As you know, the Calgary Board of Education prepares the school calendars three years in advance to help staff and parents and their families plan ahead. The Minister of Education has requested that school boards begin the school year three days earlier to accommodate the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 competition, to be held in Calgary, September 1-6. After careful consideration of the benefits, Superintendents’ Team, with support from the CBE’s union leaders, have approved a change in the dates for the 2009-2010 school year.
This means that the first day for students on the Traditional Calendar will be Thursday, August 27th, 2009. There is no change to schools on the Modified Calendar.
It also means that the three Teacher-in days begin on Monday, August 24th, 2009.
To make up for these three days, Superintendents’ Team has approved three “payback days” over the course of the school year. They are:
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 (classes resume October 14);
Monday, January 4, 2010 (classes resume on January 5); and
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 (classes resume on April 7).
This will add one day to the Thanksgiving weekend in 2009, one day to the winter break, and one day to the spring break.
The change in the calendar will facilitate a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many CBE students to see the best of the best from around the world compete in trades and technology at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 and perhaps inspire many of our students to explore careers in these areas.
