Lynn schools release schedule

LYNN – Only 21 more shopping days until back to school.Much to the glee of tired parents and the distress of their school-aged children, the Lynn Public School Department released the schedule for the upcoming 2008-09 school year Tuesday, officially diagnosing summer with three weeks to live.School will begin the Wednesday after Labor Day, Sept. 3, for elementary school, middle school and high school freshmen, while high school upper classmen will return to the hallways one day later, Sept. 4.Pre-kindergarten students do not begin until the following Monday, Sept. 8.Students will wait just more than a month for their first day off, as Columbus Day provides Monday-holiday relief on Oct. 13. Other scheduled holidays are Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 19, Good Friday on April 10 and Memorial Day on May 25.Thanksgiving recess will take place from Nov. 26- 28 and Christmas break will be held from Dec. 24- Jan. 2.Winter break will be the week of Feb. 16-20 and spring break will be the week of April 20-24.Students in the elementary schools will also receive a half-day for professional development on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and the high schools will have a professional development half-day later in the year on a yet-to-be determined date. Teachers will also report to school one day early, Sept. 2 for professional development.The last day of school for most students is tentatively scheduled for June 17, with high school seniors wrapping up the year on June 5. The last day of school could change depending on the amount of snow days during the winter months.Graduation is tentatively scheduled for June 11 at LVTI and June 12 at English and Classical.Pre-kindergarten ends June 12.The schedule also includes dates for handing out report cards in three of the four semesters. The first semester report cards will be handed out Nov. 25, followed by the second semester on Feb. 9 and the third semester April 17. Fourth semester report cards are traditionally handed out on the last day of school.