See the attached pdf for the ACPS 2012-2013 Budget Developement Calendar.

Albemarle County Public Schools distributed an email on Thursday, August 25th with the message below.
Please Note:  provide feedback via the survey by September 1st.


A message from ALBEMARLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Good evening,
 
During the work session on February 24, 2011, the Albemarle County School Board expressed interest in exploring the possibility of starting school earlier in August beginning in the 2012-13 school year. In response to Board direction provided on June 9, 2011, three draft calendars were developed for community feedback: one with an August 8 start date, one starting August 13, and one starting August 24.
 
Thank you to all 2,840 parents, students, employees and community members who reviewed the three initial calendar drafts and provided input earlier this summer. Based on your feedback and in accordance with direction provided at the August 11 Board meeting, two proposed calendar drafts have been developed for the 2012-13 school year.
 
Once again, we are asking for your valued feedback. Please click here to view the two proposed calendar drafts and participate in a brief and anonymous survey.
 
Please note: This survey will close on September 1, 2011.
 
Thank you for your time,
 
Matthew S. Haas, EdD.
Executive Director

From Dr. Pam Moran, Supt of Albemarle County Public Schools.
See the Superintendent's Blog here to read the entire post.

1. If your child has been staying up later on summer evenings, begin this week to adjust his/her sleep schedule back to school year “bedtime” hours. A well-rested child is a more attentive child in school.  In fact, the symptoms of too little sleep and attention disorders are very similar. A good night of sleep pays off for your child in school.
2. Discuss breakfast and lunch choices for healthy meals that sustain energy and that are wellness friendly. Our kids today are characterized as the most unhealthy younger generation in decades and much of that is because of diet. Diet impacts body chemistry in a variety of ways – particularly a child’s sugar, salt, and fat intake. The USDA offers a number of website resources on healthy lifestyle choices for children that address diet, wellness and fitness. School menus and other information about the school lunch program can be found here.
3. Check your school calendars for info about Open House and Back to School activities.  For younger and older children and you, going to school with you to meet teachers sends a message from the start that you to be involved as a partner with the teacher in supporting your child(ren)’s education.
4. Consider volunteering in any way you can. It models responsibility to being a part of the solution to offering the best education we can for all children and volunteerism is a civic virtue in America. Plus, we educators need you and your help –even if it’s doing one thing that you can do. We realize parents are busy people who have their own jobs, but when you can help us out we appreciate it. To find out more about volunteerism, please visit our Community Engagement website or email Gloria Rockhold at grockhold@k12albemarle.org
5. If you have questions or concerns, don’t sit on those until there’s a big problem. While all of our workloads have increased because of email and voicemail, we want to know when something is a burning question or concern. Finding the balance between waiting too long to contact the teacher and being a “helicopter” parent is important. Some things that should not wait include bullying of your child or another child, bus problems, your child feeling overwhelmed with work at home or being upset about relationships with the teacher. If your inner instinct says that something isn’t going well, it’s better to at least reach out and check in with the teacher.
6. Lastly, thank an educator for helping your child- or other children – in some special way. The many fabulous educators in our schools, just as teachers before them, work a farmers’ schedule plus. They are up early and late to bed because of their commitment to their work. I know many educators- administrators and teachers alike- who pull their own money out to pick up the educational tab for an individual child or a class. There is nothing as valued by an educator as a personal note, email, or call from you saying “I appreciated when …..”

Calendar drafts can be found here on the ACPS website.

Careful considerations of the three drafts could include these points of differentiation:

• School start date:  August 8, August 13, or August 22
• School end date:  May 24, May 17, or May 30 (in each case, going later if necessary due to snow days)
• The Aug 8 and Aug 13 calendar drafts have the first semester ending prior to the winter break.
• The length of quarters (nine-week grading periods) differ:  the Aug 8 calendar has them equal at 45 days; the Aug 13 has them the most unbalanced with the four nine-weeks periods lasting 43, 47, 50, and 40 days; the Aug 22 calendar has the four nine-weeks periods lasting 46, 45, 46, and 43 days.
• The semesters are of even lengths in all three drafts.
• The Aug 13 and Aug 22 drafts have a half-day of school on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
• The length of the winter break for students varies from 1.5 weeks to 2.5 weeks.
• Two of the drafts — Aug 13 and Aug 22 — include a number of early dismissal days.
• Spring break has been moved to the end of the third nine weeks, placing it on the third or the fourth week of March, depending upon the draft.
  

With each and every family, some of these changes will have serious impacts and some will be of little consequence. The website offers a space for feedback. Responses will go to the School Board for their consideration.

Every day in the US, eleven teenagers die in car crashes. What can a parent do to ensure their kids aren’t part of that number? Albemarle County Police, Volvo of Charlottesville and Albemarle Insurance are working together to provide Parents of Teen Drivers with the tools and information that could make a difference.
 
Learn what you can do to prevent your teenager from being in a deadly or costly crash. We’ll cover how traffic laws have changed, what causes most crashes, proper car maintenance and the legal and financial ramifications of having a teen driver. Get the opportunity to ask local law enforcement, insurance and car experts about Teen Driving Safety. And learn what to do if your teen is involved in a crash.
 
Join us on Tuesday, July 12, 5:30pm at Volvo of Charlottesville. Space is limited so please call 434-295-4125 to reserve yours.

Please see three draft calendars here and provide feedback for a brief electronic survey.
Input provided by July 11 will be presented to the ACPS School Board on Thursday, July 14.

Further details from the ACPS press release below:
 
(ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Virginia) – During the work session on February 24, 2011, the Albemarle County School Board expressed interest in exploring the possibility of starting school earlier beginning in the 2012-13 school year. In response to Board direction provided on June 9, three draft calendars have been developed for community feedback.
 
Parents, students, employees and community members are invited to review the three draft calendars and provide initial input by July 11. Feedback is being collected via a brief electronic survey available at www.k12albemarle.org/calendar . A link to the 2012-13 Calendar Development webpage can also be found under the “Spotlight” section on the Albemarle County Public Schools homepage at www.k12albemarle.org.
 
Information gathered from the survey will be presented to the Board on Thursday, July 14. The School Division will continue to keep the community informed about calendar development for the 2012-13 school year via the Calendar website at www.k12albemarle.org/calendar. Public input will be requested and considered throughout the calendar development process.