Board Policy

Policy 810 — School Year

Grasslands Public Schools

GUIDELINES

The superintendent will draft a division calendar and a calendar for colony schools, to be presented to the Board at their January meeting, and subsequently circulated for comment to school staffs and school councils.

1. In developing a school year, the following parameters will be considered:
   1. A commencement date for classes to begin for students.
   2. A two-week winter break which will normally include 3 weekends and two full weeks.
   3. A spring break that may include the statutory holiday in March or April, or be strategical placed in March or April when deemed to best suit the needs of students and staff.
   4. Operational days shall not exceed 200 and the school year shall not extend beyond June 30th.
   5. Teachers shall receive a maximum of two days in-lieu where schools conduct parent-teacher interviews during evening sessions and two days in-lieu where 12 hours of professional learning (PLC/CRM) occur before or after school hours. Lieu dates shall be the same throughout the division and indicated on the approved calendar.
   6. Non-instructional days will ensure comprehensive professional learning opportunities for staff, staff planning/preparation, and teacher's convention.
2. Grades 1 - 9 shall receive a minimum of 960 hours of instruction
   1. ELA shall receive minimum instructional time as follows:

- Grades 1 and 2, 630 minutes per week, - Grades 3 to 6, 510 minutes per week, and - Grades 7 to 9, 350 minutes per week.

2. Mathematics shall receive minimum instructional time as follows:

- Grades 1 to 6, 320 minutes per week, and - Grades 7 to 9, 280 minutes per week.

Colony Schools shall receive a minimum of 950 hours of instruction.

1. The above minimums for ELA and Mathematics will be pro-rated for colony schools based on relative number of student days and hours of instruction.

Grades 10 - 12 shall receive a minimum of 1000 hours of instruction.

3. Recess for Grades 1 to Grade 6

   Principals are responsible to schedule a minimum of fifty minutes of recess time per day in the timetable. This does not include time to eat.

   The fifty minute minimum will breakdown as follows:

1. Principals have the flexibility to allocate fifty minutes of play/activity time over three breaks – morning, lunch, and afternoon recess.

4. The Board will approve a division school year calendar by March 31 each year.
5. The Early Learning Coordinator will prepare draft pre-kindergarten and kindergarten calendars for superintendent approval by May 1st.
6. Application for Calendar Modification

Schools may develop, and submit for Board approval, modifications to the Division calendar each year.

6.1 Individual school sites, when developing modifications to the Division calendar, shall keep within the following guidelines:

Proposals shall be accompanied by a rationale which sets out the perceived educational benefit to students of the proposed changes.

Proposals must have the formal support of the School Council.

Proposals which decrease the number of instructional days must include a plan which indicates how those days are being used for students. (See Modified School Year Form)

Consultation by schools in common attendance areas shall occur.

Proposals shall not negatively impact other schools in terms of their organization or transportation arrangements. Wherever possible, proposed modifications shall be accepted by all schools in that transportation area.

The School Council shall ensure extensive community input is received by providing written documentation for parents, public meetings and a survey of all parents affected.

Proposals must receive support of at least 65% of families having children enrolled in the school the following year (one vote per family), before being initially brought to the Board.

6.2 The Board of Trustees is responsible for approving modified school calendars. Initial approval will be on a three-year pilot basis. Continuing approval will be contingent upon a school-administered survey in April of the third year, with a required 65% level of support of all families having children enrolled in the school the following year (one vote per family).

Once a modified school calendar has been either (a) approved by the Board on an on-going basis, or (b) rejected by the school community through an inability to reach the required level of acceptance in (h) above, no further requests to the Board regarding modifications to the school year in place shall be entertained for a period of three (3) years.

6.3 Schools shall consult with the superintendent prior to circulating proposed modifications of the Division calendar to their respective general school population.

The superintendent may decide that a school's proposal for a modified school calendar shall not be forwarded for further consideration where such proposal is not supported by sound rationale and/or supportive research. The superintendent's decision is final.

6.4 Proposals for a modified school calendar shall be submitted to the superintendent by March 15.

The superintendent shall inform schools if their proposals are being forwarded to the Board for formal approval by March 31.

6.5 The Board will rule on all proposals for modification to the Division calendar by April 30.

6.6 Schools shall communicate the results of their respective school year proposals to their general population by May 31.

GRASSLANDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Modified School Year Form

School: ______________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

In the following space please indicate how you plan to modify the school year. Include the educational rationale for the proposed change. If your plan affects the number of instructional days, indicate how that time will be spent on the affected students.

Indicate steps taken to ensure community involvement.

Date of Vote: ______________________________________________

Results of Vote: ______ % in favor

School Council Chair Principal