Attention Athena-Weston Families:
For the 2024-2025 school year, the Athena-Weston School District is considering a SHIFT from a LATE START FRIDAY to an EARLY RELEASE FRIDAY. The proposal is to START school at 8 am on Fridays and to END school at approximately 1 pm on Fridays. Friday will be a REGULAR INSTRUCTIONAL DAY for students prior to the early release. Please complete the PARENT SURVEY linked below with your thoughts regarding this proposed change. Your input is an important factor in this decision. Thank you.
Why shift from Late Start to Early Release?
- To Better Support Students:
- Create flexible time outside of the instructional day for scheduled academic support options, including credit recovery, tutoring, study hall, make-up work, and social-emotional support
- Create flexible time outside of the instructional day to support School-to-Careers and Extracurricular opportunities
- To Better Support Staff:
- Maintain critical staff meeting time in all buildings while creating additional time each week for structured and targeted staff professional development in order to more positively impact student outcomes
- Provide much-needed time for staff collaboration across grade levels and buildings in order to more positively impact student outcomes
How will the District Support Students and Families?
- By providing traditional bussing home from school at the 1:00 pm early release time on Fridays
- For families who need it, by providing childcare in grades K-5 on Fridays from 1:00 pm to approximately 3:00 pm
- By providing a second bus route at approximately 3:00 pm for students participating in childcare on Fridays
- By providing a second bus route at approximately 3:00 pm for students in grades 6-12 who participate in programming during the release time
- By providing lunch service to students prior to the early release
Please complete this Parent Survey by Monday, February 19, 2024:
Early Release Fridays Parent Survey