VIRGINIA BEACH
A plan to end the 2009-10 school year on June 24, 2010, has been scrapped. A new calendar that will end the year June 18 was roundly praised by School Board members at their meeting Tuesday night.
"June 24 was very disheartening to many folks, including me and my children," said board member Carolyn Weems. The school year was pushed so late in part because Labor Day will be Sept. 7 in 2009. Virginia schools are not allowed to start classes before the holiday.
Elizabeth Taylor, head of the calendar committee, said the proposed school year was shortened by eliminating the President's Day holiday, moving a November staff day to August and starting winter break two days later, on Dec. 23, 2009. The calendar for year-round schools also was adjusted to provide a June 18 end date.
The board plans to accept the new calendar at its July 1 meeting.
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It's a Fat Thing
Back when I went to school, the school year ended on June 10 and started on September 1 or 2, the day after Labor Day. The school year consisted of 180 days. Has the number of days been extended?
In addition, I have had to change my route home because of Suffolk school buses stopping at every corner to drop off a child. I couldn't help but notice how overweight these children are. With the exception of the occasional fat child, most kids in my day were thin and healthy, not so from what I see getting off the buses, these days. The federal government will host an expensive study to find out why children are so fat. It must be because they are bused to and from school and don't have a central bus stop, that they can walk home from. I don't think these children even go out and play anymore. It is a shame what computers and video games have done to children.
Missing the bigger picture
I agree the school system needs to be revised. But one does not have to do much to realize our children have grown lazy, overweight, and come out of school with less intelligence. That's why the US has sunk to near the basement of the world. Our people are ignorant and lazy. That's why China and other countries have passed us. We complain about not having holidays off. Our kids need time off. Education may be free in public schools as far as the dollar, but it takes effort to learn. But I now see why our kids are in the shape they are in. Their parents can't even get it right.
To F.Y.I
You said exactly what I was thinking. I couldn't believe that Columbus Day was no longer a school holiday but, MLK was and now they want to take away President's Day. Columbus discovered America, how is he not important. The President's ran the country, be it in a good or poor way. Why are they less important??? Why don't we take away one or more of the staff days and leave our Federal holidays alone. Back in the 70's we did not have staff days, how did teachers do what needed done then?
Why did Norfolk Public Schools get Columbus Day off but Virginia Beach Public Schools didn't??
I feel the Columbus Day and President's Day bug coming on already.
More time for videos
Well, I think I'm going to schedule the flu for Columbus day and a bad intestinal infection for President's Day that year. Its ridiculous that they continue to take from the kids. Hmmm..what about MLK day? They wouldn't DARE touch that day. They would take another day from Christmas break or two from Spring Break if it meant not having to take away MLK day. Heck, one year they took Veteran's Day. Most VB schools are pretty much "done" by the end of May with the end of SOL testing. They need to push back the SOL's to June and make that the "final exam" for the year. VB thinks that making these kids go to school 183 days as opposed to 180 makes them "ahead of the curve." It just allows schools to have meaningless assemblies and more "testing" days. It use to be that they factored in snow days, I hope we don't get a massive storm in 2009, because we may just have to take MLK day then. How much you want to bet that "administrative" offices will be closed on those holidays?
um they can get rid of those 3 bogus days
seriously, they year they added the extra days i learned no more than i did with 180 days of school. there is so much time wasted that school that the classes could be taught in 25% less time.
When will it stop?
When I was growing up, we had Columbus day off from school. My son started his schooling at a DoDEA school on Guam and they celebrated Columbus day. We have since transferred to Virginia and it is not celebrated by the schools? Why? Schools receive federal funds, why are they not celebrating all the federal holidays? I conformed and took Columbus day from my kids but, I will not take Presidents Day away from them too. I have the day off from work and my kids will not be in school on that day.
Less School time is no help
Children in the tidewater area already test and finish well behind other areas. More school time will help them. Parents and kids complaining about it is why our school systems are a joke and our students scores continue to fail. Private schools are the only way to go. Public schools equal poor education.