For the upcoming 2026-27 school year, DGN will be extending the usual 3-day Thanksgiving break into a full week while also shifting the first day of school to Aug. 14 instead of Aug. 17.
“Students will have the entire week of Thanksgiving off, and that change is tied to a different model for how we are doing parent-teacher conferences,” Principal Dr. Country Dement said.
The calendar adjustment stems from a broader effort to redesign how families and teachers connect throughout the year, moving away from the traditional October schedule.
“Instead of having those 2 days off in October, we’re moving that to the Monday of Thanksgiving week, with part of the day dedicated to conferences with family, “ Dr. DeMent said.
To meet the state requirement of 185 instructional days, including at least 176 student attendance days, the shift also changes how the school year begins.
“We always have that adjusted schedule. So 10th through 12th graders come in the morning. Ninth graders come in the afternoon. You kind of go spend a couple of minutes in each period of the day,” Dr. DeMent said. “That will happen on Friday next year. So the 1st full day will be the following Monday. Because instead of 3 institute days for staff, we go to 2 institute days for staff. Which means that we start on Friday instead of Monday.”
Although the calendar change may seem minor, it alters how teachers structure units leading into one of the longest breaks of the semester.
“It’s usually a week-by-week basis how we move through curriculum,” Grant said. “Instead of reviewing right before Thanksgiving, we would just push that back and test earlier. It’s just shifting things around.”
This means assessments and major assignments will likely occur earlier than students are used to, changing how they prepare in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
“Productivity is usually focused on reviewing or finalizing a unit so you don’t have it hanging over break,” Grant said.
As a result, students who rely on review days immediately before breaks may need to adjust their study habits and time management.
“I think some students it will be good for, some it might be more challenging, and for a lot of students it’ll probably be neutral,” Grant said.
The decision was also influenced by patterns outside the classroom, particularly attendance trends and how neighboring districts structure their calendars.
“We know that during Thanksgiving week, attendance isn’t always strong, and many surrounding districts already have that full week off,” Dr. DeMent said.
While current seniors will graduate before the change takes effect, some still see it as a positive shift for future students.
“I won’t be here for it, but I think it’s a good idea,” senior Megha Nambisan said. “Having a full week off would make it easier to actually relax and spend time with family.”
In addition to scheduling logistics, counselors point to the timing of the break as a potential benefit for student mental health during a high-stress point in the semester.
“I think it can only help. Stress levels are usually really high around October and November, so having a full week to reset and recharge will be beneficial,” counselor Katelyn Pankte said. “I think for most students it’s a great thing, but coming back after any break can be a challenge,” Pankte said.
District administration plans to monitor how the new schedule impacts both academic performance and student well-being over the next two years before making it permanent.
“We’re going to take time to evaluate how this works and gather feedback from all of our stakeholders before deciding if we’ll keep it long term,” DeMent said.
