Why are NYC public and Catholic schools closed on Monday?

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City public and Catholic school students are enjoying a three-day weekend, as schools are closed on Monday.

Students won’t head to class on Monday in observance of Columbus Day, Italian Heritage Day, and Indigenous People’s Day.

According to the Department of Education academic calendar, schools are closed to observe Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples’ Day. For Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York, the calendar gives time off for Columbus Day.

Along with recognizing the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ journey to America in 1492, the federal holiday honors the history and culture of Native Americans and other indigenous people.

Students will return to classes on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

For those looking further ahead, there are plenty of days off before the end of the year.

Public schools are closed for Diwali just a week later on Oct. 20, and for Election Day on Nov. 5.

Public and Catholic schools will both be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day, and on Nov. 27-28 for Thanksgiving recess. Winter recess will begin in late December.

The DOE’s public school calendar includes some two dozen days off between the first day and the last day of classes. The calendar gives time off for the religious holidays, week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess and spring recess, and federal holidays.

The Archdiocese of New York Superintendent of Schools calendar for Catholic elementary school students on Staten Island also includes time off for religious and federal holidays.

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