Help Shape Future School Calendars

RVS is seeking feedback from families, staff and students as we develop future school calendars.

We recognize school calendars affect everything from family schedules and staff planning to student learning and well-being. Through this survey, you'll have an opportunity to share what matters most to you in the creation of school year calendars including preferences around school start dates, winter and spring breaks and the timing of non-instructional days.

Your feedback will help inform future calendar development and support decisions that balance the needs of our diverse school communities.

Following this survey, we will report back to the community on what we heard. We will also present draft 2027/28 and 2028/29 calendars to the community in early 2027 for your feedback. The Board of Trustees will select finalized calendars in spring 2027.

Understanding School Calendar Development

As you complete the survey, it is important to keep in mind school calendar development is complex and guided by several requirements and standards. These standards cannot be adjusted and form the foundation of all calendar options being considered.

The creation of a school year calendar must comply with:

  • Alberta Education policies and legislation
  • RVS board policies and administrative procedures
  • Provincial and federal employment legislation
  • Public and statutory holidays
  • Collective agreements and terms and conditions of employment
  • Alberta Teachers' Convention dates
  • Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) schedules
  • Diploma examination schedules

RVS is also committed to:

  • Providing a two-week Winter Break in December
  • Providing a one-week Spring Break

Non-Instructional Days

Throughout this survey you will see references to non-instructional days, which are days during the school year when students are not in attendance. Non-instructional days may include:

  • Public and statutory holidays
  • Professional learning days
  • Organizational days
  • The annual Teachers’ Convention in February
  • Division-approved vacation days, which currently allow for Winter Break, February Break and Spring Break

Instructional Days

Throughout this survey you will see references to instructional days, which are days students are scheduled to attend school and receive teacher-directed learning and educational programming

The school calendar must ensure:

  • Students in Kindergarten have access to 475 hours of instruction
  • Students in Grades 1 – 9 have access to 950 hours of instruction
  • High school students have access to 1,000 hours of instruction

In addition:

  • RVS aims to schedule instructional days throughout the school year to support effective learning and student well-being.
  • RVS schedules an equal number of instructional days between the first and second semesters.