William Dale – Local Journalism Initiative
Published online October 21, 2026, at www.pontiacjournal.com
MANIWAKI — Contrary to a widely held belief in the region, the week off granted to students every November by the Centre de services scolaire des Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais (CSSHBO) is not connected to the local hunting season.
According to Chantal Langevin, a senior administrative clerk at the CSSHBO administrative center in Maniwaki, regional hunting traditions played no role whatsoever in shaping the board’s academic calendar.
“We want to clarify that the regional hunting season in no way influenced the School Service Centre’s decision to introduce a fall break in November,” Langevin stated.
First introduced during the 2024–2025 school year, the five-day break was strategically placed at the end of Term 1 (première étape) to give both students and staff a chance to catch their breath after an exceptionally demanding and intense first few months of classes.
While students receive five full days of vacation, the structure of the week operates somewhat differently for teaching staff. Teachers spend the first three days participating in pedagogical (PD) work—focusing on instructional planning, professional tasks, and individual student follow-ups—before taking the final two days as holidays. Langevin also emphasized that this autumn pause does not replace the traditional March break, which remains fully intact on the school calendar with five consecutive days off for both teachers and students.
Data collected by the school service centre since launching the initiative indicates that the extra week off is already yielding positive results in both attendance figures and overall school climate.
“The data we have shows that adding the November week has had positive effects,” Langevin explained. “In particular, we have observed a decrease in the student absenteeism rate since its implementation, which suggests that this break contributes favorably to their attendance at school. A decrease in absences was also noted among staff members.”
Internal surveys conducted following the initial fall break reflect strong support across the school community. Out of 221 staff members who responded to the consultation, 77 per cent reported that the pause had a positive impact on workplace productivity and overall staff morale.
Feedback from local families was similarly supportive. A survey of 640 parents revealed that 67 per cent appreciated the fall break, 62 per cent felt it well or perfectly met their family’s needs, and 58 per cent noted a positive impact on organizing family life.
Langevin emphasized that the survey results validate the strategic value of the November schedule, allowing students, school staff, and families to recharge at a pivotal point in the academic year.
