Page -1 Updated 5/30/2012 Gwinnett County Public Schools Calendar Dates for 2012-13 Including Special Weeks, Months and Days FIRST AND LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL IN ALL CAPS Resource for dates: Educational Research Service – Resources for Planning the School Calendar 2012-13

The Communication and Media Relations Department has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the dates. The information has been verified through the use of various sources. Religious observances from a number of faith groups are included in this calendar to help teachers, administrators, and other staff members promote a climate that is sensitive to religious and cultural diversity. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to consider possible conflicts when scheduling tests and planning schoolwide activities and programs, in order to maximize attendance and participation by the full school community. While this list is not comprehensive, it includes the most common and universal observances as noted in Resources for Planning the School Calendar 2012-13. Regional customs or local moon sightings may cause a variation in the date for Islamic holidays, which are tied to a lunar calendar. As a result, lunar- based observances noted in this calendar are estimated and may vary in practice. In addition, some individuals may observe other holidays or timing for universal holidays that are specific to the country or region of origin or of their ethnic or cultural group. As a result, they may not be included or may not match the listings in this calendar. Local schools with questions related to holidays observed, attendance, excused absences for religious observances, and make-up work should work with their Area Superintendent. In the calendar listing, some holidays are marked with asterisks that refer to the following notations: * Religious observance begins at sundown of the day preceding the date given. ** Religious observance begins at lunar sighting in the evening preceding the date given. All such dates are estimated and may vary. Note: School-based staff (12-month, 230-, and some 220-day) follow four-day work schedule through July 19. Five-day schedule resumes July 23.

July 2 M First day for 12-month employees July 4 W Independence Day (Systemwide ) {12 month employees} July 9 M First day for 230- and some 220-day employees (ES and MS Admin. Assist.) July 16-18 New Administrator Training July 19 Th Board of Education Meeting July 20 F , First Day** July 23 M New Teacher Orientation (mandatory half-day session at Peachtree Ridge HS, 8:30 a.m. to noon; and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for optional curriculum sessions) First day for 193-, 200-, 210-, and all other 220-day employees July 24-27 Tu-F New Teachers Report (Days and times to be determined by schools to equal 2 days) July 25 W Administrative Staff Meeting at ISC July 30 M First day for 185- and 190-day employees July 30-August 3 M-F Required Teacher Pre-Planning/Staff Development Days [#1-5] {190-day staff} August 3 F First day for 175- and 181-day employees August 6 M FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Begin 1st six weeks, 1st nine weeks, and 1st semester (Day 1) First day for 174- and 180-day employees August 14 Tu Laylatl al-Qadr (in last 10 days of Ramadan)** August 15 W Assumption August 16 Th Board of Education Meeting August 19 Sun Id al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)** September 1-30 Library Card Sign-up Month National Preparedness Month September 3 M (Systemwide holiday) {all employees} September 8 Sat International Literacy Day September 9 Sun Grandparents’ Day September 9-15 National Arts in Education Week September 11 Tu September 14 F End of 1st six weeks (Day 29) September 15-October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month September 17 M Begin 2nd six weeks (Day 30) Citizenship Day September 17 & 18 M & Tu * September 17-23 September 20 Th Board of Education Meeting September 22 Sat First Day of Autumn September 26 W (Day of Atonement)* October 1-31 Computer Learning Month® Crime Prevention Month Czech Heritage Month Italian American Heritage and Culture Month Physical Therapy Month Polish American Heritage Month October 1 & 2 M & Tu Early Release for elementary and middle schools for parent-teacher conferences (Feast of Tabernacles)* October 1-5 National Technology Student Association (TSA) Week October 5 F End of 1st nine weeks (Day 44) October 6 Sat German American Heritage Day October 7-13 Fire Prevention Week National Metric Week

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October 8 M Student Holiday and Planned Furlough Day [#1] OR Teacher Planning/Staff Dev. Day /Discoverers’ Day (Federal observance) * * October 9 Tu Begin 2nd nine weeks (Day 45) October 14-20 National Educational Office Professionals Career Awareness Week National Teen Driver Safety Week Teen Read Week October 15 M School Bus Driver Appreciation Day October 15-19 Georgia School Bus Safety Week National School Bus Safety Week National School Lunch Week October 18 Th Board of Education Meeting October 20 Sat Birth of the Báb October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week October 24-27 ** October 25 Th Day of Arafat** October 26 F End of 2nd six weeks (Day 58) Id al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)** October 27 Sat Make a Difference Day October 29 M Begin 3rd six weeks (Day 59) October 31 W November 1-30 Georgia College Month National Native American Heritage Month November 1 Th All Saints Day November 4 Sun Standard Time begins (move clocks back one hour) November 4-10 National Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Week November 6 Tu Student/Teacher Holiday Election Day November 11 Sun (Armistice Day) November 11-17 American Education Week National Youth Appreciation Week November 12-16 School Psychology Awareness Week November 14 W Education Support Professionals Day November 15 Th Board of Education Meeting National Parental Involvement Day November 16 F Substitute Educators Day November 18-24 National Family Week National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week November 19-23 M-F Thanksgiving break (School holidays) November 21 W Planned Furlough Day [#1] {12-month staff} November 22 Th Thanksgiving Day November 22 & 23 Th & F Thanksgiving break {12-month staff holidays} December 8 Sat Feast of the December 9-16 (Festival of Lights)* December 13 Th Board of Education Meeting December 15 Sat Bill of Rights Day December 17-19 M-W Early release for high school exams December 19 W End of 3rd six weeks, 2nd nine weeks, and 1st semester (Day 90) December 20-31 Th-M Winter Break (School holidays) December 21 F First Day of Winter Planned Furlough Day [#2] {12-month staff} December 24-31 M-M Winter break {12-month staff holidays} December 25 Tu December 26-January 1 January 1 Tu Japanese New Year Festivities New Year’s Day (Systemwide holiday) {all employees} January 1-3 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God January 2 W Student Holiday and Required Teacher Planning/Staff Development [#6] January 3 Th Students return to school Begin 4th six weeks, 3rd nine weeks, and 2nd semester (Day 91) January 6 Sun January 7 M Christmas Day (Orthodox) January 16 W 100th Day of School January 17 Th Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] January 20 Sun Inauguration Day January 21 M Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Systemwide holiday) {all employees} (Federal observance)

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February 1-28 National African American History Month National Children’s Dental Health Month National Heart Month National Technical Education Month 1 F February 2 Sat February 3 Sun Scout Sunday February 4-8 National School Counseling Week February 8 F Anniversary of Boy Scouting February 9 Sat Scout Sabbath February 10 Sun February 10-16 National Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Week February 12 Tu Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday Georgia Day () February 12-16 National SkillsUSA Week February 13 W February 13-March 30 Lent February 14 Th St. Valentine’s Day End of 4th six weeks (Day 120) February 15 F Student/Teacher Holiday or Snow Make-Up Day (Priority 1) February 17 Sun National PTA Founders Day February 18 M Student /Teacher Holiday or Snow Make-Up Day (Priority 2) Presidents’ Day (Federal observance) February 19 Tu Begin 5th six weeks (Day 121) February 21 Th Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] February 22 F George Washington’s Birthday February 25 & 26 M & Tu Early Release for elementary and middle schools for parent-teacher conferences March 1-31 American Red Cross Month Great American Cleanup (through May 31) Irish American Heritage Month Music in Our Schools Month National Middle Level Education Month National Nutrition Month® Social Work Month Women’s History Month Youth Art Month March 2 Sat Read Across America (Dr. Seuss’ birthday) March 4-8 Exceptional Children’s Week National School Breakfast Week Newspapers in Education Week March 4-10 National Foreign Language Week March 8 F End of 3rd nine weeks (Day 134) International Women’s Day March 10 Sun Daylight Saving Time begins (advance clocks one hour) Girl Scout Sunday March 10-16 Girl Scout Week March 11 M Student Holiday and Planned Furlough Day [#2] or Teacher Planning/Staff Dev. Day Johnny Appleseed Day March 12 Tu Begin 4th nine weeks (Day 135) Girl Scout Birthday March 16 Sat Girl Scout Sabbath March 17 Sun Camp Fire USA Birthday St. Patrick’s Day March 18-May 4 Orthodox Lent March 20 W First Day of Spring March 21 Th Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] Bahá’ í New Year’s Day (Naw-Rúz)* March 26-27 Tu & W (Pesach), First Days* March 28 Th End of 5th six weeks (Day 147) March 29 F Student/Teacher Holiday or Snow Make-Up Day (Priority 3) March 31 Sun April 1-30 National Poetry Month Occupational Therapy Month School Library Media Month April 1 M April Fools’ Day Begin 6th six weeks (Day 148) April 1 & 2 M & Tu Passover (Pesach), Concluding Days*

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April 2 T International Children’s Book Day April 7 Sun Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah)* April 8 M Celebration of Buddha’s Birthday April 8-12 M-F (School holidays) April 12 F Spring holiday {12-month staff holiday} April 14-20 National Environmental Education Week National Library Week Week of the Young Child April 18 Th Administrative Professionals Week April 21-27 Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] National Student Leadership Week Public School Volunteer Week April 22 M April 24 W Administrative Professionals Day April 26 F National Arbor Day May 1-31 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Better Hearing and Speech Month National Physical Fitness and Sports Month National Sight-Saving Month May 1 W May 1-7 National Physical Education and Sports Week May 2 Th Kindergarten Registration (tentative) May 5 Sun Orthodox Easter (Pascha) May 5-11 Be Kind to Animals Week Teacher Appreciation Week May 5-12 National Music Week May 6-10 School Nutrition Employee Week May 7 Tu National Teacher Day May 8 W National School Nurse Day May 9 Th Ascension May 12 Sun Mother’s Day May 12-18 Food Allergy Awareness Week National School Police Week May 13-17 Custodian Appreciation Week May 13-19 National Children’s Book Week May 15-16 W & Th (Festival of Weeks)* May 16 Th Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] May 17 F Last day for 174- and 175-day employees May 18 Sat Armed Forces Day May 19 Sun May 19-25 National Educational Bosses’ Week May 20-22 M-W Early release for high school exams May 22 W LAST DAY OF SCHOOL End of 6th six weeks, 4th nine weeks, and 2nd semester (Day 180) Last day for 180-, 181-, and 185-day employees May 23 Th Required Teacher Planning/Staff Development Day [#7] Last day for 193-day employees May 24 F Required Teacher Planning/Staff Development Day [#8] Last day for 190-day employees May 27 M (Systemwide holiday) {all employees} May 31 F Last day for 200-day employees June 5-7 W-F Summer Leadership Conference June 11 Tu Last day for 210- and some 220-day employees (ES and MS Admin. Assist.) June 14 F June 16 Sun Father’s Day June 20 Th Board of Education Meeting [Tentative] June 21 F First Day of Summer June 25 Tu Last day for 230- and all other 220-day employees June 28 F Last day for 12-month employees

Throughout the school year, teachers are scheduled to work eight planning/staff development days. In addition, two days— Oct. 8 and March 11— are identified as planned furlough days for most school based personnel. However, one or both of these furlough days could be restored as teacher planning/staff development days if funding sources allow.

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Beginning and Ending Dates for Staff for 2012-13 174-day staff 8-6-12 to 5-17-13 175-day staff 8-3-12 to 5-17-13 180-day staff 8-6-12 to 5-22-13 181-day staff 8-3-12 to 5-22-13 185-day staff 7-30-12 to 5-22-13 190-day staff 7-30-12 to 5-24-13 193-day staff 7-23-12 to 5-23-13 200-day staff 7-23-12 to 5-31-13 210-day staff 7-23-12 to 6-11-13 220-day staff–ES & MS administrative assistants* 7-9-12 to 6-11-13 Other 220-day staff 7-23-12 to 6-25-13 230-day staff* 7-9-12 to 6-25-13 12-month staff* 7-2-12 to 6-28-13

*School-based staff working before July 23 follow four-day work week schedule.

12-Month Employee Holidays for 2012-13 July 4, Sept. 3, Nov. 22–23, Dec. 24–31, Jan. 1, Jan. 21, April 12, and May 27

Additional information will be added in a later version to reflect days worked/off by employee group.