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As the holiday season approaches, students at Wayland High School are looking forward to a well-deserved holiday break. With only 11 days allotted for time off from school, the shortness of this vacation struggles to provide students with adequate recovery time after a stressful semester of academics and extracurricular activities. This break also limits opportunities for travel, family visits and seasonal festivities. The shortness of this winter break can make it difficult for students to get the rest and recharging they deserve during this point in the school year.
I think that extending our winter break to two full weeks would better meet the needs of both students and faculty during this stressful time of the school year. After putting in months of focused academic effort from September through December, some students can experience burnout and mental exhaustion. The current 11 day break simply does not allow sufficient time to decompress from months of tests, projects, assignments and other demands in student’s lives. On top of that, I think that after four months of school, regardless of what grade a student is in, everyone deserves a break and some time to “forget” about school. The holiday break can be a fun time for all if given enough time off.
Likewise, teachers also invest lots of time and energy into their classes and students right up until the last day before break. They also deserve adequate time off so they can return refreshed and ready to tackle the remainder of the school year. Additionally, a two week vacation better suits students and faculty who wish to travel and visit with out-of-town relatives over the holidays without compromising school obligations before and after.
At my old school, the Meadowbrook School of Weston, the holiday break for this year starts on Dec. 15 right after school, giving students 18 days off. That is one extra week compared to the 11 days here. At Xaverian Brothers High School (XBHS) in Westwood, the break there starts on Dec. 17, giving students 16 days off. Rather than squeezing beloved traditions into a short period, an extended winter break like the one at Meadowbrook allows students, staff and faculty alike to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy this special season to the fullest.
There is also a risk of losing momentum and falling back academically with a longer break. However, I think that some students might need to play catch up and review old materials the first few days of returning before diving into a new topic and learning something new. For me, I spend the last few hurried days before break ends honing in on projects, tests and assignments, because I don’t want to have to worry about missing anything or getting anything in late. While I am grateful that we do get a decent amount of time off, it just feels like it goes by too fast and does not leave enough time for the many things that I want to do or have been looking forward to. Even though Meadowbrook and XBHS have close to three weeks off and are private schools, I think that WHS having three extra days of downtime would allow students and faculty to start the new year feeling renewed, not like they never got a real break.
More time off in winter could also make the season brighter, easier and less stressful for many people. The pressures and expectations of school can leave little room for comfort, joy, togetherness and the other magical things that the December season has to offer, beyond presents underneath the tree or putting up decorations around the house. Having had two week or longer breaks, I can see the the impact it has had on my mental health by allowing me to unwind and just be able to spend time with those I love and not having to worry about getting homework done. This has allowed me to further appreciate the joy and charm of the holiday season. With fewer school commitments infringing on family time, I’ve been able to relax and enjoy the small, special moments that this time of year brings. Having a longer break, even by a few days, allows more breathing room from an otherwise crammed December.
anonymous • Dec 19, 2023 at 1:14 PM
This is an awesome article! I’ve always felt like the winter break goes by much faster than it should, and had no idea that other schools approached it differently. Hopefully one day administration will consider extending the break, especially when we’re studying and learning in and outside of school for 4 months straight (with the exception of the rare holiday).