Policy Manual

B-170-BR: School Year

References:

• B-170
• Education Act: Section 60, 205 
• Alberta Education Guide to Education
  
  

1. Definitions
   1. Instructional Day – is a day during the school year when instruction is provided for students.  Instructional time includes time scheduled for purposes of instruction, examination, testing and other student activities where direct student-teacher interaction and supervision are maintained (Alberta Education Guide to Education).
   2. Operational Day – is a day when staff members have duties assigned by the board but schools are not open for instruction.
   3. Non-operational Day – is a day when schools are not open for instruction and teachers have no duties assigned by the board.
   4. Staff Meetings – are times designated for staff development and site-based decision-making.
2. The board shall approve, the school year calendar for the coming year.
3. The school year calendar shall include:
   1. the hours of instructional time as specified by Alberta Education; the calendar shall be balanced between the two semesters to accommodate instructional time at the secondary level;
   2. a winter recess that includes two full weeks inclusive of December 24th and January 2nd; and
   3. a 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 that five-day interval.
4. Programming for kindergarten will generally follow the elementary school year with adjustments to accommodate 475 hours of instruction.
5. The following are non-operational days:
   1. Labour Day;
   2. National Day for Truth & Reconciliation;
   3. Thanksgiving Day;
   4. Remembrance Day;
   5. Alberta Family Day;
   6. Good Friday;
   7. Easter Monday;
   8. Victoria Day;
   9. Winter Recess;
   10. Spring Recess; and
   11. Summer Recess.
6. The following are operational days:
   1. up to two days at the beginning of the school year;
   2. up to two days at the end of the school year;
   3. up to two days to facilitate parent-teacher interviews;
   4. professional development day(s);
   5. one day to facilitate semester change at the high schools;
   6. two days for Teachers’ Convention; and
   7. staff meeting times.  Staff meetings are not considered as instructional time for students.
7. The Superintendent of Schools has the authority, in extraordinary circumstances, to vary the school year calendar to meet district and school needs while ensuring that the required hours of instruction are provided.
8. A calendar committee shall be established to provide input for the opening school division
   calendar. The committee will consist of:

8.1. three(3) members appointed by the school division;
8.2. three(3) members appointed by the ATA Local 73 (inclusive of the Teacher Welfare Committee (TWC) chair); and
8.3. three(3) members of CUPE Local 1099.

The committee shall meet annually prior to approval of the draft calendar by the school
division.