Dear Winooski Community,
We want to inform you that we are changing the day off scheduled for Tuesday, May 3 to Monday, May 2. Our district is committed to honoring the cultures, languages, and beliefs of all students. An important way to show this respect is by considering the religious and cultural holidays observed by our students and their families.
Most public school districts in the U.S. break for the Christian holiday of Christmas, and Easter falls on a Sunday each year, but many school calendars are not built to reflect Muslim or Hindu holidays. To ensure equity, the WSD Leadership Teams consults with the district’s Multilingual Liaisons to carefully plan around the most important holidays for the majority of our students. Unfortunately, it is not possible to create a school calendar that reflects every important day for every student, so we focus on the days that have the biggest impact on the largest percentage of students.
Last year, when the WSD Leadership Team was planning this school year’s calendar, the current lunar calendar said that Eid Al Fitr, a very important Muslim holiday, would be celebrated on Tuesday, May 3. However, every five years or so, the lunar calendar can shift, as it has this year. We now know that Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Monday, May 2.
In our original calendar, Tuesday, May 3 was a planned day off to show support for the 120+ Winooski students who celebrate this holiday, so they can be with their families without missing school. Because this date has changed, we have moved our day off to Monday, May 2. That means there WILL BE school on Tuesday, May 3.
We apologize for any disruption this may cause families. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
Ramadan Mubarak or happy Ramadan to those who observe.
Sincerely,
Kevin Dirth, Interim Superintendent