Nichole Dibenedetto talks with her daughters Ella, left, and Mia before they head into the first day of school at Green Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
Ethan Hyman
ehyman@newsobserver.com
RALEIGH
Thousands of Wake County traditional-calendar students kicked off a new school year on Tuesday that will include a large number of shortened school weeks.
Wake was one of the few North Carolina school systems that didn’t begin on Monday. The Tuesday start caused some questions for students like Tiara Baines’ daughter, Jewell, a fifth-grade student at Green Elementary School in Raleigh.
“She’s like, ‘Mom, it’s Tuesday. Why didn’t we start Monday?” Baines said. “That’s the school, I don’t know.”
This week is the first of a number of shortened school weeks that Wake County traditional-calendar families will face this school year.
Green Magnet Elementary School instructional coach Elizabeth Garcia welcomes students on the first day of school in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Days off throughout the school year
This school year, only 23 of the 40 school weeks will have five days of classes. The other 17 weeks will include at least one day off for a teacher workday or holiday.
“Definitely, you know, there’s a lot of days off I’ve noticed over the school year,” said Ivy Godde, who dropped off her 7-year-old daughter, Piper, at Green Elementary.
Ivy Godde giver her daughter Piper, a second grader, a kiss before the first day of school at Green Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Godde’s partner Stephanie Varela stands to the left. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Only eight of the 17 school weeks before Christmas will be five-day school weeks.
“How times have changed because that was not us when we were growing up,” said Stephanie Varela, Goode’s partner.
Most of the teacher workdays are on Fridays or Mondays, which will give families three-day weekends. Wake builds its schedule within the state’s school calendar law, which limits when districts can begin and end the school year.
Baines said Wake parents know they have to plan around the off days to arrange childcare.
“It’s something to get used to, but then when it comes up, even though I know it’s on the calendar, when it gets here, ‘Wow, they’re not in school,’” Baines said.
Last school year, Wake had scheduled 24 of the 40 weeks for traditional-calendar to have classes all five days.
The number of five-day school weeks in Wake was higher in past years, but included some weeks when students were dismissed early. Wake no longer schedules early-release days.
Jazzmine Farr gives her son Urijah Smith a hug before he and Farr’s daughter Maliyah Smith, right, head into Green Magnet Elementary School on their first day Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Urijah is a first grader and Maliyah is a second grader. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Teary-eyed parents
The scene often got emotional Tuesday at Green Elementary as parents said goodbye to their children.
Godde and Varela had prepared Piper the night before by watching videos about what to expect in second grade.
“As she was walking inside, my eye was starting to get a little bit emotional at watching her walk away because she’s getting so big,” Godde said.
Chetara Bartee tried to keep it together as her 5-year-old daughter, Myracle, and her niece, Addie, walked hand-in-hand to start kindergarten.
“I couldn’t let her see me cry because then she wouldn’t have went into school,” Bartee said. “So, well, I’m trying to be a strong parent right now.”
Nichole Dibenedetto has been through the kindergarten experience with her identical twin daughters, Ella and Mia. She’s kept both girls in the same class as they enter first grade.
“I‘m hoping that their confidence will continue to grow while they’re in school,” Dibenedetto said. “They’re turning into their own people as individuals, and so I’m just excited to see how they continue to set themselves apart from each other, and to see how much, how many friendships they end up having.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 11:55 AM.
T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.
