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Spring Break Causing Concerns

By 250 News

The new school calendar raises some interesting options.

Up for discussion, spring break. Should it stay at 2 weeks? Should it coincide with other school districts and the Provincial norm which takes a break during March or, should it move to April and include Easter?

There are pros and cons for both.

Regular two week spring break means there would be two days added the week before school starts. If left to take place in March in the next school year, it would mean students would return from spring break, be back in class for four days, then off for Easter for four days , back in class for four days.

Pushing the break to include Easter means one break, but sets it a few weeks later when some students may start suffering cabin fever having to wait from January to April, plus it won't line up with the rest of the Province.

Should it be two weeks, or one week? Thats the question that fuelled passionate response.

Trustee Sharel Warrington says parents are very concerned about having to take an extra week off work to take care of the children. She says some parents tell her two weeks is too long, and she is also concerned about the imbalance of the school semester. She says if teachers like the two weeks off, the Board should look at why "Maybe the teachers are just worn out because their classes are too large, or maybe they have too many special needs students, who knows, but if those are the reasons why, then we need to deal with those issues."

Trustee Roxanne Ricard says one teacher wrote her supporting a two week break saying she would like to "book a holiday", something Ricard says she can understand but says the Abbotsford School District, ( considered the model for the two week spring break case) told her they went to 2 weeks purely for financial reasons. Ricard wants to make a decision that will best serve students, not the adults. She noted two weeks means something different for a student in grade 12 than a student in grade one.

Lynn Hall says it was never an intention to make two weeks entrenched, it was always meant to be "revisited" but "When I look at the 06/07 calendar, there is one more day of instruction lost, its a tough call, very tough call, maybe we have to someday bite the bullet and talk about September through September, I'm not sure."

Chairman Bill Christie reminded the Board the two week break was initially driven by finances, as a cost saving effort.

Trustee Michelle Marrelli says there is no clear direction this time around, "Concerns of mine? One is the imbalance" "This is tough , there is no right or wrong answer, it is a decision that is going to be based on what each of us here value"

Trustee Naomi Manning thinks reducing spring break to one week, would be a slap in the face to teachers. She says Teachers may be feeling overworked, and supports two weeks.

Trustee Lois Boone says she is concerned about the lost day of work for union members, but questions if a break in April is too late in the year. She wants a full review done before a final decision is made.

Now, the Board will distribute a new calendar version, which calls for a two week break that would include Easter. Partner groups will be asked to submit their comments within 30 days. The item will be voted on at the May 30th Board meeting to be held in Valemount.




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