![After Massachusetts voted to remove the MCAS graduation requirement, policy makers are reshaping graduation standards. "The top-line understanding is that we’ve moved away from a system that we’ve known for about 24 years, which is one where every school district in Massachusetts had wide latitude to decide what their graduation requirements were in terms of coursework or other experiences, but every single student, in order to earn a diploma, needed to pass the MCAS in one English, one math and one science assessment," Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said. "We’ve moved away from that now, by virtue of the outcome of [the MCAS] ballot question in November, to a place where communities can still decide what their graduation requirements are, but there’s no requirement for students to pass the MCAS.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/img_3067_720.png)
![Troy Hoyt finishes the Boston Marathon, running for the Hoyt Foundation. T. Hoyt is the son of Hoyt Foundation CEO Russ Hoyt.
“[Running a marathon] might seem like a big thing, when it’s presented to you at first, but if you break it up and just keep telling yourself, “Yes, you can,” you can start chipping away at it. And before you know it, you’ll be running the whole 26 miles, and you won’t even think twice about it.” T. Hoyt said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/C36E8761-1CBB-452E-9DF2-543EF7B1095E_1_105_c.jpeg)
Lightened COVID-19 protocols reflect the vacation plans of WHS’ staff and students
Credit: Katya Luzarraga
WHS students and staff share their February break plans. “Because COVID-19 is getting better at this current moment in time, compared to last February break, I can actually go places instead of staying in my house,” Langdon said.
February 20, 2022
Many staff and students of WHS are looking forward to February break as an opportunity to escape the cold weathers of Massachusetts and take a break from the stress of the school year. Less strict travel restrictions allow community members to travel easier and more stress free this year.
The travel protocols still require people to wear masks in public transportation, such as planes, and force some to test negative or show proof of recovery from COVID-19 depending on where people are traveling. Unlike previous years, COVID-19 is not as much of a concern to students at WHS because most are fully vaccinated and boosted. Sophomore Cicily Langdon is flying to Austin, Texas to visit her family.
“Because COVID-19 is getting better at this current moment in time, compared to last February break, I can actually go places instead of staying in my house,” Langdon said.
For many, this school vacation is less worrisome due to the decrease in COVID-19 cases. During December vacation, many were quarantined with the coronavirus and were not able to travel as the omicron variant rapidly spread through New England. The people who had COVID-19 over December break are now said to have “double immunity” against the virus, so they feel safer traveling during this vacation.
“Since I just recovered from COVID-19, I supposedly have a stronger immunity because I am fully vaccinated and boosted,” math teacher Hannah Marton said. “I feel more comfortable than last year, when I was cautious about traveling.”
Others are deciding to stay close to home for February vacation, like freshman Aidan Shapley and sophomore Alison Zhu.
“I’m not going anywhere this break,” Zhu said. “I am going to be doing drivers-ed over the vacation.”
Along with personal obligations, like drivers-ed for many sophomores, some students are taking advantage of the time off from school to spend time with friends.
“I love to hang out with my friends during [February break] because I think it’s a good time to relax and it’s a good time because it’s [in the middle of] winter,” Shapley said.
Although the mask mandate, along with many other coronavirus restrictions, are slowly loosening their grip on the world, some believe that students and staff should still be cautious while traveling and soaking up the time away from school this February break.
“I feel like a lot of people, teachers and students, are going to be taking the proper precautions this break,” Langdon said. “I just don’t want another outbreak because I want to go back to normal school.”
