South Orange Middle School students will attend school for a bit longer at the end of the 2015/16 year, in order to make up for two days the school was shuttered due to water main breaks. (Read more here and here).
That was the news from Supt. Dr. John Ramos at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, and it was confirmed in an email which will be sent to SOMS families from Principal Lynn Irby.
Rather than a staggered end of year with 6th and 7th graders having their last day of school on Tuesday, June 21 and 8th graders seeing the school year end Wednesday, June 22, all SOMS students and staff will report both dates for four-hour days. In addition, all students and staff will also report on June 23 to make up the second day the school was closed.
Ramos explained that the administration had weighed several options to make up the days, and this one allowed for the least amount of disruption while also enabling SOMS students to have a five-day Memorial Day weekend break with the rest of the district.
See the district’s 2015/16 calendar attached here as a PDF:
See the full email from the district regarding SOMS here:
Dear SOMS Community:
SOMS will have additional time added on at the end of the year to account for the two days closed for the water main breaks.
As you know, June 21 and 22 are scheduled half days. Rather than having a staggered end of year, with students in Grades 6 and 7 ending on June 21 and 8th grade students ending on June 22, all students and staff will report on both days. This makes up one day.
All students and staff will also report on June 23rd to make up the second day.
Therefore, school will be in session on a 4-hour day schedule for all grades on:
- Monday June 20th
- Tuesday June 21st
- Wednesday June 22nd
- Thursday June 23rd
This is being done instead of any other option, after consultation with the county superintendent, in order to minimize any impact on families over the Memorial Day weekend.
Lynn Irby
Principal
