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The School Year Calendar

  • Code: GCA.AR
    Topic: The School Year Calendar
    Issue Date: 14/05/2018
    Effective Date: 11/04/2018
    Review Year: 2023

Definitions

Operational Day - any day in which staff have duties assigned by the Board. 

Instructional Operational Day - A day during the school year when students receive instruction or take examinations. 

Non-Instructional Operational Day - A day when teachers have duties assigned by the Board but the District schools are not open for instruction. 

Non-Operational Day - A day when staff have no duties assigned by the Board.

Regulation

  1. NON-OPERATIONAL DAYS
    The following are Non-Operational Days:
    1. Saturdays and Sundays;

    2. A fixed Summer Recess starting the day after the last operational day in June and ending the day prior to the first operational day of the school year.

    3. The days listed below:
      Labour Day
      Thanksgiving Day
      Remembrance Day
      Family Day
      Good Friday
      Easter Monday
      Victoria Day

    4. A fixed Winter Recess, mandated by the School Act to include two weeks inclusive of December 24 and January 2;

    5. A fixed Spring Recess that begins on the last Monday of March and consists of five consecutive days inclusive of Good Friday or Easter Monday should either of these days occur during the five day interval; ± See Addendum 5

    6. One day (Two days)*per school year, (approved by the Superintendent of Schools)*, that may be taken by each school as time in recognition of parent-teacher interviews, provided that the minimum hours of instruction mandated by Alberta Education is met. (; and)*  In years where there are two non-instructional operational days at the end of the school year, one of these days may be designated as the day-in-lieu.*   See Addendum 1

    7. Subject to Section 56 of the School Act, any day that the Board, in its discretion declares to be a school holiday.
  2. NON-INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONAL DAYS
    The following are Non-Instructional Operational Days:
    1. Two days (One day)* prior to the first day of instruction. *   See Addendum 2

    2. Two days (One day)* at the end of the school year. The Superintendent of Schools may approve a reduction in the number of non-instructional operational days at the end of the school year.*   See Addendum 3

    3. Three (Five)* days per school year granted to each school for professional development activities approved by the Superintendent of Schools. *   See Addendum 4

    4. Two days on which a Teachers Convention, legislated in the School Act, is held.

    5. One semester change-over day for senior high schools that operate a semester schedule for the majority of students, provided the required hours of instruction can be met for all students.
  3. INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONAL DAYS AND THE SCHOOL CALENDAR
    The school year calendar must be developed to accommodate provincial requirements related to the access to instruction at kindergarten, elementary, junior high and senior high school levels:
    1. The provincially mandated hours of instruction for students are:
      Kindergarten (half-day):               475 hours per year
      Grades 1 through 9:                      950 hours per year
      Grades 10 through 12:                  1000 hours per year

    2. Schools offering instruction at Grades 10 through 12 have the additional requirement of providing 125 hours of instruction for each 5 credit course, 62.5 hours for each 3 credit course and 25 hours for each one credit course.

    3. Although examination days are classified as instructional days, the identification of instructional days in senior high schools must be sensitive to the placement of Alberta Education diploma examinations so that hours of instruction requirements can be met in year-long, semester and quarter scheduling options.
  4. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
    1. Schools that follow modified calendars must have approval of the Superintendent of Schools on an annual basis and must meet the minimum instructional hours mandated by Alberta Education.

    2. The Superintendent of Schools has the authority to modify the school calendar to meet the needs of individual schools.

NOTE:  The 2012-2016 Teachers’ Collective Agreement contains a Letter of Understanding (LOU) – Pilot Project on Revised School Calendar that provides for piloting a revised district calendar for 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.  The LOU has some requirements that take precedence over existing board policy and administrative regulations for the duration of the pilot project.  Italicized text noted by an asterisk * and corresponding numbered addendum is suspended or, if also in parenthesis, amended for the duration of the pilot.

*Addendum 1:     Effective August 31, 2014 to August 31, 2016, section A.6. is amended to read:  “Two days per school year, approved by the Superintendent of Schools, that may be taken by each school as time in recognition of parent-teacher interviews, provided that the minimum hours of instruction mandated by Alberta Education is met; and” 

The LOU provides for centrally established dates for:

  • two days (instead of one) as non-operational days in recognition of parent-teacher interviews (day-in-lieu); and
  • only one (instead of two) non-instructional operational day at the beginning and end of the school year which therefore, may not be used as a day-in-lieu.

*Addendum 2:     Effective August 31, 2014 to August 31, 2016, section B.1. is amended to read:  “One day prior to the first day of instruction.” 

The LOU provides for one non-instructional operational day at the beginning and at the end of the school year.

*Addendum 3:      Effective August 31, 2014 to August 31, 2016, section B.2. is amended to read:  “One day at the end of the school year.” 

The LOU provides for one (instead of two) non-instructional operational day at the beginning and at the end of the school year.  Therefore there would be no need for the Superintendent of Schools to approve a reduction in the number of non-instructional days at the end of the school year.

*Addendum 4:     Effective August 31, 2014 to August 31, 2016, section B.3. is amended to read:  “Five days per school year granted for professional development activities approved by the Superintendent of Schools.”

The LOU provides for five days for professional development activities. 

± Addendum 5:   For the 2019-20 school year, this clause is suspended to allow the Spring Recess to begin the third Monday of March.

References

FCBD.AR Time in Recognition of Duties Related to Reporting Student Achievement
FLC.AR School Professional Development Days
GCA.BP Approval of the School Year Calendar
GCAA.AR Dismissal Times Before Vacation Periods
GCAB.AR Remembrance Day
GD.BP Instructional Time
GE.BP Organization for Instruction
GEA.AR Semester Changeover - Senior High Schools
Alberta Education - Guide to Education
Education Act

(please see Sections 39(1) and 56 of the School Act)