Mount Vernon Kicks Off New School Year

In case you were wondering why the crossing guards are out and the school busses are motoring down Commonwealth Avenue once again, Monday marks the first day of the new school year at in Del Ray.

MVCS, which serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade, operates on a modified school calendar. This calendar essentially divides summer vacation time throughout the year so learning can become a more continuous operation.

Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in the West End is the only other school operating on a modified calendar in the Alexandria City Public Schools system.

The remaining city schools—including George Washington and Francis Hammond Middle Schools as well as T.C. Williams High School—return to classes on Sept. 6.

Last fall, Del Ray Patch ran a - on MVCS and the modified calendar. The calendar, adopted in August 2005, offers several intersessions through the year. The intersessions provide remediation for students who need help on certain subjects as well as enrichment classes open to all students.

For the 2011-12 school year, MVCS students have 185 scheduled days. Teachers are contracted for 194 days.

To view the 2011-12 ACPS modified academic calendar, click here.

MVCS is hosting an ice cream social at 6 p.m. Friday. Back-to-school night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 11.