 3 (5 weeks)
July 4-August 1 Student Vacation (4 weeks)