Board of Trustees approves 2023-2024 Calendar
In preparation for the 2023-2024 school year, we asked you to provide insight into what would make an effective calendar that supported both student learning and well-being as well as enabled ongoing high-quality teaching and teacher wellness. This input, along with legislated requirements and our education expertise, shaped a revised school calendar. The Foothills School Division Board of Trustees approved this calendar on January 25, 2023, at their regular board meeting.
The resulting final calendar is a cumulation of decisions and compromises that best serve our students on their learning journey and our staff team on their teaching journey. We are happy to share this calendar with you along with the following highlights below.
Operational days at the start of the year
Ensures high-priority Foothills School Division team training and team-based learning are achieved before classes resume, reducing interruptions of instructional time. Five to seven additional professional learning days will take place throughout the ten-month school year.
Soft start to the school year
A soft start to the school year allows for each teacher to connect with their students, and for students to become accustomed to their new learning environment and the routines that lead to learner success. Staggered entries will be over two days across the division. Details will be provided closer to the start of the school year. All students will start school together on the Tuesday immediately after Labor Day.
Balanced breaks
We understand that resilience continues to be a challenge for our students and team members. To maintain the momentum of learning, while also offering time for valuable, restful breaks, the two weeks break at Easter has been divided into one week in November and one week at Easter. We have maintained the mid-year break at the end of December and a break in February to honour the important professional learning that takes place as our teachers attend the Alberta Teacher’s Association Annual Conference.
Full instructional days
In recent years, half-days before breaks result in low attendance and limited productivity in the classroom. As such, school days before much-anticipated holidays will become full instructional days. This includes the school day before winter/Christmas break, as well as before the spring/Easter break.
Through this revised 2023-2024 school year calendar, we will succeed in engaging and supporting our students in a safe and welcoming learning environment. Together, we will grow in our culture where education is at the center of a flourishing community.
The detailed calendar can be viewed below. Division-wide 2023-2024 events will be added to school website calendars in the upcoming weeks.
