We as students, parents and staff of the Santa Ana Unified School District feel it is important to keep the Winter Holiday Vacation three weeks long. We believe that giving families extra time to spend with loved ones, participate in important religious holidays and take time to recharge and rejuvenate is vital to the overall success of our students. These are just a few of the advantages of a longer break. In addition to addressing families' needs, it makes financial sense for our district to consider attendance data that shows many families are out of town the first week of the new year.
We ask that you reconsider and keep SAUSD's winter break three weeks long.
Advantages of An Extended Winter Holiday
There are some advantages to a vacation that lasts three weeks or longer.
· Families who live a long distance from relatives are able to travel.· Enrichment programs during the holiday vacation can give students an opportunity to participate in activities that would be difficult to do during a regular school term.
· Religion plays an important role. With an extended break, students can have ample time to partake in the rituals and traditions of the holidays.
·For many Latins, Dia De Los Reyes (Epiphany) is not until January 6th. Returning before then would interfere with families’ ability to celebrate an important day.
· ADA funding is decreased when families take the time off regardless of the calendar.
· It takes a person’s mind a long period of time to wind down. When the vacation starts, it takes a few days for the child to transition to a freer schedule and routine.
·The child (and the parents) may spend most of the vacation either transitioning out of the school routine or transitioning back into it.
· Limited opportunity to explore other life experiences like travel, community service projects, and other investments. The whole vacation gets taken up with festivities, and family obligations.
· Maintenance can have time to tackle large repair and renovation projects.
· Opportunity to spend several days on staff development.
Updates
March 27, 2014
The district has not responded to our requests yet but they know we are watching. Email your school board representative today to tell them why three weeks of winter break matters for our community.
March 27, 2014
The momentum behind this petition is proving that our district cannot ignore our families. Post this link on Facebook right now to keep the pressure on our board members.
18 Comments
Students and staff support a 3 week break already. Their opinion should be considered.
please keep winter break at 3 weeks. this has been proven to be the best option based on attendance history.
(1) Three weeks for winter break is win for our students' families as they can take their extended trips to visit loved ones without missing school (this was an issue when the break was two weeks long). (2) The District wins because it retains ADA that would otherwise be lost. (3) Ending the fall semester in December, before winter break, and starting the spring semester in January would benefit instruction whether winter break is three weeks or two weeks long.
Attendance records reveal that a great deal of students from our community are absent from school in those first few days after winter break ends. Many of our children travel lengths to visit family over the holidays. As a result, our district is losing money by reconvening school after only two weeks of vacation. Furthermore, a three-week vacation allows all members of the SAUSD community to thoroughly rejuvenate for the second half of the school year.
If you really want so stop brain drain start school earlier in August and have the semester end before winter break.
I feel the change in schedule is not good.
Keep Winter Break 3 weeks long!!!
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We as students, parents and staff of the Santa Ana Unified School District feel it is important to keep the Winter Holiday Vacation three weeks long. We believe that giving families extra time to spend with loved ones, participate in important religious holidays and take time to recharge and rejuvenate is vital to the overall success of our students. These are just a few of the advantages of a longer break. In addition to addressing families' needs, it makes financial sense for our district to consider attendance data that shows many families are out of town the first week of the new year.
We ask that you reconsider and keep SAUSD's winter break three weeks long.
Advantages of An Extended Winter Holiday
There are some advantages to a vacation that lasts three weeks or longer.
· Families who live a long distance from relatives are able to travel.· Enrichment programs during the holiday vacation can give students an opportunity to participate in activities that would be difficult to do during a regular school term.
· Religion plays an important role. With an extended break, students can have ample time to partake in the rituals and traditions of the holidays.
·For many Latins, Dia De Los Reyes (Epiphany) is not until January 6th. Returning before then would interfere with families’ ability to celebrate an important day.
· ADA funding is decreased when families take the time off regardless of the calendar.
· It takes a person’s mind a long period of time to wind down. When the vacation starts, it takes a few days for the child to transition to a freer schedule and routine.
·The child (and the parents) may spend most of the vacation either transitioning out of the school routine or transitioning back into it.
· Limited opportunity to explore other life experiences like travel, community service projects, and other investments. The whole vacation gets taken up with festivities, and family obligations.
· Maintenance can have time to tackle large repair and renovation projects.
· Opportunity to spend several days on staff development.
Updates
March 27, 2014
The district has not responded to our requests yet but they know we are watching. Email your school board representative today to tell them why three weeks of winter break matters for our community.
March 27, 2014
The momentum behind this petition is proving that our district cannot ignore our families. Post this link on Facebook right now to keep the pressure on our board members.
18 Comments
An extra week of vacation affords the district/community the opportunity to offer enrichment programs to the students.
Students and staff support a 3 week break already. Their opinion should be considered.
please keep winter break at 3 weeks. this has been proven to be the best option based on attendance history.
(1) Three weeks for winter break is win for our students' families as they can take their extended trips to visit loved ones without missing school (this was an issue when the break was two weeks long). (2) The District wins because it retains ADA that would otherwise be lost. (3) Ending the fall semester in December, before winter break, and starting the spring semester in January would benefit instruction whether winter break is three weeks or two weeks long.
Attendance records reveal that a great deal of students from our community are absent from school in those first few days after winter break ends. Many of our children travel lengths to visit family over the holidays. As a result, our district is losing money by reconvening school after only two weeks of vacation. Furthermore, a three-week vacation allows all members of the SAUSD community to thoroughly rejuvenate for the second half of the school year.
If you really want so stop brain drain start school earlier in August and have the semester end before winter break.
I feel the change in schedule is not good.
Keep Winter Break 3 weeks long!!!
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An extra week of vacation affords the district/community the opportunity to offer enrichment programs to the students.