Yes, you just read the title correctly, and you probably did not like what it had to say, either. Such a consideration—unpopular, saddening and, perhaps to most high school students and teachers, repulsive—could eliminate a necessary hiatus in the middle of April. Also, in the hypothetical situation that the school decided to take away your spring break days, your reaction to finding out such news would probably cause you to react very unpleasantly. That’s normal.
But if you really think about it, wouldn’t such a re-distribution of our school days benefit in the long term? Would you rather get out June 26th (the date in which all freshman, sophomores, and juniors have to stay in school now) or, say, a week earlier on June 19th? June 19th sounds better than June 26th, yes? The day we were supposed to get out of school, June 19th, obviously is no longer the day we get out of school since mother nature decided it would be funny to wreak havoc on us this winter season; nevertheless, this kind of disorder is New England—a magical place where it can be 80 degrees in March and snowing in May.
Still, the benefits of making this sacrifice would be worth the trouble. But to be fair, we cannot be blind to the benefits of Spring break either. Why is Spring break a really good week off to begin with? Well, for juniors like myself, this time period is a great time to start looking at colleges and universities in the never ending process of applying to schools. Also, around mid-April the weather starts to get nicer—something people have been waiting 6 months to see. Overall, the fact remains that April vacation is just a really good thing, but the fact also remains that we are in school practically the whole month of June; and in June, the weather isn’t just nice: it’s hot. Moreover, this stifling humidity isn’t even the worst part about being in school in June. To be honest, the real reason school in June is the worst is because no one wants to be here. Everyone’s thinking about summer or their vacation plans, the beach, the pool, sleep, laziness—things that make teenagers and teachers alike giddy with excitement.
This suggestion may not be popular, but it is rooted in the best interest of the all of us here at WHS. Why should students have no other choice but to sadly accept school until June 26th? Shouldn’t we be figuring out how not to stay in school until June 26th? Such an occurrence is unlikely to happen, but maybe people should at least consider the idea. Maybe taking away three days and leaving a four day weekend for students and staff could be a good thing too, maybe not. Either way, this situation has inclined me to want to promote what will be best for students in the long run, and that is getting out of school earlier, having a longer summer, and not being miserable here.
For this reason and so many others, a scenario where administration takes away some April vacation days isn’t going to be devastating to you or to me. With this unfortunate, but necessary, action, the subsequent consequence would evidently make everyone happier: rather than sulking away in dejected pessimism on June 19th, students could be happily leaving for summer vacation instead. Why would anyone be against that?
