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. Students or parents/caregivers have the responsibility to give timely prior notification to teachers and office staff. This can be done personally, through a written note, or through email.
  4. In planning curriculum, teachers are asked to ensure information presented during religious and cultural holidays can be easily obtained by students upon their return. During religious and cultural holidays, students may lack the time to do work. In these cases, affected students will be given alternate deadlines that are, at the earliest, after the weekend that follows the religious or cultural holiday.
  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 Interfaith Chaplain or Director of Equity and Inclusion. Note that some events are best communicated on our community calendar.

Dates Holiday or Observance Religious Group
September 25–27 (Sun–Tues) Rosh Hashanah Judaism
October 1–2 (Sat–Sun) General Conference Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
October 4–5 (Tues–Wed) Yom Kippur Judaism
October 17–18 (Mon–Tues) Simchat Torah Judaism
October 24 (Sun) Diwali Hinduism
November 1 (Tues) Samhain Wicca/Paganism
November 1 (Tues) All Saints Day, All Souls Day Western Christianity
November 2 (Wed) All Souls Day Western Christianity
December 18–26 Hanukkah Judaism
December 8 (Thurs) Bodhi Day Buddhism
December 25 (Sun) Christmas Western Christianity
January 7 (Sat) Christmas Orthodox Christianity
January 22 (Sun) Lunar New Year East and South East Asian Cultures
February 22 (Wed) Ash Wednesday Western Christianity
March 8 (Wed) Holi Hinduism
March 20–21 (Mon–Tues) Naw-Rúz (New Year) Baha'i
March 22–April 21* Ramadan Muslim
April 1–2 (Sat–Sun) General Conference Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
April 2 (Sun) Palm Sunday Western Christianity
April 21* (Fri) Eid al Fitr Muslim
April 7 (Fri) Good Friday Western Christianity
April 5–6 and 14/15 (4/5–4/15) (Wed–Thurs and Fri/Sat) Pesach/Passover Judaism
April 9 (Sun) Easter Western Christianity
April 24 (Mon) Easter Orthodox Christianity
May 1 (Mon) Beltane Wicca/Paganism
July 28–29* (Fri–Sat) Eid al Adha Muslim

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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You Belong at Rowland Hall