Waltham's First Day Of School: New High School, Important Dates

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham students are back in their classrooms as of Tuesday morning, and that's a big deal for the district.

The start of this school year marked the first year of the new Waltham High School building, something local officials have called a landmark achievement.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Friday at the new high school at 554 Lexington St.

"After decades of planning, strategizing & engineering, we are thrilled to finally be able to welcome students into a state of the art, 21st Century learning environment that will set our students up for future success in college or career opportunities," city officials said.

The new High School offers a more "hands-on, project-based learning approach, with 14 different career and technical education programs that integrate into the academic curriculum," officials said.

The former High School at 617 Lexington St. will now house the Waltham Dual Language School, offering a bilingual education, and the new Waltham Valor High School, a "competency-based flexible high school that emphasizes a robust primary person model that allows students to continue or restart on a pathway to high school graduation and post-secondary success."

Here's what else to know for the school year:

Free Meals

All meals at Waltham Public Schools, including breakfast and lunch, are set to remain free this year for all students.

Important Dates

• Start date: Aug. 27
• Kindergarten start date: Sept. 3
• Early release: Sept. 25
• Rosh Hashanah: Oct. 3
• Indigenous Peoples' Day: Oct. 14
• Early release for elementary students: Oct. 23
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
• Veterans Day: Nov. 11
• Early release for elementary students: Nov. 13
• Half Day: Nov. 27
• Thanksgiving break: Nov. 28-29
• Early release: Dec. 11
• Winter break: Dec. 23-Jan. 1
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school: Monday, Jan. 20
• Early release for elementary students: Jan. 22
• Early release: Jan. 29
• Winter recess: Feb. 17-21
• Early release: March 19
• Early release for elementary students: March 26
• Early release: April 9
• Spring break: April 18-25
• Memorial Day: May 26
• Last day: June 13