 | |||
| |||
|
In Brief | Changes Approved to School Calendar for Make-Up Days | ||
|
Board Approves Future School Year Calendars for 2007-08 & 2008-09 Please see the article at the right for information about this year's calendar and make-up days. The School Board approved the school year calendars for 2007-09 at the Jan. 25 meeting. After collecting feedback this fall through surveys of district families and staff, a district committee recommended changes to future school year calendars for 2007-08 and 2008-09. Classes will begin after Labor Day on Tuesday, Sept. 4 and end classes on Friday, June 13, 2008. Ending the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years earlier is made possible by moving opening staff meetings to the week before Labor Day and shorten mid-winter February break to a long weekend with schools closed on the Friday before President's Day and the Monday federal holiday. December break is two weeks and spring break remains at one week. Some parts of this calendar may be subject to change based on state funding for staff Learning Improvement Days, teachers' association and district negotiations, and joint work between the district and association on teacher planning time, additional workdays, and parent/teacher conferencing schedules. Click here to view the calendars for 2007-09.
A Use of Time Task Force, consisting of parents and staff, is currently meeting to review existing time for instruction, planning and professional development; explore structures in place in other districts; and propose policy and procedures in support of before and after school time, planning time and collaboration time (early release, late arrival days). Updates are posted here and information will continue to be shared.
|
Due to the unusual winter so far this year and the need to make up six missed school days under current Washington state law, the Bellingham Education Association (BEA) voted to amend the teachers' contract and this year's school calendar. The School Board approved this plan at the Jan. 25 meeting. The snow days of Nov. 27, 28, 29, and 30, and Jan. 11 and 12, will be made up by:
"These changes required collaboration and flexibility, and resulted in the teachers' association and many others acting in the best interest of our 11,000 students," said Superintendent Dale E. Kinsley. "We heard from many families and shared their concerns over missed instructional time. We know that this change will not be convenient for everyone, but it meets our priority of maximizing focused instruction and student learning. " Please click here to view and print the revised calendar for the remainder of this school year, which also includes changing three early release/late arrival days on Feb. 8, March 8 and April 5 to regular school days. Graduation dates remain unchanged. The semester break, elementary and middle school Learning Improvement Day and high school teacher workday has been changed to Wednesday, Feb. 7. There will be no school for students on Feb. 7 (now regular school days on Jan. 31 and Feb. 5.). Please mark these changes on your calendars. We encourage families to have children in school during make-up days to assist children in making academic progress and gaining important instructional time. Students who cannot attend due to family plans or obligations will be excused. Students are encouraged to get work ahead and work closely with their teachers regarding missed instruction. Our schools will work closely with families. Both the district and association explored many options for make-up days. The option above meets the district's priority to help to maximize focused instruction and student learning, as well as meet legal requirements under current Washington state law. School districts are required by law to provide 180 school days each year (RCW 28A.150.220 and WAC 180-16-215) to make up missed days and be in school a certain number of days and at least a minimum number of hours (RCW 28A.150.220 and WAC 180 -16-200). The Board revised the early release/late arrival schedule for the rest of this school year in order to recapture as much learning time for children as possible and to minimize disruption in the remaining months of this school year. Although these days provide important learning time for staff to improve instruction for children, canceling some of the remaining early release/late arrival days helps to offset a lack of continuity for instruction. This change does not impact make-up days because early release/late arrival days are already included in the 180-day school year.Technology Update The United States Department of Education's Educational Technology Director Tim Magner visited Alderwood Elementary, Whatcom Middle School, Northern Heights Elementary and Squalicum High School on Monday. He was invited to the district to share the national educational technology vision with the district's Technology Plan Task Force, which met later the same day. During his visit, Magner spoke with teachers, librarians, principals and students about their learning and teaching, and how technology fit into the classroom. This was a unique opportunity for Magner to learn what is really happening in classrooms and for staff to discover what is on the horizon on a national level.
"The focus is on teaching and learning goals first, and then on technology tools to accomplish those goals," Magner said while meeting with school library media specialists. The librarians gathered at Northern Heights to share ideas for school technology plans. The Technology Plan Task Force gained insights on "School 2.0" and how that vision will change the way we look at technology in the schools and community. The vision involves connecting the community, schools and businesses in an "integrated technology structure" as described by the School 2.0 Web site. See http://www.school2-0.org/ for more information. The Technology Task Force is in the process of building a vision for the district's new technology plan, which will be drafted in the next two months. For an update on the task force's work, visit http://www.bham.wednet.edu/staff/TechnologyPlanCommittee.htm School Information and Communications 1306 Dupont St. Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 676-6520 Feedback?
| ||
printer friendly