In a unanimous decision, Rocky View Schools (RVS) board of trustees approved the 2014 to 2015 school year calendar on March 6, after reviewing an RVS survey about the calendar completed by 1,408 respondents including students, staff and parents.
“This calendar just fits really nicely into all the breaks following the guidelines of the results of the survey,” Trustee Sylvia Eggerer said.
The new calendar provides students with 182 instructional days and 200 operational days for the schools. Students will enjoy 32 days off for teacher professional learning, holidays, organizational days, and teachers’ convention between the start of school on Sept. 2, 2014 and the last day of classes on June 26, 2015.
The 2013 to 2014 calendar provided 183 instructional days and 199 operational days.
Like the 2013 to 2014 calendar, teachers will receive 10 professional learning days in the 2014 to 2015 year.
Perhaps the biggest difference from the 2013 to 2014 calendar is the two, three-day weeks students will enjoy from Oct. 15, 2014 to Oct. 17, 2014 and Nov. 12, 2014 to Nov. 14, 2014.
Eggerer noted the two short weeks and said she had some reservations about them because the guidelines established from the survey indicated respondents would rather avoid them.
However, Associate Superintendent of Schools Murray Besenski said the calendar gives students a full month of instructional days in September when they come back to school full of energy to learn, and allows families more opportunity to travel over Thanksgiving.
The calendar survey was completed by 947 parents, 415 staff, 26 students and 20 school council members. It indicated an overwhelming response (95 per cent) that classes should begin after Labour Day and support Christmas break lasting two full weeks and including three weekends (92 per cent).
Eighty-three per cent of respondents supported the traditional Easter break of Good Friday plus the following week, where only 66 per cent responded they supported a Spring Break as a set week of no school in March.
In the new calendar, Christmas break will run from Dec. 22, 2014 through to and including Jan. 2, 2015.
Easter break will begin April 3, 2015, with students returning to classes on April 13, 2015.
Students will also enjoy a lengthy break in February beginning Feb. 16, 2015, with students returning to school on Feb. 24, 2015.
To view the full 2014 to 2015 calendar, visit www.rockyview.ab.ca/jurisdiction/assets_jurisdiction/schoolcalendars/2014-2015schoolcalendar-colour
