After Hurricane Sandy caused Southampton School District to cancel classes for all five days last week, district officials have decided to hold classes next Tuesday in lieu of parent-teacher conferences.
The parent-teacher conferences will be rescheduled, so students can make up one of the days they lost.
"In order to accomplish our instructional goals for our students, we need to focus on the quantity and quality of time on task," reads a notice on the district website. "This year has been, and may continue to be, a challenge in terms of maintaining continuity and sufficiency of instruction. The first semester has a number of scheduled days off for religious observances, legal holidays (5), the usual recess periods and, most recently, the five-day closure forced by Hurricane Sandy. We may need to close school in the months ahead due to wintry conditions."
Students and teachers will still have the day off on Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving, to accommodate scheduled family vacations and holiday travel.
The district has not yet curtailed any other recess periods, the website notes, and is awaiting guidance from the state education department on possible storm-related waivers for minimum days in session. The number of assemblies, daytime concerts, field trips and special events will be reduced to provide more classroom time, and some events will be moved to evenings and weekends.
