Although the next school year does not start until September, School District 54 has already released its schedule of when there will be no classes for Houston and Smithers students.
The school year officially starts Wednesday, Sept. 4, after the Labour Day Monday statutory holiday on Sept. 2 and a teachers’ professional development day Sept. 3.
Classes are in session for the rest of the month with the exception of Monday, Sept. 30, which is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation statutory holiday. That’s followed by the Thanksgiving Monday statutory holiday of Oct. 14.
Parents and guardians get a first glimpse at the progress of a student Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 because those are early dismissal days to allow for conversations with teachers.
And teachers then shift to a professional development day on Oct. 25.
November features the Remembrance Day Monday statutory holiday on Nov. 11, followed by another professional development day on Nov. 12.
After that, there is nothing on the schedule affecting classroom days until the start of Christmas holidays on Dec. 23. and through to Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Nearly five weeks of instruction follows until the first non-instructional day of Friday, Feb. 14. Its followed immediately by the Family Day Monday statutory holiday of Feb. 17.
The two-week spring break period begins as of March 17 and ends on Friday, March 28, but due to the weekend the first day back at school is March 31.
There are early dismissal days on April 16 and April 17, a Wednesday and a Thursday, followed by the Good Friday statutory holiday on April 18 and a non instructional day the following Monday of April 21.
There’s another non instructional day in May, on Friday, May 16, after which comes Victoria Day on Monday, May 19.
School wraps up the last week of June 2025 with Thursday, June 26 being the last day of classes.
Teachers have their final non instructional day on Friday, June 27 and the 2024-2025 school year then closes.
For the 2024-2025 school year, days in session total 193, with 181 of those days considered instructional days.