Teacher conference day added to 2013-14 calendar, Creek Wood graduation moved

The 2013-14 school year in Dickson County will include the addition of a full day for parent-teacher conferences and changes Creek Wood High School’s graduation from Saturday morning to Thursday night. The proposed calendar was approved unanimously by the Dickson County School Board last week. Director Dr. Danny Weeks said the calendar is similar to the system’s current school year and represents “what we believe to be best for students.” Weeks said his staff gathered input from teachers, administrators and parents in making the new schedule. The calendar adds a new day off for students on Oct. 28 to allow the system to hold parent-teacher conferences 11 am-7 pm. Weeks said the day-long schedule allows parents more access and flexibility in meeting with their student’s teachers. The system will use one of its 13 “stockpiled” days to accommodate the conference day. Two other stockpiled days are used for professional development, leaving the school system with 10 built-in days for inclement weather. The days accumulate because Dickson County’s school day is longer than the minimum hours required. The other major change is moving Creek Wood’s graduation from the Saturday after Dickson County High School to the Thursday night before, which in 2014 will be May 15. Weeks said the Creek Wood administration requested the change and he considered alternating the earlier graduation night between the two high schools or rewarding the school with the higher graduation rate with the earlier night, but for now will leave it with Creek Wood graduating on Thursday and Dickson County on Friday. The new school calendar starts school on Thursday, Aug. 1, and ends with half a day for picking up report cards on Saturday, May 24, so school can be finished before Memorial Day. It still includes the usual holidays, two-week fall break, two-week Christmas break and six-day spring break.

2013-14 Calendar

Thursday, Aug. 1 – first day of school

Monday, Sept. 2 – Labor Day (no school)

Tuesday, Sept. 3 – Staff Development (no school)

Friday, Sept. 20 – Creek Wood Homecoming (half day CWHS and feeder schools)

Friday, Oct. 4 – Dickson County Homecoming (half day DCHS and feeder schools)

Oct. 7-18 – Fall break

Monday, Oct. 28 – Fall conferences (no school)

Monday, Nov. 11 – Teacher planning (half day)

Nov. 27-29 – Thanksgiving break

Friday, Dec. 20 – Half day

Dec. 23-Jan. 3 – Christmas break

Monday, Jan. 6 – Staff Development (no school)

Monday, Jan. 20 – Martin Luther King Day (no school)

Monday, Feb. 10 – Teacher planning (half day)

Monday, Feb. 17 – Presidents Day (no school)

March 14-21 – Spring break

Friday, April 18 – Good Friday (no school)

April 28-May 2 – TCAP Week

Thursday, May 15 – Creek Wood graduation

Friday, May 16 – Dickson County graduation

Saturday, May 24 – Last day of school (half day)