Students and teaching staff in the Halifax Regional Municipality will be getting an extended spring break in 2011.
The province’s education department announced yesterday the 140 schools that fall under the Halifax Regional School Board or the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial will have their break moved to February and will be given an extra week off during the 2011 Canada Winter Games – to be held in Halifax.
The two-week break will extend from Feb. 14 to Feb. 25, 2011.
“To compensate, we’re starting the school year on Sept. 1 and it’s going to go right to June 30,” said department spokesman Peter McLaughlin. “We’re also shortening the Christmas break in HRM, which will buy us some days.”
McLaughlin said other provinces have made similar changes when they hosted the Winter Games in previous years.
Two of Halifax’s high schools – Citadel and Sackville – are being used as venues for the Games, and the Halifax Canada Games Society will be recruiting 1,000 student volunteers to serve as minor officials during the event.
Students and staff outside HRM will share the extended Sept. 1 to June 30 calendar, but will keep the traditional March break, and be given a longer Christmas holiday to compensate for the longer school year.
