Every November, families take note of the multiple days that students don’t report to school. The six days off for most students is a lot over a short period of time, but there are several reasons, including holidays, teacher planning time and parent-teacher conferences.
Portland Public Schools is closed for two holidays in November:
- Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11
- Thanksgiving break, Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27
In addition, students do not attend school on
Friday, Nov. 6, due to a teacher planning day. Teachers use this time to prepare for parent-teacher conferences and, at quarter calendar schools, prepare grades and report cards. (There is an additional planning day on Friday, Dec. 4 for trimester schools only. This marks the end of the first trimester when teachers complete student grades and report cards.)
Also, students are off on
Nov. 24 and 25 due to parent-teacher conferences. Reiko Williams, a family engagement specialist at PPS, says parent-teacher conferences are critical to helping students thrive.
“The face-to-face time they provide families and teachers is invaluable,” says Williams. “They help families understand how their child is doing, enable teachers to better support students, and they give students a boost because they see their families taking an interest in them.”
Because of the shortened November schedule,
there will be not be a Wednesday two-hour late opening in November.
Contact your school if you have questions about the schedule.
Creating the calendars
The
PPS district calendars are decided each year by a committee of school leaders, staff and community members. The committee creates separate calendars for schools following quarter and trimester schedules.
Certain factors affecting the PPS schedule can’t be changed. These include holidays; in addition, the state requires that schools instruct students for a certain number of hours each year. The district’s contract with teachers affects the length of the school day and school year, among other things.
The committee can adjust dates for professional development, teacher planning and parent-teacher conferences.
