Ensuring your school calendar meets the needs of everyone can sometimes feel impossible. Families have kids at different schools, staff have different childcare needs, and people celebrate and observe various holidays. With so many different people having different interests, it can seem that every decision is a domino to another one. Creating a calendar that addresses most objectives (not even all!) can make solving a rubix cube look easy.
Cate Reed, seasoned administrator, current Senior Vice President of Teach For America, and Possip Reporter, offers a step-by-step guide to creating and managing the school calendar.
However, there are ways to make it easier and to help families understand both the complexity and the things you need to consider. A great calendar can be a key enabler of a great school.
Step 1: Start With Your School Calendar Goals
Consider the educational goals and objectives of the school. For example, if your school puts a large emphasis on your yearly testing, ensure you provide enough classroom time prior to that so kids are fully prepared.
Step 2: Use Regulations as the Boundaries of Your “Sandbox”
Some things are out of your control like the number or days or hours that your state requires. You have to consider the number of inclement weather days you have to build in. Even the local teachers’ contract might dictate any number of factors. Use those parameters as your starting place, so that you don’t end up having to adjust on the back end.
Step 3: Consider Every Angle You Can
Balanced Terms and Breaks: Strive for a balanced distribution of instructional days and breaks. Consider the optimal length of terms and the importance of providing students with adequate time for learning and rest. When possible, ensure those breaks align with other schools or nearby districts where your students may have siblings attending.
Professional Development Days: Allocate specific days for teacher professional development. These days are essential for educators to enhance their skills and stay updated on educational trends.
Consider Seasonal Factors: Take into account seasonal factors, weather conditions, and cultural events when scheduling breaks. Ensure that the calendar aligns with the local climate and community traditions. A school in Massachusetts probably doesn’t need to consider Mardi Gras like they do in Louisiana, but they do need to remember the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day! Ensure you know what community events are important to your school and consider them as you schedule things.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Schedule regular parent-teacher conferences throughout the year to provide opportunities for open communication about students’ progress.
Community Calendar: Coordinate with the local community calendar to avoid conflicts with major community events. This helps in planning and attendance for both school and community activities. Use events in your community to round out your own calendar. If the local library has a Lunar New Year celebration, consider tagging on or listing it on your calendar as a way to get families involved. Not everything on your calendar has to be school sponsored.
Flexibility: Build flexibility into the calendar to accommodate unexpected events or changes. This can include makeup days for inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Collaboration and Team Building: Plan activities that promote collaboration and team building among students and faculty. This can include workshops, retreats, and other events that foster a positive school culture.
Extracurricular Activities: Coordinate the school calendar with extracurricular activities, sports events, and other school-related functions. This ensures that students can participate in a variety of experiences.
Step 4: Involve Stakeholders:
Gather input from teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders. Consider their preferences, feedback, and any special events or considerations that may impact the school calendar. Maybe have a POSSIP survey or question to learn about what families value most in the school calendar. When one school in Nashville did this, they heard this a few weeks later: “I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! for taking into consideration my comments in this survey a few weeks ago, regarding the fall break for a full week. Thanks again, it is highly appreciated!” You will not be able to take every recommendation, but it will help you learn more about what is most critical to your families.
Step 5: Communicate Early and to All:
Develop a communication plan to share the school calendar with parents, students, and staff. Clearly communicate important dates, events, and any changes to the schedule. Make the school calendar easily accessible digitally. Utilize online platforms or apps to ensure that the calendar is readily available to all stakeholders.
Step 6: Get Feedback and Adjust:
Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the school calendar. Collect feedback from stakeholders and be willing to make adjustments based on lessons learned from previous years.
By carefully considering these factors and involving key stakeholders, you can design a school calendar that supports educational objectives, fosters a positive school culture, and meets the needs of students, teachers, and parents.
