Virginia Public Schools Calendar

Letters for Feb. 20: Urge the Virginia Beach School Board to vote for a pre-Labor Day calendarSchool calendar

Tuesday night, the school board of Virginia Beach will vote on a calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Who knew that one calendar would be so difficult to craft and would garner so much interest? It is difficult to produce a calendar that will satisfy everyone. Many locals want a post-Labor Day start because that is what the city has had for so long, and others insist it is better for our local economy. In a military community, a long winter holiday is desirable.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools has drafted both a pre- and post-Labor Day calendar; both have a two-week winter holiday. As a parent, student or community member the two calendars probably look the same, and I venture to guess most of the aforementioned would prefer the post-Labor Day calendar.

As a teacher with 29 years of experience, I know the importance of strategically placed staff days, which allow me to plan to meet the needs of my students. The high-quality instruction the students of Virginia Beach receive is dependent on teachers who receive training and time to collaborate with colleagues. Next school year teachers will be implementing new Standards of Learning and new literacy initiatives; that means a complete overhaul of lessons and assessments. The post-Labor Day calendar ignores the need for staff days throughout the year and is not in the best interest of students or teachers. If you value education, email the School Board at [email protected] and ask them to vote for a pre-Labor Day calendar.

Dawn Euman, secretary of the Virginia Beach Education Association and a Virginia Beach teacher, Virginia Beach

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Stop now

The following is an excerpt from the minute approved by Virginia Beach Friends Meeting on Jan. 28. “We, the members of the Virginia Beach Friends Meeting are heartbroken and stricken with horror and grief at the recent renewed eruption of violence in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. We call for an immediate ceasefire by both Israel and Hamas, the prompt release by Hamas of all hostages, and the release of all uncharged prisoners by Israel. We call on the U.S. to urge Israel to expedite the flow of humanitarian aid to relieve the tremendous suffering that has been created in Gaza with the immediate provision of food, shelter, water, and medicine. We strongly urge the United States to no longer provide Israel with funding for weapons.

As Quakers, we believe that each life is sacred, and we know that the use of violence as a means of settling conflict is unacceptable and leads to further violence, which we already see happening around the region.

We strongly condemn Hamas’ horrific deadly October attacks on Israeli civilians, its inhumane treatment of civilians, and its taking of hostages, many of whom are still being held and are in danger. We also condemn the ongoing unrestrained and violent response by Israel in its siege of Gaza, which has left thousands of civilians dead or wounded and caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. … .”

To read the entire minute, visit vbfriends.org/DocPad/Posts/20240128_CalledMeetingForBusiness/Minute_Approved.pdf.

David French, clerk of Virginia Beach Friends Meeting, Virginia Beach

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Henry Fambrough

I was so very sad to hear of Henry Fambrough’s death. I grew up in Ferndale, Michigan, and Fambrough lived across the street from my house. We attended U.S. Grant Middle School and Lincoln High School (aka “Ferndale High School”) together.

I pulled out my high school yearbook and looked at some of our pictures. We were so young and unaware of what the future would hold for us. I know Fambrough wasn’t. I continued to sing in vocal groups after high school and during my 20-year enlistment in the Air Force. I won first place singing lead on, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” in an Air Force talent show in 1973.

Fambrough and I sang together in our high school vocal group. We called ourselves, “The Quintones.” In our neighborhood most of us kids either sang in a vocal group or knew someone who did. I still have a picture of our vocal group that appeared in the 1958 edition of the local newspaper (The Ferndale Gazette).

I hadn’t seen Fambrough personally in many years. I saw him several years ago in a performance here in Norfolk where I showed a picture while waiting to get in and was escorted backstage and met with my homeboys. I knew them all personally and told them all how proud I was of their success. Henry, you will be missed. What a great and fantastic contribution you and the Spinners have given.

Jesse Holt, Hampton

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Forgetful?

President Joe Biden has presided over the addition of nearly 15 million jobs, 23 straight months of below 4% unemployment, positive consumer sentiment, the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the PACT Act, infrastructure law and gun safety law. He codified marriage equality, canceled $136 billion in student loan debt for 3.7 million borrowers, strengthened NATO and presided over electoral wins in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

The president, on a bad day, is way sharper than the best of us on our very best day. Count on it.

Marshall McClure, Norfolk