Students make their way to school on a blustery morning at Sun Peaks.
Image Credit: SOURCE/Balanced Education
March 24, 2014 - 1:16 PM
KAMLOOPS — It's the first day back after spring break in the school district and trustees will be deciding whether Sun Peaks Elementary will get two weeks of holidays next year while keeping the four-day-a-week school calendar.
Last year several parents came forward asking about the possibility of a two week spring break in the district, something two-thirds of the province already has. Staff decided to put it out to the public and in February the board agreed to the longer break, for all schools except Sun Peaks Elementary.
Because the resort school was already running under a different calendar more input from the parents and staff at the school was sought and it became clear early on most wanted to maintain the four-day week. The parent council even went as far as to offer two calendar options, one with a one week break and the other with a two week break, but both retaining the four-day week.
Preference was given to keeping with only one week of spring break by parents. In a survey 84 per cent said they would prefer to keep it status quo, but today School District 73 trustees are being asked to approve the school calendar with two weeks of spring break and four days a week of instruction.
Assistant Superintendent Karl deBruijn notes the calendar meets all the necessary requirements, and even exceeds the minimum hours of instruction for both Kindergarten (minimum of 853 hours) and grades 1-7 (minimum of 878 hours) with a proposed 888 hours.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723, or Marshall Jones at mjones@infotelnews.ca or 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014