8/7/2019 Watertown Schools More Snow Could Mean Less Vacation Time

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Watertown schools: More snow could mean less vacation time

 Wicked Local staff photo by Kate Flock WHS freshman James Garbier does homework in study hall, Feb. 16, 2011.

 By Laura Paine Wicked Local WatertownPosted Feb 18, 2011 @ 09:28 AM

WATERTOWN As far as Watertown High School Head Master Steve Watson is concerned, there will not be

any more snow days.“I’m an optimist,” he told the Watertown TAB & Press. “We have a vacation coming up, we

have one more month to get through and then there is something call Spring that comes up inMarch.”

But it is the job of Superintendent Ann Koufman-Frederick to be a realist when it comes to

the weather.At the Feb. 10 School Committee meeting she presented several options to make up school

days should there be any more snow cancelations.As it stands, school is being extended from June 21 to June 28, and March 14 will be a

school day instead of a professional development day for teachers in order to make up for thefive accrued snow days.

“I want to get as much instructional time in as possible as early as possible,” Koufman-Frederick said.

Schools  are  required  to  be  in  session  180  days.  The  Massachusetts  DepartmenElementary and Secondary Education have suggested that, if needed, school departments cancancel or shorten February and April vacations, convert professional development days intostudent days, hold school on Saturdays, keep schools open on Good Friday and/or add days inJune.

“It’s a toss up whether people want to make it up in April vacation or add it on in June,”

Koufman-Frederick said.It isn’t a toss up for Danilo Ibner, a freshman at Watertown High School, who said he

would rather have vacation and would not be interested in going to school on Saturdays.“I will not come over April vacation,” Ibner told the Watertown TAB & Press. “I don’t even

know what Good Friday is, so I guess I’ll come on that day. If we get more snow I am willingto go to the 30th, that’s only three more days, but I’m not going April vacation.”

His classmate, Stephen Emerton, said he wouldn’t want to have school on Saturdays andthat he would only being willing to miss out on April vacation if it is absolutely necessary,but he’d “rather not.”

WHS freshman Mary Breen said the snow has given students enough time off from school.“I don’t think we need another vacation really because we have had so many days off,”

Breen said. “I don’t think we should get rid of Good Friday because I am Catholic and go tochurch on that day, but I think if we got rid of April vacation that would be good because I’drather be out in the summer time when it’s nicer out. April can be kind of rainy and the

weather’s not always good.”She also said that she didn’t like the snow days because they fell in the middle of midterms,

making studying and staying on top of work more difficult than usual.Classmate Kara Macri agreed.“At first you love them and you get excited, but afterwards you get tired of it and you want

to go back to school to catch up on work,” Macri said. “It was right before midterms so itmade our lives a little bit crazy.”

Macri thinks that the school department should get rid of February vacation to make up forthe snow days since April vacation is scheduled soon after. She said she would rather havemore time to hang out with her friends in nicer weather.

8/7/2019 Watertown Schools More Snow Could Mean Less Vacation Time

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Watson said that if Mother Nature decided not to listen to his demands and created anotherstorm, he would continue to go with the flow.

“You can only control what you can control, and you can’t control the weather or the callspeople make, but you can control being flexible and trying to make smart choices,” he said.“The superintendent said she would weigh people’s opinions and be in conversations withprincipals, the teachers union and parents and if that happens then I’m sure we’ll make agood decision.”

 Laura Paine can be reached at lpaine@cnc.com.Copyright 2011 Watertown TAB & Press. Some rights reserved