Sometimes, it’s tough to figure out when the schools are in session

Even though public schools send home full-year school calendars with students, it still can be confusing figuring out when children are supposed to be in school, and when they should stay home.

The modified, or year-round calendar utilized by the Eastside schools (minus Hanalei Elementary) makes it a bit more difficult, but those on the regular school-year calendar don’t always have it much easier.

For example, the official start of school for the rest of the public schools on the island is Thursday, Aug. 22, with teachers reporting Tuesday, Aug. 20. But some schools are scheduling those first two days of school as waiver days, so students don’t officially report until Monday, Aug. 26.

And at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in Puhi, the first two days are waiver days, and only sixth graders report the first two days of school for students, so the upper grades don’t start until Wednesday, Aug. 28.

At King Kaumuali’i Elementary School in Hanama’ulu, students report for the first day of school on Thursday, Aug. 22.

It is no surprise, then, that the state Department of Education Kaua’i district office, and the individual schools, are being deluged with telephone calls from parents wondering which days to bring their children to school, and which days not to send their little ones.

So, in order to clarify the school year for parents (no less than five different calendars were faxed to The Garden Island), and at the request of Danny Hamada, DOE Kaua’i school superintendent, we offer the following information on the various school calendars, beginning with those Eastside schools already in session.

First of all, the four schools on the modified calendar, Kilauea Elementary, Kapaa Elementary, Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High, all have the same dates for breaks between quarters, all Mondays through Fridays: Sept. 30 to Oct. 11; Dec. 23 to Jan. 3; and March 17 to March 28.

All also have the same dates for ends of quarters: Friday, Sept. 27; Friday, Dec. 20; Friday, March 14; and Tuesday, June 3. All but Kilauea also have waiver days on Friday, Sept. 13.

The four schools share holidays on Friday, Aug. 16, Admissions Day; Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day; and Teacher Institute Day, Tuesday, Oct. 22; waiver days on Monday, Nov. 4, followed by another day where students stay home, Tuesday, Nov. 5, election day; Veterans’ Day Monday, Nov. 11; and Thanksgiving holidays on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29.

Holidays are also observed by public schools on the so-called traditional calendar.

The four Eastside schools on modified schedules all have waiver days Monday, Jan. 6, right after the winter recess, and are off Monday, Jan. 20, for Martin Luther King Day; waiver day Tuesday, Feb. 4 (Kilauea School also has a waiver day on Wednesday, Feb. 5); and Monday, Feb. 17 for Presidents’ Day.

The four are closed to students Good Friday, April 18, and the following Monday, April 21, for a waiver day. The final holiday is Monday, May 26, Memorial Day.

Parent conferences are set at Kapaa Middle School Monday through Friday, Oct. 28 to Nov. 1; and Feb. 10 to 14. Also at that school, standardized testing is set for Monday, April 7 to Thursday, April 17.

Kapaa High School graduation is Friday, May 30.

At the four schools on the modified calendar, the first quarter ends Friday, Sept. 27, the first semester is over Friday, Dec. 20, the third quarter ends Friday, March 14, and the end of the school year for students is Tuesday, June 3.

Students at schools on the traditional calendar return to the classrooms on Thursday, Aug. 22, unless waiver days are planned by the individual schools. No long breaks are set for periods between quarters, except for spring break, Monday through Friday, March 24 to 28.

Winter break is from Monday, Dec. 23, to Friday, Jan. 3. Quarters end Wednesday, Oct. 2; Friday, Jan. 17; Friday, March 21; and with the end of school Monday, June 9.

The last day for students is Monday, June 9.