Back in November the Prince William County School Board added four additional holidays to the 2021-2022 school calendar, including the following: Rosh Hashanah on September 7, 2021; Yom Kippur on September 16, 2021; Diwali on November 4, 2021; and Eid al Fitr on May 3, 2022. Last month, Governor Northam announced the formation of a task force charged with identifying best practices for implementing culturally and religiously inclusive school calendars and serving school meals that accommodate more dietary restrictions.

Now, Secretary of Education Atif Qarni is looking to obtain feedback from both the state-level task force and students on how to best implement the practice. Recently, he sent a notification via Facebook to have three selected students to meet with he and the panel via Zoom on Wednesday, July 14 at 10:00 am. This invitation is for middle or high-school students. Qarni will be moderating the panel.

Interested parties should send an email to atif.qarni@governor.virginia.gov.