We, The Howard County Chinese Parents Group (HCCPG), request the HCPSS place one of its Professional Learning Days (PLD) on the Lunar New Year (LNY).

Every year, HCPSS has designated 1-2 day(s) in January and/or February on the Academic Calendar as Professional Learning Day(s). On these days, schools are closed to students. Combining a PLD with the LNY accommodates the needs of the people who do celebrate the holiday as well as those who do not. The proposal of combining one PLD with the LNY on February 8, 2016 was accepted by the 2015-2016 HCPSS Calendar Planning Committee. We ask the HCPSS Board of Education to adopt the calendar recommended by the committee and develop the charter to combine a PLD with the LNY in the future calendars.

In the past fourteen years, the Asian population increases from 7.7% to 16.2% in Howard County. Based on the recent estimate, Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese, who share similar cultural heritage, constitute nearly 10% of the total population in this county. The percentage of Asian students enrolled in HCPSS is even bigger. Almost one in five students in the HCPSS is Asian. The Asian community is a vital group of taxpayers and contributes to the County’s economy through property tax, income, sales tax, and our work benefits the County and the State. We recommend that the HCPSS BOE acknowledges the growing Asian community in Howard County and develops the charter for the calendar committee based on the proposal. 

We believe that this effort not only benefits the Asian community, but also the HCPSS community as a whole. In recent years, many Asian parents, either individually or as a group, have organized various activities during the LNY at many HCPSS schools. They brought educational values to the schools by increasing students’ cultural awareness and proficiency and fostering global citizenship, which consistently aligns with the HCPSS’s Vision 2018. Combining a PLD with the LNY will also develop the sense of ownership from the Asian parents, further increase their participation in all school activities, and encourage their involvement in strengthening HCPSS. This provides effective channels to outreach the Asian families which have untapped valuable resources in our community.

In summary, we propose that the HCPSS BOE adopt an academic calendar to reflect the increased diversity in Howard County.

The Howard County Chinese Parents Group

 

 

HCPSS달력에음력설날을인식

 

우리, 하워드카운티중국학부형그룹은HCPSS에서전문학습일중의하루를 설날으로배치하기를 제안합니다.

 

매년HCPSS에서는학사일정중 1월또는 2월의하루 또는 이틀을 전문학습일로지정했으며이런전문학습일을아이들의휴식일로정했습니다. 우리는전문학습일중의하루와설날을결합한다면설날을축하하려는사람들뿐만아니라그렇지않은사람들의편의를도모할수있으리라고믿습니다. 2016년 2월8일의전문학습일과 설날의 결합제안은HCPSS 일정계획위원회에의해채납되었습니다.

 

지난 14년사이에 하워드카운티의 아시안 인구는 7.7%에서 16.2%로증가했습니다.  HCPSS에등록한아시아아이들의비율은더크며거의다섯명중의한명은아시아인으로추정됩니다. 우리는HCPSS BOE에서하워드카운티에서성장하는아시아지역사회를인정하고제안에따라일정계획위원회에헌장을발급할것을권장합니다. 

 

우리는이러한노력은아시아커뮤니티뿐만아니라하워드카운티커뮤니티에도  혜택을가져다줄것이라고믿습니다. 우리는HCPSS BOE에서하워드카운티의다양성의성장을반영하기위해새로운학사일정을채택할것을제안합니다.

 

  

 

하워드카운티중국학부형그룹