Respecting Religious Beliefs
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Religious and Cultural Holidays
We are committed to supporting students, faculty, and staff in their religious obligations and celebration of holidays, and we are engaged in the ongoing work of educating ourselves and our community about diverse expressions of religion and culture. We recognize that some religious obligations require cessation of work and/or absence from school. We want students, faculty, and staff to be able to observe their holidays without fear of penalty and with the full support of the community.
Homework/Curriculum Expectations
- No homework will be given over the five seasonal breaks: fall break, Thanksgiving break, December break, February break, and April break.
- We believe that students who are absent from school due to religious and cultural holidays should be supported in the observation of their faith traditions.
- Teachers have the responsibility to plan curriculum to ensure that information presented during major religious and cultural holidays can be easily obtained by students upon their return. In cases where students may not have time to complete work during their absence, these assignments will have alternate deadlines that are, at the earliest, after the weekend that follows the major religious or cultural holiday.
- Students or parents/caregivers have the responsibility to give timely prior notification of absences to teachers and office staff. This can be done in person or via email.
- When students are absent from school on test or quiz days due to religious and cultural obligations, reasonable make-up dates need to be set by faculty and students together. Students should be given sufficient time to make up for their missed days.
Religious and Cultural Holiday Calendar
The goal of this calendar is to support faculty, staff, and families in understanding, planning, and accommodating the religious needs of those within our community. This calendar includes many of the holidays that members of our community observe, with an emphasis on those that may impact community members’ ability to work, study, and/or attend school. This is not an exhaustive list, and individual practices may vary.
If you are a Rowland Hall community member and would like to propose an additional holiday or information to appear here, please contact our director of equity and inclusion. Note that some events are best communicated on our community calendar.
Dates for 2024–2025 School Year | Holiday or Observance | Religious or Cultural Group |
---|---|---|
October 2–4 (Wednesday–Friday) | Rosh Hashanah | Judaism |
October 5–6 (Saturday–Sunday) | General Conference | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
October 11–12* (Friday–Saturday) | Yom Kippur | Judaism |
October 31–November 1 (Thursday–Friday) | Diwali | Hinduism |
October 31–November 1 (Thursday–Friday) | Samhain | Wicca/Paganism |
November 1 (Friday) | All Saints Day | Western Christianity |
November 2 (Saturday) | All Souls Day | Western Christianity |
December 8 (Thursday) | Bodhi Day | Buddhism |
December 25 (Wednesday) | Christmas | Western Christianity |
December 25–January 2 (Wednesday–Thursday) | Hanukkah | Judaism |
December 26–January 1 (Thursday–Wednesday) | Kwanzaa | African American |
January 7 (Tuesday) | Christmas | Orthodox Christianity |
January 29 (Wednesday) | Lunar New Year | East and South East Asian Cultures |
February 28–March 30* (Friday–Sunday) | Ramadan | Islam |
March 5 (Wednesday) | Ash Wednesday | Western Christianity |
March 14 (Friday) | Holi | Hinduism |
March 19–20 (Wednesday–Thursday) | Naw-Rúz (New Year) | Baha'i |
March 29–March 30* (Saturday–Sunday) | Eid al Fitr | Islam |
April 5–6 (Saturday–Sunday) | General Conference | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
April 12–20* (Saturday–Sunday) | Pesach/Passover | Judaism |
April 13 (Sunday) | Palm Sunday | Western Christianity |
April 18 (Friday) | Good Friday | Western Christianity |
April 20 (Sunday) | Easter | Western Christianity/Orthodox Christianity |
May 1 (Thursday) | Beltane | Wicca/Paganism |
June 6–7* (Friday–Saturday) | Eid al Adha | Islam |
*Jewish and Muslim holidays begin at sundown on the date specified. Muslim holidays may shift based on the official sighting of the crescent moon.
Ethical Education
Rowland Hall strives to graduate good citizens, not just students well-prepared for college. Concepts such as character, service, ethics, and community matter here. From the earliest grades through senior year, we stress the need to lead by example and have a positive influence on the lives of others.