So what would you do with 182 extra days? If you were one of the many students riding a bus to Mossbank School from Kindergarten to 12, you will now have 14 extra long weekends a year for 13 years to find out. Lengthy bus rides, at times exceeding an hour each way, were among the reasons behind Mossbank School鈥檚 decision to switch, according to Principal Leanne Rutko.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about extra family time, and less pressure on young children compared to the five-day week.鈥�
While any change creates growing pains, eighty per cent of families and community members voted for the change while twenty per cent voted against 鈥� with extra childcare raised as one of the main concerns.
鈥淎ll of the schools that are doing it are doing it because they asked to be able to,鈥� said director of education Tony Baldwin. 鈥淥ur communities that have it are wholeheartedly in support.鈥�
With 39 schools in the Prairie 小蓝视频 School Division, all but four rural schools are now using or choosing to move to the alternate calendar. This past fall, Central Butte, Eyebrow and Bengough schools started the new schedule while Mossbank, Craik and Chaplin will follow September 2018. 鈥淢ost people we hear from are excited,鈥� Rutko said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been hearing a lot of really positive comments from people who can鈥檛 wait 鈥榯il next year when we have this.鈥� To make up the lost time, each school day will be 25 minutes longer.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 an awful lot of that little person鈥檚 life that comes back to them where they鈥檙e not rattling around on a bus,鈥� added Baldwin.
