Schools To Decide How To Make Up For Six Days Off During Sandy
The district is already one snow day in the red, officials said Wednesday night
The Mahwah School District is still deciding how it will make up for six used snow days used during Hurricane Sandy. According to Assistant Superintendent Janet Donohue, a committee of HSO parents, teachers, administrators, and board members will meet Thursday to come up with possible school calendar revisions for the rest of the year.
Thanks to prolonged power outages on Ridge Road during Hurricane Sandy, Mahwah students missed six days of school. Two were made up when the NJEA canceled its annual meeting, allowing students to go to school on Nov. 8 and 9, which had originally been scheduled days off.
That leaves the district with four snow days used so far this year. Only three were built into the school calendar, “and we haven’t even hit the snow season yet,” Donohue said at a board of education meeting Wednesday night.
The committee Thursday will meet to voice opinions on the best course of action the district could take regarding how to make up for the lost day, and possibly add more snow days in.
“It’s a big committee, we want to get everyone’s perspective on this,” Donohue said.
The district cannot make any officials calendar changes until the options are presented to and voted on by the board of education at a future meeting, school officials said.
The current district calendar has two weeklong breaks built into it – one from Feb. 18 – 22, and one from April 8 – 12. Graduation is scheduled for June 24.
jek
7:38 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
These days should not count against them. They should just shorten the calendar by that much as it was a STATE of EMERGENCY.
Andy Schmidt
9:13 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
These kids only go to school 180 days - they need every single day they can get.
I understand that graduation cannot be pushed back because that is the LAST day that the college facilities are available to the high school.
But in general - yes, absolutely, the annual summer breaks are a month too long.
J
7:47 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
State of Emergency or not the kids( including my two ) really should have a full school year. I feel they should take back the Feb break, the whole week. This way they have a few days in case we do need snow days,
Chloe
8:04 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Take away the February break. The Board of Education
decided we needed this break despite opposition from
parents.
Speedpro Imaging Inc
8:10 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Eliminate the Feb break.
Leaking Ink
8:52 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Leave one day in the February break (Monday--February 18) for a long weekend. Take the rest to make up for Hurricane Sandy and give back 3 snow days.
Gerri Gaughan Graniero
9:41 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Feb break was always just the Monday & Tuesday, we should go back to that.
Regenbogen
9:55 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
After having a break in December and a day off in January, I would hope days from the February break would be used and not spring break.
Nick
9:57 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Agreed. Take them from the February break.
hsr
10:02 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Feb break not needed. Do it now so no vacations are planned ! What's so difficult?
John
10:34 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
i don't think it should be held against them at all, after all it was a state of emergency...
Kevin
10:46 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Just because it was a state of emergency, it should not be a reason for our kids to not have to make up days. The February break seems to make a lot of sense in having them go then. If we do not use snows days at that point then they get out early in June. My son is in first grade and like many first graders this is an important year for him as it will set the pace for each year after, so he as well as others need the time in.
Regenbogen
11:17 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
All depends on the VIP's vacation schedules!
Chloe
11:20 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Hoping the Board of Education will see our comments posted above and listen this time. A full week in February is and never will be necessary to have off from school.
Karen K
12:41 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Since the state requires four hours of school to count as a day, I would rather have the students attend school on a Saturday(s) then cut short breaks that families may have already planned for. We already canceled our convention weekend away. Perhaps the staff would feel similarly.
Shari Levitsky
12:50 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Take days from the February break. People already have travel plans and reservations in place for April. It's expensive to cancel those plans. The February full week break is a joke anyway.
MahwahResident1234
12:59 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Every parent in district received a calendar for the 2012-2013 school year. This calendar clearly states that if days need to be used they will be taken from the April break. This was board approved last year. I am not sure why this is even a discussion. If the days are not used as state of emergency the approved plan goes in to action. If you go on the district webpage, under district info you will see district calendar.
This calendar allows for three (3) snow days. In the event additional snow days are needed, it may be necessary to conduct school on Friday, April 12th, Thursday, April 11th, and Wednesday, April 10th. (Days will be added in that order.) Under extreme conditions of weather, it may also be necessary to conduct school on the remainder of the spring recess. However, without compromising the safety of students or staff, we will make every effort to maintain the full week for spring recess.
If no snow days are used, schools will be closed May 24th.
Eileen R
2:41 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Back in the "old"days the Feb vacation was supposed to be for "airing" out the schools because of flu and illnesses. As that is no longer a viable reason, that week should be eliminated not the April one. That was a bad decision as the students are just coming off of a Holiday vacation a few weeks previous.
Regenbogen
4:06 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Exactly, Eileen.
LKR
12:11 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
The plan should be as designed by the BOE. Many have already made Feb plans as it was an official vacation. Please remember how often we have had snow during the President's Day long weekend. How many times are we possibly going to juggle the same make up days. Also, schools should be closed the Feb week as sickness has not been eradicated and the schools need to be deep cleaned and aired. Spring days are longer and do not have the same psychological impact on everyone as during winter; waking to darkness and having darkness set in within an 2 hours of coming home. This should not have even brought up for discussion.
Marissa
4:23 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Does anyone have kids in highschool who plays a spring sport? If so then you must understand that you won't be able to go away in April so instead of taking away February, take away April bc if you plan a vacay in feb than your child will miss school and make up work
Donna Nielsen
4:50 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Start with the April break as the district calendar clearly states. Some families already have travel plans made for February break.
Nick
9:18 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
And some have travel plans in April. Not everyone will be happy with the solution. But the Feb. break is a new addition and makes more sense to remove the days there. If we have a normal winter, based on how often Mahwah has closed its schools in the past, then both breaks will probably be affected.
Bob Rama
6:54 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Yeah, but he calender already said that April break would be used to make-up days. Why would you punish someone who actually read the calender and decided to go away over February break?
Karmy
7:40 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Why not make the the 4 remaining single session days full days?
Regenbogen
10:22 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
I believe single session days are counted as full.
Mary Ann Pieshala
9:57 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Appeal to the Governor. After all this was catastrophic and he was the one who said so............Request a ONE TIME removal of two days from the school calendar. This should be for the entire STATE!!!!!!!!!
Andy Schmidt
10:30 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Absolutely not! Why short-change our kids?
They had a week off just now, after all - and they have 184 other days in the year to idle.
Time for everyone to get back to work - including pupils.
John
8:33 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sounds like we have some parents on here who are more interested in having the schools open during February break for their babysitting purposes. It might rearrange their work schedule. Too bad.
Nick
10:20 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
If we have a normal winter, we'll probably lose parts of both. The school calendar takes the first three days over the allotted snow days from April (we're already over by one). If we have more than two snow days (likely) they'll probably take days from Feb.
kimberly lindner
8:20 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
Take away the February break, we haven't had it anyway and not to mention the children will have had a long break not long before the February break! Leave the spring break alone as this break is the most commonly utilized break for vacationers, I myself am not one of them, but just talking to many moms, this is my observation!! If we end up not needing all those days, then we could get out of school earlier as in previous years!
Bob Rama
6:17 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
I don't even understand why the BOE is opening this up for discussion. If they already previously resolved the days to come off Spring Break, why is this even a discussion? How about this to get back a day: Make MLK Jr day a 1/2 day instead of completely off.
Andy Schmidt
8:24 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Agreed Bob, since the Spring Break was put in the calendar as "subject to be taken away as needed", everyone had notice that they had to be flexible with any activities scheduled during those days, e.g., travel insurance.
Forget 1/2 days - they are a waste of everyone's time, teachers, students and parents. I'm completely against cheating students out of a regular day of learning just so that staff can get away with the minimum amount of hours.
If you ARE going to bus kids to school and open the buildings, then make it a regular day. Don't teach kids that it's okay to get by with the "bare minimum" effort.
dmr
6:38 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
take two days from February and Spring break
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