School Spring Break Back To One Week Next Year

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 09:09 AM

Prince George, B.C. - This year's spring break will be bitter-sweet for the students of School District 57...

The two-week break set for the end of March will be the last, as the district reverts to the standard Ministry of Education calendar next year...meaning the 2009 spring break will be back to one week long.

Superintendent Brian Pepper says the decision was made by the School District Board at last night's meeting, and follows consultation with the district's partner groups -- teachers, Parents Advisory Councils, and support staff.

The district had tried out the two week break for the past few years, but one of the challenges it presented was daycare difficulties for parents.

Highlights of the 2008-2009 calendar include:

the first day of school will be Wednesday, September 3rd
with the extra week gone in the spring, there will be five extra professional development days, scattered on Fridays throughout the school year
spring break will run from March 16-20

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Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 09:09 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 30 2008 10:34 AM

5 days out of the extra week devoted to "professional development days"
Simply brilliant!

Posted by: tinyapplecork on January 30 2008 10:52 AM

"The district had tried out the two week break for the past few years, but one of the challenges it presented was daycare difficulties for parents."

So, tell me, how does 5 Pro-D days mitigate daycare challenges for parents?? They should just shorten the year. Same problems...new spin...no real solution here.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 30 2008 11:03 AM

Exactly tinyapplecork!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 30 2008 11:04 AM

I would also like to know why "daycare" should even be an issue?
Who's problem is that?

Posted by: Runner46 on January 30 2008 11:35 AM

Day care is obviously the problem of the childrens parents.

If anyone cares to remember, or even think, you will know that it easier to get a friend or neighbour to cover for you for a day than a week. As a grampa, it is would be inviting death to try and sit the kids for a week.(Death to the kids, not me).

As for the Pro D Days, it is a great way for the teachers to invest in themselves with training upgrading, which does in some cases filter down to the kids.

Posted by: Yoshi on January 30 2008 11:43 AM

Actually, the story is in error. There will not be five "extra" Pro-D Days scattered throughout the year. These days already exist. For the past two years two of these days have come before Labour Day. Instead of three PD Days scattered through the year, there will be five.

Posted by: lunarbase on January 30 2008 11:43 AM

Actually there was always those Pro D days, but instead of being all at one time they are now spread out over the year. The entitlement to those days is provincially mandated .

Posted by: Harbinger on January 30 2008 12:24 PM

Never had pro D days when I went to school in the sixties. I wonder how the teachers coped back then? Our kids go to school 188 days a year. In Japan and Germany they go to school about 220 days a year. That said, I wonder why they have better economies? Or did.

Posted by: culturevulture on January 30 2008 1:50 PM

Pro D days were added to the school calendar at the request of teachers. This means that school let out earlier in June in the "good old days."

In view of changing curricula, technologies, and demographics, 5 Pro D days is minimal.

School is not day care. If you view it as such, you need to re-examine your role as a parent.

Pro- D days include the 60s. I was in High School then, and we had Pro D days in our district (Victoria).

Posted by: astro on January 30 2008 2:39 PM

Before the 2 week break, SD 57 had a 1 week break. It was increased to 2 weeks by extending the school day a few minutes so the students still spent the same amount of time in class. I guess this means the school day will remain the same length, and the other 5 days will be turned over to Pro D. Wrt Harbinger's comments about Japan and Germany, one of the reasons why BC's economy soured in the 90's was because Japan's economy went south. Germany has a strong economy because it has a more socialized gov't.

Posted by: Death to Socialism on January 30 2008 3:18 PM

OMG WTF???

Posted by: PGDriver on January 30 2008 4:28 PM

Did anyone else ever notice how hard it is to get a tee time on a pro D day.

Posted by: Smooth on January 30 2008 5:07 PM

My school has had 3 of our pro-d days this year.I can assure you we were not on the golf course.

One was to go over our School Improvement Plans. Make changes and see if we are meeting our goals.

One was to go over different assessment techniques including "of, for, and as." Basically getting away from assessment primarily on tests that is then not used to improve student learning.

The third was used to meet in our departments and create common assessment methods so that we can assess our students and compare areas where one teacher is outperforming another. We then look at those results and discuss what each of us is doing in the areas where we have had more success than the other teachers.

I have no idea where all of this hate is coming from.

Posted by: duffer on January 30 2008 5:11 PM

July and August should all be Pro-D days.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 30 2008 5:52 PM

Hate? Nah! Just earnest discussion and observations by those who bother. That's all. Lighten up, please. The paranoids aren't out to get you.

Posted by: newtotown on January 30 2008 8:17 PM

Wouldn't it be great if July and August were all Pro-D days. Imagine, all our teachers out there, improving their profession and creating the most wonderful lessons to entertain and enlighten their students without the bother of the students. I am sure any teacher would rather do this than find another job to pay the bills through the summer.
As for the golf comment... on any given Friday it's hard to get a tee-time. I think it would be a great idea if the PE teachers to sporting lessons in areas they knew little about, such as golf, as professional development. This instuction could be passed on to the students and enrich their education. Or at least make it more interesting for them. And I know what you folks from the 60s will say... 'back in my day all we did in PE is run, it sucked.' Wouldn't you have liked to do some different activities if your teacher knew how to teach them?

Posted by: gitterdun on January 30 2008 8:45 PM

This year spring break has Easter in the middle so there are really only 8 days off. It was great having 2 weeks so that if you wanted to go anywhere you weren't trying to leave Friday after work in a panic so that you could get in a decent trip. When it was 1 week it seemed like the entire city was either on the highway or at the airport on Friday afternoon. Guess what happens to the flight prices when the entire province is trying to get to Disney on the same week! Two weeks worked better for us at work too, one person took one week and the other gets the second week off. PG has long winters and with the icy road conditions and distance away from everything there are not alot of options for weekends away. I think everyone needs a decent break....... teachers included. See.....sounds like Smooth needs one now!!

Posted by: Smooth on January 30 2008 8:57 PM

Sorry if I made the discussion too serious. I was feeling attacked as a teacher and tried to defend the profession. Many people really aren't aware that we do work on Pro D-days and the students do benefit. I thought people were being serious.

As for the summer Pro-D, some of us do. I spent time at a conference in the summer. How many other careers go to unpaid conferences on their holidays?

Posted by: Chester on January 30 2008 10:47 PM

It amazes me how the teaching profession somehow feels they need special days for professional development. Personally, I work an average of 50 hours per week. I am expected to maintain at least 30 hours of continuing education per year over and above running my business. I know of many other employees and business owners who dream about two weeks of holidays in a row.

What is it that is so special about the teaching profession that requires so much time off? Compared to everyone else of course? Chester

Posted by: acrider54 on January 31 2008 6:06 AM

Years ago there was no need for daycare as the breadwinner made enough to get the family through with a stay at home mom. Not today, both parente have to work to pay for ever rising taxes, gas prices, inflation, cost of living and the 2010 olympics.

Posted by: newtotown on January 31 2008 8:06 PM

Chester.... I hope that your job too includes managing groups of horomones, I mean teens. Your business probably has one on one relationships and when you have more customers than staff, you are "busy." Imagine having 26 more customers than staff and trying to serve each one of them individually so they will come back to you. That is why teachers need professional development. Just when you think you have it figured out, everything changes... the government changes the content of your course, the parents want to know why you decided to show an educational video, etc, etc.