Elizabeth Spencer | Lehi Free Press
“Working with parents and students on the calendar is exciting because it gives us an opportunity to learn what matters. We have an obligation to provide the best education experiences to our students, and that begins with building a schedule that works for everyone,” shared Rich Stowell, Director of Communications for Alpine School District (ASD). “Our students and families thrive when they have a schedule that meets their needs and circumstances. Our process for developing a school year calendar reflects the insights of parents and community members.”
ASD is giving the community a chance to voice their opinions regarding future school calendars using a survey online. The process is brief and straightforward. The survey begins by asking generic questions to understand best the demographic of the person answering. Parents, students, teachers, administrators and district employees are invited to vote. The survey inquires about which school level you are working with or your children attend: elementary, junior high or high school. With the upcoming split into three districts, the next portion of the survey asks which future district you will live or work in: central, south or west.
After answering the questions regarding demographics, the participant moves on to two other sections using a sliding scale which will total 100 points per category. Options for the school calendar include when to start and end the school year, desired length for winter break, and preferred teacher work day schedules for throughout the year. These options include having the first Monday off the day after the beginning of Daylight Savings, along with days off around Parent Teacher Conferences.
Britney Schrader has four students in ASD schools. She writes, “I think it’s important for parents to have a say on the school schedule so that vacations and family trips can be planned. I know I like having extra days before Christmas during winter break so that I can do fun Christmas activities with my family, and that was one of the questions on the survey. The survey doesn’t take long and is fairly easy to do. I appreciate that the district gives us the option to express our preferences.”
Kirsten Dolinar has two sons attending high school and junior high in the district. “It’s nice that they ask because it can make a big difference to some families,” shared Dolinar.
“Looking forward to the transition from Alpine School District to three new school districts, we have an opportunity to give our communities some predictability. We’ll make well thought-out recommendations for those new districts so they don’t have to do as much work on the calendar when they are starting to organize their district, which will give new districts an opportunity to align their calendars. Together with parents, students and employees, we can meet almost any challenge, big or small. When we get together with smart and committed people, we develop the best solutions for our students,” Stowell wrote.
ASD will close the survey at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The survey is available here.
