Submitted by Mr. Ethan Sickels

I hope this article finds you still enjoying leftovers, and that you were able to spend some quality time with family and friends during Thanksgiving last week. I could say how amazed I am that we are already to this point in our school year, but they seem to get faster every year. Even harder to believe is that in approximately three weeks we will be on winter break!

This week I want to talk about the upcoming school calendar and some changes in requirements for the state. I know it seems early, but our first reading of the calendar begins in January! I am going to hold a forum to discuss what we currently have in mind for our calendar and take input from the community before our board meeting in December. If you would like to be a part of that, please mark your calendars for Thursday, December 13, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room. If you can’t be there, or don’t understand the brief synopsis I am going to try and give in this article, don’t hesitate to call me at school at 744-6298 or email ethan.sickels@rpbluejays.com. I will be happy to talk through it a little more.

The state has required both a day and hour requirement for school calendars . . . beginning next year only hours are important. The state requires 1,044 hours, and it does not benefit a school financially to go above and beyond that. In my opinion, instructionally, I do think it has a benefit to go past 1,044 hours. Another big change from the past was that when you said you were going to go 174 days, you had to . . . no matter how many snow days you had (for the most part), you were required to make those days up. Now, as long as you attend the required 1,044 hours, you wouldn’t have to make up those days missed.

This year Rock Port R-II is going 174 student days (162 full, 12 half) that add up to 1,095 hours. Currently for next year we are looking at a calendar of 168 student days (164 full and 4 half) that would be 1,080 hours. Although our days with students are less, we actually have more full days and will only be 15 hours shorter than in the past. Our teachers will continue to work 180 days, no matter how many student contact days there are. Also, by beginning with 1,080 hours, we have 36 hours of “make-up” hours just in case. Our regular school day is 6.5 hours, so we could conceivably miss 5.5 days of school next year due to weather, etc., and not have to make those up because we will still be above 1,044 hours. That is the huge advantage to this new state law . . . giving the school flexibility to make up hours how we see fit, as long as we meet the minimum. We will still list make-up days at the end of the year in case we do have one of those brutal winters, but hopefully we will not be making many snow days up from here on out.

This allows us to start school a few days later next year, and still wrap up before Memorial Day in May. It also allows for more teacher professional development opportunities before and during the year, and guarantees a few breaks for families throughout the year. I am thankful the state has decided to give more local decision making in determining the calendar, but it will certainly be interesting to see how school districts in our area determine how to re-work their calendars.

We have a rough draft of a calendar for next year, but are still working away at it. That is why I invite you to come in on December 13, and see a preview of the calendar and offer any feedback you have. These next few years you may see some changes calendar-wise as we try to figure out what is best for our school district.

I think I better end there, or this will get even more monotonous to read! Please be safe and enjoy this holiday season. As always, I leave you with three important words . . . GO BIG BLUE!