New calendar gets high schools on same page

For the first time in years, all high schools in the Roseville Joint Union High School District are about to be on the same page, schedule-wise.Trustees this week approved a calendar that aligns the district's five comprehensive high schools beginning in 2009 – including the same start date, end date, and days off.Woodcreek High School has traditionally opened about two weeks earlier than the other high schools, a holdover from when its feeder schools in the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District operated on a year-round schedule.But the system also had the side benefit of allowing students to complete their first-semester finals before winter break, while other schools returned after break to complete finals – a situation that neither teachers, parents nor students found ideal.Now, Roseville, Oakmont, Granite Bay and Antelope high schools will more closely mirror the Woodcreek schedule, with all schools starting Aug. 10, 2009. "Kids and families will get a real winter break," said Glen De Graw, assistant superintendent of personnel services. "They won't be working on projects through the break."Additionally, De Graw said the new calendar will allow for better coordination of teacher training. "Before, we would have to do training -once for Woodcreek staff and then do the same training when the other schools start," he said. "When we're on the same calendar, it gives better alignment."The schedule will still provide the state-mandated 180 instructional days and 184 teacher-work days, he said.For more information on the calendars, go to www.rjuhsd.us and click "calendars."