By Ben Deck

For the Daily News

 

The Beaufort County school board has approved changes to the school calendar to compensate for days missed due to snow this month.

The changes make some teacher workdays into student days and they also alter the end of the first semester and exam dates for high school and middle school students.

“I think that extending the second nine weeks was a great decision and in the best interest of our students and teachers,” said Alicia Vosburgh, principal of Chocowinity Primary School.

The changes are as follows, according to school officials: Teacher workdays on Jan. 23, Feb. 19 and March 9 will now be student days. Jan. 26 is now a required teacher workday — that day is required to allow teachers time to prepare report cards at the end of the first semester. Additionally, the end of the first semester will now be Jan. 25, and high school and middle school exams will be from Jan. 19–25. April 30 will now be a full student day instead of an early dismissal day.

Information on the Early College High School schedule was not available. School officials stated that the details were being worked out and that information would be available soon.

The changes to exam days for middle and high school will provide teachers time to review, which was a particular concern for school officials, according to Vosburgh. The standard calendar provides about a week of regular school days after students return from Christmas break, and many middle and high school teachers use that time to review. Without those days, students would face exams after being off for about two weeks. The weather dealt a blow to that routine.

The snow prompted school official to send students home early on Jan. 3, and students didn’t return to classes until Jan. 11. Many major roads were clear by Jan. 10, but school officials waited one more day to ensure that neighborhood streets and shady areas where snow and ice lingered would be clear and safe for cars and school buses. Since then, classes have proceeded normally.

“The make-up days seem to be working out well for us, and we are just pleased to be back in school with our kids,” Vosburgh said.