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

  1. No homework will be given over the five seasonal breaks: fall break, Thanksgiving break, December break, February break, and April break.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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