Rejuvenated Charles City school calendar focuses on parental involvement

With an emphasis on parental involvement in their child’s education, Charles City School Board members approved school calendars for FY2015-16 and FY2016-17 during their May 19 regular meeting.

Representatives of a committee designated to create the school calendar presented proposals for the next two educational years. Superintendent of schools David Gaston spoke about the focus areas for the upcoming school years.

“This staff worked hard to come up with a calendar that would improve parental involvement,” Gaston said. “We also wanted to have this calendar give us an opportunity to bring in family members for several occasions as well as accommodate those who plan around our calendar.”

Among those items that focused on parental involvement are parent-teacher conference days after interim reports, separate days for elementary and high school parent-teacher conferences, and staggered times for those parent-teacher days.

Charles City schools will also return to a 180-day school year. Schools have been operating on a 168-day calendar for the last four years, with school ending in May. Schools will now end in mid-June. Also proposed in the FY2016-17 school year is the return of summer school, which would begin in July and end in August.

Another big change is the commencement date for graduating seniors. Starting next school year, it will be held on a Saturday, with the possibility of taking place outdoors.

“We wanted the day to be one where a graduate could spend the day with their family,” the superintendent commented. “This also allows family members to be able to attend the ceremony without having to leave work early, as well as allow those who are coming from out of town to participate in the festivities.

“We also didn’t want it to fall on the same day as New Kent’s graduation,” Gaston continued. “As our committee researched the issue, we realized that both counties are really tight knit communities and family members often attend both.”

Items remaining intact include a two-week winter vacation, a one-week spring break vacation, and other holiday breaks.

School board members praised the work of the calendar committee, passing the proposal unanimously.