chalkboard week

The four-day school week isn’t a new idea – it’s been rolled out across the country for decades by desperate school boards, urticaria so there’s plenty to read about its impacts. See a comprehensive roundup of links below.

What to consider about schedule changes

excerpted from: https://bctf.ca/parents.aspx?id=3606

Transportation

Will your elementary school child have to go and come from school in the dark for the winter months?
Will additional time each day add to the stress and tiredness of your child?
How long in a day should a young child be expected to concentrate and learn?
How will you schedule children on different schedules at different schools?
If you work away from home how will your children’s schedule affect your schedule?

Child care needs

Will an extended winter and spring break mean you must pay more for child care?
If you rely on an older sibling to care for younger siblings and the older child is no longer available how will you accommodate the younger child’s needs?
Will your child be able to cope with a shortened lunch break and perhaps no recess and not become overtired?
Will your child require extra food for the longer day? In some schools on the four-day week programs, costs were saved due to no food being served on the fifth day. Can you afford the extra costs of now providing for the fifth day?
Will there be an increased risk of bullying and violence with an extended day and fewer supervisors?
Will the district ensure there is adequate lighting provided on sites where schools are open later?
Will students have to travel on dark streets?
If students leave later do they have to travel in periods of peak traffic due to rush hour?
Many students enjoy community and extra-curricular school activities. If the day is extended by an hour or more will they be too tired to take part in such events? Will inter-district and intra-mural sports programs be affected?

Family lifestyle needs

How will it affect your family if you are no longer able to have common meal times?
If all of your children are not on a common holiday schedule how will family outings and vacations be scheduled?
Will an extended day adversely affect the employment possibilities for your older children?
Will families new to the community be able to adjust to this new calendar without hardship?

Children with special learning needs

If there are fewer support staff available what will it mean to your child?
How will a longer day affect your child’s ability to learn?

Community

How will school facilities used by community groups be affected?
Will the changed use of facilities affect community groups and programs either because of the changed facility availability or because of the changed attendance patterns of students and staff?
If schools are closed on Fridays what will the effect be on the community and businesses in vandalism, loitering, policing?