Long Island schools open as early as Aug. 29
The Jericho district, which includes George A. Jackson Elementary School, will offer 186 days of instruction this coming school year. Students return Aug. 29. Credit: Jeffrey Basinger
Long Island's public school students will return to classrooms over several dates to start 2022-23, beginning Aug. 29 in Jericho and ending Sept. 8 in Montauk.
The largest group of Island districts, 50, will return on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day, while the second-most, 48, will come back on Sept. 1. Districts are required to offer at least 180 days of instruction, but several will offer more. The Jericho district, which enrolls about 3,200 students, will offer 186 days of instruction.
"As of right now we are planning to a have a normal reopening … fingers are crossed that [COVID-19] infection rates will permit us to do that," Jericho Superintendent Hank Grishman said. Teachers report Aug. 25-26, said Grishman, who added that a longer school year "is better for our students."
There are several holidays impacting the school calendar this year. Most systems are off Sept. 26-27 for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah. Some districts recently have added days off: to recognize the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr in April and India’s Diwali festival in October.
Lunar New Year, which some districts have recognized as a holiday in prior years, falls on a weekend date in January. Juneteenth also recently was recognized as an official school holiday.
Each district handles its own scheduling of class days and time allotted for staff development, or so-called superintendent’s days. The calendar is often negotiated with a district’s teachers’ union and also takes a school's winter and spring breaks into consideration.
In Baldwin, classes begin Sept. 1, Superintendent Shari Camhi said. School officials will welcome back about 4,600 K-12 students and 129 in prekindergarten.
Before the pandemic, Baldwin had created collaborative work spaces as part of a classroom redesign, and that concept, including the furniture, is coming back, Camhi said. Outdoor learning also will be incorporated as much as possible during the school year, she said.
“I think that for everybody's emotional, physical and academic health, we need to start the school year off with joy and in the most welcoming way possible," Camhi said. "We are keeping our fingers crossed that this year will bring stability and normalcy back."
A later Labor Day figured into the calendar in the Middle Country district, which opens Sept. 1, Superintendent Roberta Gerold said. The district also scheduled a superintendent's conference day for staff on Election Day — Nov. 8 — so that students would not be in the buildings when visitors enter, she said.
Malverne's roughly 1,760 students return on Sept. 7, Superintendent Lorna Lewis said.
"I am looking forward to a year where COVID is not a part of our daily vocabulary, and student engagement reigns supreme," she said.
Students in Plainview-Old Bethpage return on Sept. 2, and Superintendent Mary O'Meara said the district developed the calendar working backward from the end of school in June and accounting for holidays and breaks.
Some districts build snow days into the school calendar, but in Plainview-Old Bethpage, "Due to the late Labor Day, we have elected to have remote instruction on days when school buildings can't open due to weather," O'Meara said.
O'Meara is looking for a relatively normal school year.
"Our theme guiding us is: 'Every student matters, every moment counts,' " she said.
Long Island's public school students will return to classrooms over several dates to start 2022-23, beginning Aug. 29 in Jericho and ending Sept. 8 in Montauk.
The largest group of Island districts, 50, will return on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day, while the second-most, 48, will come back on Sept. 1. Districts are required to offer at least 180 days of instruction, but several will offer more. The Jericho district, which enrolls about 3,200 students, will offer 186 days of instruction.
"As of right now we are planning to a have a normal reopening … fingers are crossed that [COVID-19] infection rates will permit us to do that," Jericho Superintendent Hank Grishman said. Teachers report Aug. 25-26, said Grishman, who added that a longer school year "is better for our students."
There are several holidays impacting the school calendar this year. Most systems are off Sept. 26-27 for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah. Some districts recently have added days off: to recognize the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr in April and India’s Diwali festival in October.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Long Island's 124 public school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties will have eight different starting dates.
- The Jericho district in Nassau County will be the first to welcome students back, starting Aug. 29, and Montauk the last, on Sept. 8.
- Each district does its own scheduling of class days and time for staff development, or so-called superintendent’s days. The calendar often is negotiated with a district’s teachers’ union.
Lunar New Year, which some districts have recognized as a holiday in prior years, falls on a weekend date in January. Juneteenth also recently was recognized as an official school holiday.
Each district handles its own scheduling of class days and time allotted for staff development, or so-called superintendent’s days. The calendar is often negotiated with a district’s teachers’ union and also takes a school's winter and spring breaks into consideration.
In Baldwin, classes begin Sept. 1, Superintendent Shari Camhi said. School officials will welcome back about 4,600 K-12 students and 129 in prekindergarten.
Before the pandemic, Baldwin had created collaborative work spaces as part of a classroom redesign, and that concept, including the furniture, is coming back, Camhi said. Outdoor learning also will be incorporated as much as possible during the school year, she said.
“I think that for everybody's emotional, physical and academic health, we need to start the school year off with joy and in the most welcoming way possible," Camhi said. "We are keeping our fingers crossed that this year will bring stability and normalcy back."
A later Labor Day figured into the calendar in the Middle Country district, which opens Sept. 1, Superintendent Roberta Gerold said. The district also scheduled a superintendent's conference day for staff on Election Day — Nov. 8 — so that students would not be in the buildings when visitors enter, she said.
Malverne Superintendent Lorna Lewis. Credit: Raychel Brightman
Malverne's roughly 1,760 students return on Sept. 7, Superintendent Lorna Lewis said.
"I am looking forward to a year where COVID is not a part of our daily vocabulary, and student engagement reigns supreme," she said.
Students in Plainview-Old Bethpage return on Sept. 2, and Superintendent Mary O'Meara said the district developed the calendar working backward from the end of school in June and accounting for holidays and breaks.
Some districts build snow days into the school calendar, but in Plainview-Old Bethpage, "Due to the late Labor Day, we have elected to have remote instruction on days when school buildings can't open due to weather," O'Meara said.
O'Meara is looking for a relatively normal school year.
"Our theme guiding us is: 'Every student matters, every moment counts,' " she said.
