Board To Set School Calendar For 2001-02

Parents and teachers lobbied the Newtown School Board last year to put a February vacation back into the school calendar, which they did. The board is getting ready to vote on next year’s calendar at their April 10 business meeting, and this year there aren’t any significant changes.

The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, August 28, if the board approves the recommendation. Teachers would report on Wednesday, August 22.

The schedule still includes a February vacation. The vacation would fall during the third week of the month, February 18 through February 22.

Although Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed is not in favor of a February vacation, he is recommending to the school board that they leave it in for another year to see how weather affects the school calendar next year. Because of a snowy winter, five snow days were called with numerous delays keeping students in school this year until June 22. Seniors will graduate on June 19.

In September students will have three days off. The calendar included Monday, September 3, for Labor Day, Tuesday, September 18, for Rosh Hashanah, and Thursday, September 27, for Yom Kippur.

Students would also have days off on Monday, October 8, for Columbus Day, and Tuesday, November 6, for Election Day, and Monday, November 12, for Veteran’s Day.

School officials are recommending that there be a teacher workday on Columbus Day instead of Veterans’ Day, which would be a change from this year’s schedule.

Students and teachers would have two days off for Thanksgiving (November 22 and 23), with early dismal on Wednesday, November 21.

The holiday recess would run Monday, December 24, until Tuesday, January 1, 2002. Students would head back to school on Wednesday, January 2. Students will also have Monday, January 14, off for Martin Luther King Day.

Students would have Good Friday off in March. It falls on Friday, March 29.

April vacation will run Monday, April 15, through Friday, April 19. In May, students will have Monday, May 27, off for Memorial Day.

The projected last day of school for the proposed 2001-2002 calendar is June 18 if there are not any closings because of inclement weather.

The Board of Education will address the school calendar at their Business Meeting on Tuesday, April 10.