District Calendars

Cultural dates of significance

ASD serves a diverse population and takes pride in our sensitivity to the various cultures that live in our community. As a public school system we are required by the U.S. Constitution to maintain religious neutrality. We should neither encourage nor discourage religious activity.

The following guidelines and resources are an attempt to more clearly articulate current policy and offer assistance to ASD employees in determining the appropriateness of school activities as they relate to important events and activities around religious holidays and cultural dates of significance.

Dates on which activities^± cannot be scheduled, 2009-2012

In order to maximize student involvement in school activities and to accommodate the needs of students and families, no after-school activity shall be scheduled or hosted by the district on the dates listed below.

^±Activities include but are not limited to: sports team competitions, school open houses, academic competitions, dances, student performances, retreats and student government conferences. This prohibition does not include regular practices or regular club meetings.

The following are days on which activities shall not be scheduled. The board may add or subtract from this list at a single board meeting as long as the action is on the agenda and properly noticed in advance. [Anchorage School Board policy 350.2]

Printable version (PDF)

U.S. holidays	Observance	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
	New Year's Day	1/1/10	1/1/11	1/1/12
	Thanksgiving Day	11/26/09	11/25/10	11/24/11
Religion	Observance	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
Christianity	Christmas	12/25/09	12/25/10	12/25/11
	Good Friday	4/2/10	4/22/11	4/6/12
	Easter	4/4/10	4/24/11	4/8/12
Christianity/ Orthodox	Christmas	1/7/10	1/7/11	1/7/12
	Easter/Pascha	4/4/10	4/24/11	4/15/12
Islam	Eid al Fitr (Breaking of Fast)	9/21/09^	10/24/10^	10/24/11^
	Eid al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)	11/28/09^	11/17/10^	11/7/11^
Judaism	Rosh Hashana (New Year)	9/19*-20/09	9/9*-10/10	9/29*-30/11
	Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)	9/28/09*	9/18/10*	10/8/11*
	Pesach (Passover)	3/30*-31/10	4/19*-20/11	4/7*-8/12
*These holidays begin at sundown the previous day. Passover lasts six days, however our local Jewish community considers the first two days of Passover the most important days for seders.
^These holidays begin at sundown the previous day. The Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation. Dates may vary based on local lunar sightings; visit www.alaskamasjid.com for more information.
Updated: 12/9/08