June 8, 2006
It's Brooklyn-Queens Day
If you've noticed that the subways were strangely empty of school kids or that the streets were strangely full of them during school hours, you can stop contemplating that call to a truant officer. NYC public school students get today off because it's Brooklyn-Queens Day. The Queens Public Library explains:
Brooklyn-Queens Day originated as a Protestant holiday celebrated in the City of Brooklyn in 1829. Back then it was known, and fondly remembered by some, as Anniversary Day. Anniversary Day is celebrated annually on the first Thursday in June, commemorating the founding of the First Sunday School on Long Island. The first parade was held in Brooklyn June 1829.However, this year, all students in all boroughs get the day off. Public school teachers, though, have a "development day."The New York State Legislature enacted, in 1959 at the request of the Queens Federation of Churches, the bill permitting the schools in both Kings and Queens Counties to be closed on this day. It was signed by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller.
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that hallway looks a lot like those of MLK high school on the west side of manhattan where I took my SATs...
Great, just what the kids need -- a day of no school. Can't read, can't write, drop out at 15, but give 'em the chance to celebrate the city in which they live. w00t!
"celebrated annually on the first Thursday in June..."
They do know that today is the second Thursday this June, right?
I think it works the same way as election day where it doesn't count and gets pushed back if the first thursday in june is also the first day of june. i think.
I checked the DoE calendar and today is the day they get off. So what do I know.
I guess I graduated from Stuyvesant a little early.
Wait a minute...four years ago us Manhattan students never got the day off.
Beware females who read Gothamist:
There's some guy --posing as KYLE --trolling this site claiming it's ok for women who are alone to let men into their apt/place of business/etc so they can be raped or robbed: next time you see him trolling, please give him a pice of your mind....
It's the first Thursday after the first Monday in June.
Sorry to correct you all, but the so-called "Brooklyn/Queens Day" has *nothing* to do with the day off from school. They get two days off for development days every year. Today was a conference with the chancellor and attendance was mandatory. It's a day off for the kids but not for the teachers.
I was told that Brooklyn-Queens Day was a celebration of the first public school in the City of Brooklyn.
I've read what it said on the Queens Library website.
Does anyone have any other information on this?