Conroe Courier - News
CISD students to get extra day of vacation
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| Children play kickball Friday afternoon at the city of Conroe’s Camp Fun Quest at the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center. |
By Kassia Micek
As most Montgomery County students prepare to go back to school Monday, those attending classes in the Conroe Independent School District will have one more day off.
Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora and Willis schools will open back up Monday. The CISD will have a staff development day, giving students one more day before returning to the classroom while employees will report to work.
“We normally follow this schedule that the first day back is a staff development day and the second day the students come back,” CISD school board President Lynda Sasser said. “Because of legislative changes, we don’t finish our semester before the winter break. We get to have a staff development day before the students come back.”
A staff development day includes scheduled activities for staff, whereas a work day is an open day for staff to complete work within their classrooms or to finalize grades, Sasser said.
The 79th Texas Legislature approved a bill in a 2005 special session that pushed the first day of school back to no earlier than the fourth Monday of August, which resulted in the first semester extending into January.
However, a Montgomery ISD official gave the change as a reason not to have a teacher work day the first day back from winter break.
“Had we ended our semester prior to Christmas, Monday would have been a work day and a student holiday,” Montgomery ISD Superintendent Jim Gibson said. “Instead, we’re ending the semester Jan. 15, so Jan. 16 is a work day and a student holiday.”
CISD also ends its semester Jan. 15 and has Jan. 16 as a staff work day and student holiday.
All Montgomery County public school districts, except Willis, started school Aug. 25. The WISD started classes Aug. 27.
Conroe, Montgomery and Splendora ISDs complete the school year June 4. New Caney and Willis districts end the year June 5, and Magnolia ISD students will end the school year May 28.
To ensure students have a safe place to go Monday, two local agencies will have their winter camps open for one last day.
The YMCA Holiday Camp is open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Camp Owen, located at 10245 Owen Drive in Conroe. The camp is for children ages 5-12 and costs $35 per day for facility members and $40 per day for program members. Program membership is $30 annually per family.
The city of Conroe Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center will offer Camp Fun Quest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Campers must bring their lunch and snack daily. Attendees will have to pay the weekly rate of $80 for in-city residents and $100 for out-of-city residents.
Both camps offer arts and crafts as well as physical activities.
For more information about the YMCA Holiday Camp, call (936) 441-9622 or (281) 367-9622.
For more information about Conroe’s Camp Fun Quest, call (936) 522-3960.
More info
Students return to school
Monday: Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora and Willis school districts
Tuesday: Conroe ISD
What’s next
• The last day of the YMCA Holiday Camp runs from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday at Camp Owen in Conroe. For more information, call (936) 441-9622 or (281) 367-9622.
• The last day of the city of Conroe Fun Quest holiday camp a the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. For more information, call (936) 522-3960.
Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora and Willis schools will open back up Monday. The CISD will have a staff development day, giving students one more day before returning to the classroom while employees will report to work.
“We normally follow this schedule that the first day back is a staff development day and the second day the students come back,” CISD school board President Lynda Sasser said. “Because of legislative changes, we don’t finish our semester before the winter break. We get to have a staff development day before the students come back.”
A staff development day includes scheduled activities for staff, whereas a work day is an open day for staff to complete work within their classrooms or to finalize grades, Sasser said.
The 79th Texas Legislature approved a bill in a 2005 special session that pushed the first day of school back to no earlier than the fourth Monday of August, which resulted in the first semester extending into January.
However, a Montgomery ISD official gave the change as a reason not to have a teacher work day the first day back from winter break.
“Had we ended our semester prior to Christmas, Monday would have been a work day and a student holiday,” Montgomery ISD Superintendent Jim Gibson said. “Instead, we’re ending the semester Jan. 15, so Jan. 16 is a work day and a student holiday.”
CISD also ends its semester Jan. 15 and has Jan. 16 as a staff work day and student holiday.
All Montgomery County public school districts, except Willis, started school Aug. 25. The WISD started classes Aug. 27.
Conroe, Montgomery and Splendora ISDs complete the school year June 4. New Caney and Willis districts end the year June 5, and Magnolia ISD students will end the school year May 28.
To ensure students have a safe place to go Monday, two local agencies will have their winter camps open for one last day.
The YMCA Holiday Camp is open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Camp Owen, located at 10245 Owen Drive in Conroe. The camp is for children ages 5-12 and costs $35 per day for facility members and $40 per day for program members. Program membership is $30 annually per family.
The city of Conroe Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center will offer Camp Fun Quest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Campers must bring their lunch and snack daily. Attendees will have to pay the weekly rate of $80 for in-city residents and $100 for out-of-city residents.
Both camps offer arts and crafts as well as physical activities.
For more information about the YMCA Holiday Camp, call (936) 441-9622 or (281) 367-9622.
For more information about Conroe’s Camp Fun Quest, call (936) 522-3960.
More info
Students return to school
Monday: Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora and Willis school districts
Tuesday: Conroe ISD
What’s next
• The last day of the YMCA Holiday Camp runs from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday at Camp Owen in Conroe. For more information, call (936) 441-9622 or (281) 367-9622.
• The last day of the city of Conroe Fun Quest holiday camp a the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. For more information, call (936) 522-3960.
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