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Schools

Parents Split On Mount Vernon's Modified Calendar

Del Ray parents choose what is best for their families

To put it mildly, the decision to switch Mount Vernon Community School to a modified calendar was a contentious one. Families quickly entrenched themselves in camps that were for and against the change. Despite some resistance, MVCS started its first school year on the non-traditional school calendar in August 2005.

Some parents embraced the new schedule, which includes intersessions between longer terms, while others begrudgingly went along with it. The rest opted out, choosing to send their children to a private school or a different elementary school in the Alexandria Public School System.

Today, many parents whose children attend MVCS are pleased with the school and the modified calendar.

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Laura Dove said that although a regular September-to-June calendar would be more convenient because she works on Capitol Hill, she loves the modified calendar in part because of the extra support and enrichment the intersession classes provide. 

"The intersessions in October, January and March allow teachers to identify and concentrate on kids who are falling behind, and the short summer break makes it so much easier to retain learning for all kids," she said.

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Her kids, in second and third grade at MVCS, like it, too.

"[They] have absolutely loved some of the enrichment programs that the school offers during the intersession breaks—from gardening to Harry Potter to how to make an apple pie," she said.

Another reason parents send their children to MVCS is the fact that it is the community school—and in a close-knit Del Ray, this aspect weighs heavily.

Diane Hill has three children in Alexandria public schools—a sophomore at T.C. Williams High School, a seventh-grader at George Washington Middle School and a fifth-grader at MVCS. Over the years, Hill has tried a variety of schooling options and has a unique perspective on the topic of education in Alexandria.

"There is something special about going to a community school," she said.

She likes the fact that her fifth-grade daughter can walk to school and go to class with her neighborhood friends.

But the modified calendar does not work for everyone. There are quite a few parents who have chosen to opt out of MVCS, and most of their reasons have little to do with the school itself. For many parents, it's all about the calendar.

Joni Finegold, mother of a fourth-grader at Charles Barrett Elementary, feels that summer is a time for enrichment.

"Summer is a time for camps and other things that school doesn't supply," she said. 

Additionally, Finegold, a PhD candidate and adjunct instructor at George Mason University, likes the fact that the regular school year works with her schedule. She has summers off and likes to spend them with her daughters.

Linda Kelly, whose children attend Cora Kelly Elementary, agrees.

"The modified calendar simply did not work well with our family's schedule in terms of when my husband and I could reliably get vacation time," Kelly said.

While a fan of the community school aspect, Diane Hill won't be found on the cheering squad for the modified calendar. Hill's displeasure with the calendar is due to the fact that her children are on different schedules.

"I don't like being caught in between them," she said. "It makes for an uneven feel until you get to spring break."

Hill notes that she is saddened to think that her children will have memories of hectic summers.

"For those who have children on both schedules, you have a five-week summer to 'fit in' family relaxation and vacation time," Hill said. "It doesn't feel relaxing trying to make it all come together. I know my kids feel that tension."

No matter what side of the fence Del Ray parents are on when it comes to MVCS, it is obvious they are very committed to their children.

Hill puts it simply: "You do whatever it is that your child needs. And every child is different."

Ultimately, parents are going to make the decision that is best for their children and their families, and Del Ray parents will be heavily involved—no matter what school they choose.

This is the second article in a three-part series about the modified calendar at Mount Vernon Community School. 

Part I: "Examining The Modified Calendar"

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