Holmdel Schools Revise 2012-2013 Calendar
To make up 4 instructional days and 2 extra for bad weather, the district will make the following changes.
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Superintendent Barbara Duncan has announced Holmdel Township public schools calendar changes as a result the Hurricane Sandy disruptions.
Duncan said that she consulted with the school board, administration and president of the teachers' union to hammer out the following solution.
"I know that the changes may inconvenience some of our staff and students," Duncan said in a statement. "I hope that you can make the necessary arrangements to maximize the instructional days. The State of Emergency brought on by the hurricane has had, and will continue to have, an impact on all our lives. I hope that you are all safe and well."
Holmdel Public School Calendar Changes For 2012-2013 School Year
- Instructional Days missed due to the storm – 10/29, 10/30, 10/31, 11/1, 11/2, 11/5 & 11/7
TOTAL = 7 Days
- All 3 Snow Days were used for the Current School Year. We need to make up 4 Instructional days.
- School re-opened on 11/12/12
- Proposed plan to make-up the four (4) instructional days and build in two (2) anticipated snow days by opening school on the following days:
- January 21, 2013 – MLK Day, Full Day for everyone
- February 15, 2013 – Friday before Presidents’ Weekend, 4 Hour Session for students, full day for staff (PD)
- April 1, 2013 –Full Day for everyone
- May 24, 2013 – 4 Hour Session for everyone
- June 25, 2013 – Instructional Day, Full Day for everyone
- June 26, 2013 – Last Day of School, 4 Hour Session for everyone
Additionally: March 22, 2013 will be a 4 hour session for students. However, staff will have a full day to fulfill professional development requirements.
In the event that winter weather requires us to schedule additional make-up days beyond the two anticipated days we are building in, they will be added to the calendar in the following order as needed:
- March 25, 2013 (First day of Spring Break- Passover begins at sundown)
- March 27, 2013 (Third day of Spring Break)
- March 28, 2013 (Fourth day of Spring Break)
In the event we do not use the two (2) snow days added to the calendar, the district will close in the following order:
- May 24, 2013, District will Close for everyone
- May 28, 2013 District will Close for everyone
DP
4:28 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
I don't understand why we cannot have the last two days of school back if we don't use our snow days. I would much prefer that then to add days to Memorial Day. The school year runs late enough as it is. There is no reason that school cannot end on June 24th even if graduation has been rescheduled to June 26th.
Eve
6:43 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
This does not look like a good schedule change... look at the changes that Marlboro and Colts Neck made, those are completely reasonable. For example, Marlboro took away Presidents' Day days off (Friday and Monday) in addition to 1/21 and 4/1. 4 days covered, everything is great, no need to extend the school year. The original calendar said that May 24 will be taken away if we run over the limit of snow days - why are we making it a 1/2 day now, instead of a full day? It seems like we are making up whole days in 1/2 days, which does not make sense. 1/2 days are way less productive, and are a scheduling nightmare for working parents. And extending a school year by 2 days makes even less sense. Not much learning is going on end of June, I am sure that plenty of parents are not going to change their vacation plans to accommodate this change, especially in lower grades.
JerseyGirl
7:10 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
This is a HORRIBLE plan and I'd like to know who approved it??? I am appalled that this Holmdel BOE has the nerve to make these kids go to school all the way up until June 26th!!!!! Why didn't they take the days from Xmas or more from Easter break?????? I hope the parents will join me in speaking out against this amended school calendar!!!
DP
7:15 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
I sent and email to the board and was politely told that this is the way it is. I guess if enough parents express their concerns they may consider changing it. Personally, I would prefer to make Spring Break a long weekend and leave it at that.
Christine
7:18 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
What a ridiculous plan. I appreciate the efforts but adding even a minute to the end of an already unGodly long school year cannot be allowed. Parents and students should loudly disagree. The end of June is the middle of the summer, not the end of school. It would just be cimpletely wasted time. I hope this schedule is again revised.
gholmdel
7:38 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
Who's vacation schedule was this approach to "four more days" made around? Only way to explain it....
Eve
8:06 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
That was actually my first reaction too... someone's vacation impacted? This is an unbelievably convoluted solution to a fairly simple problem. I do not see why the highest priority of the "giveback" is given to Memorial Day weekend, once again, this is a scheduling nightmare for working parents. We do not need 5/24 and 5/28 to be days off! Keep the end of the school year where it was before. I hope that a lot of people speak up about this - next BOE meeting is November 28.
Patty
6:49 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
It all doesn't add up to the 4 replacement days + the 2 'just in case' snow days, the top part = 4 1/2 days replaced when we only need 4. + 1/2 day on March 22nd,
= 5 1/2 days, Am I missing something?
this is an insane schedule, no student or parent was considered when putting this together. I would like to know who participates in revised school scheduling.