2021-22 school calendar targets 4-day school week
A four-day school week is the focus for the 2021-22 Holyoke School District Re-1J calendar which was approved at the March 4 board meeting.
While most weeks during the school year target Friday as the no-school day, there are three weeks when there is no school on Monday (Sept. 6, Nov. 15 and April 18), so students will attend Friday those weeks.
Due to the Building Excellent Schools Today construction scheduled for this summer, school will begin a week later and end a week later to help accommodate construction timelines.
Students in grades 7-12 will start school Tuesday, Aug. 24, while grades K-6 will begin classes Wednesday, Aug. 25. The second semester will end with a half day on Thursday, May 26.
Coming from a hybrid four-day week in 2020-21, Superintendent Kyle Stumpf said they obtained feedback from students, staff and parents before finalizing what ended up being the No. 5 draft calendar.
He emphasized to the board that they will need to revisit the calendar the next couple of years, looking at feedback to determine if days need to be added back. Data points will be used to help with decisions for future calendars. Stumpf reiterated that the four-day school week is not set in stone for eternity.
The 2021-22 calendar cites 150 days for students and 164 for teachers, a decrease of four for students and one for staff from this year.
Some concern was addressed for staff meeting time. Holyoke Elementary School Principal Andrea Kammer reported from a recent leadership team meeting. She noted that staff members are excited about the four-day week and would consider going in early maybe once or twice a month for staff meeting time.
Eight minutes will be added to the JR/SR high day in next year’s calendar. First bell will ring at 7:55 a.m., with the tardy bell at 8 a.m., and school will end at 3:40 p.m. Currently, these bells ring at 8, 8:05 and 3:37.
At the elementary school next year, doors will open at 7:45 a.m., with bells at 8:05 and the tardy bell at 8:15 a.m.
Teacher inservice days when students will not have school include Aug. 18-20 and 23, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 15, Dec. 17, Jan. 3 and 14, Feb. 25, March 25, April 29 and May 20.
Thanksgiving break will be Nov. 24-26, Christmas break from the afternoon of Wednesday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 3, and spring break in 2022 from Friday, March 11-Friday, March 18.
Board member Chas Lengfelder said he would like to see a sign-up sheet for Fridays when students need transportation to school for ballgames and parents are unable to get them there. Holyoke JR/SR High Principal Angela Powell agreed that to provide some transportation options would be a really nice gesture to parents.
Other highlights from the school calendar discussion cited:
— Chartwells will continue grab and go meals for the weekends.
— Teachers can plan field trips on Fridays.
— Athletic director John Baumgartner can potentially target long-distance game trips on Fridays when building the sports schedules in order to reduce missed academic time.
— Virtual learning days are no different if they’re planned or if they’re conducted as a snow day alternative.
— Attraction of four-day week for filling teacher vacancies.
Personnel items approved
Retirement, new-hires, principal contracts, extra-duty assignments and resignations were all part of the personnel discussion and approval at last week’s board meeting.
Holyoke Alternative School director/teacher Cindi Beavers plans to retire at the end of the current school year but will remain on staff for two 110-day contracts in the 2021-22 school year.
Logan Hines was hired as the elementary counselor for 2021-22. For the past five years, he has served as a special education counselor at Fremont Elementary School.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, and completed his Master of Arts degree in school counseling from Fort Hays State Univerity in Hays, Kansas.
Kammer said that Hines will be able to work through the end of the school year and throughout the summer with Kathleen Kropp who is currently in the counselor position. Kammer emphasized this will help him to understand the practices that have been used and how he can move forward for a smooth transition.
Ana Trejo was hired as a one-on-one paraprofessional with the Holyoke JR/SR High life skills class starting March 8 through the end of the school year.
Principal contracts were approved for Kammer at Holyoke Elementary School and Powell at Holyoke JR/SR High for 2021-22.
Praise was given to Kammer, Powell and Stumpf for the cohesiveness of the administrative team as they work together as a district and not just as individual building reps.
Extra-duty assignments for the JH volleyball program were made, with Irene Ortega to serve as head coach at a stipend of $1,825, and Corey Koberstein as assistant at $1,241.
Resignations for two teachers were also accepted for the end of the current school year. They are for JR/SR high science teacher Kareen San Jose and elementary resource teacher Tina Rana.