Potter Valley Elementary School
 

4 Day Week/Optional 5th day program

Dear Parents and Community Members,

Potter Valley Schools have a proud history of providing a personalized community school experience for our students. Like most rural schools in the state, our enrollment and funding has been declining, and may continue to decline. Like all educators, we aspire to provide a deep and rich education for every child, and always find ourselves wishing we had the resources to teach more lessons, participate in more activities, and bring in more arts and other enrichment to the classroom. Thus, we have been investigating innovative ways to do more with less for our students and our community, and evaluating how other small, rural districts have approached the problem. We looked at a variety of ideas, including block scheduling, magnet schools, and other concepts.

As our study group searched, we were drawn to the idea of a four-day school week, with an optional 5th day of enrichment and special activities. Over 100 mostly rural school districts in the western United States operating on a four-day schedule report a broad range of benefits, including increased student and staff morale and some cost savings. Longer blocks of time give more flexibility for lessons, student dropout rates decline, and absenteeism is reduced for both students and staff.

The plan is currently before the board for a decision on March 11th for the 2009-2010 school year. It is not a done deal. We want to hear community concerns and parent input to make the right decision for our children and families, and to make sure that any programs we implement are the best they can be. Please take the time to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have with Gary Barr, Scott Paulin, or any Board member.

Sample 5th Day Programs: PDF (92k) or MS Word (60k)
Sample 5th Day Schedule: PDF (40k) or MS Excel (28k)
Mendocino College Academy: PDF (36k) or MS Word (32k)
4-day Presentation: Microsoft PowerPoint (992k)
Proposed 4-day Calendar: PDF (104k)

Here is a basic outline of how it might work:

  • The number of weeks in the school calendar would remain about the same.
  • Students would receive about the same number of instructional minutes, in excess of state requirements.
  • There would be no minimum days or short Tuesdays.
  • Afterschool and Friday programs would be offered through a partnership between the school and the Community Center.
  • No regular academic classes would be scheduled for Fridays.
  • Grades 4-12 would attend from 8:00 to 3:55.
  • Grades 1-3 would attend from 8:00 to 3:05, with the afterschool program available until the bus departs at 3:55 (or until 6:00 with parent pick-up).
  • Kindergarten would attend from 8:00 to 12:05.

    Results reported by schools currently operating on a four-day week:

    Academic Benefits

  • Opportunity to offer additional electives through fifth day programs or an extra period at the end of the day (music, arts, science, language, etc)
  • Students and teachers benefit from less interrupted class time
  • The impact of sports on the academic program is substantially reduced by scheduling games on the fifth day, especially with away games
  • Rallies and class meetings are only held during the eighth period
  • There are opportunities for students to get extra help during the eighth period or the fifth day
  • There is a marked improvement in school morale
  • Absenteeism is reduced for both students and staff
  • School faculty can utilize some fifth days for staff development, parent meetings, training, and other preparation
  • Student achievement remains the same or shows improvement
  • Students and teachers report returning to school more refreshed following a 3-day weekend.
  • Friday can be used as an option for field trips and special programs
  • Student disciplinary referrals decrease
  • Student drop-out rates decline

    Community Benefits

  • There is more time for personal business, such as medical appointments and family outings
  • Parents find that their students can shoulder increased responsibilities at home
  • Students commuting to school from outlying areas can choose to commute one less day
  • Students report that they are better able to manage part-time employment.

    Financial / Plant Operations Benefits

  • The maintenance staff has a student-free day to do more extensive maintenance
  • Administrative staff has a student-free day to more efficiently handle tasks
  • Administrative staff is more available and active across campus on student days
  • There can be savings in transportation, substitute pay, and utilities

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