The holiday season can be both a joyous and stressful time for families. The season is filled with family gatherings and holiday activities that are marked with time off of school and work. However, the winter break that we are granted is simply not long enough. Our break is only seven school days long. While seven days can be enough to celebrate holiday traditions, it doesn’t leave time to relax and enjoy your time off of school. Due to the limited time to relax after holiday obligations I think a few more days of break are necessary.
The holiday season is a time of celebration mixed with family traditions to bring loved ones together. I believe one of the most important aspects of this season is the return of siblings who have gone away to college or no longer live at home. By having a limited holiday break, the time spent with siblings gets cut short. While college students may be off for several weeks, high school students in Grosse Pointe are limited to only a few days off of school to spend with family.
In addition to having limited time to relax, upon our return to school, midterm season quickly begins. The week we return to school is spent studying and preparing for midterms. Eight short school days later, midterms begin. I consider these two weeks to be the most stressful as they are required to recount nearly 20 weeks worth of instruction. By increasing the length of time for holiday break, it would allow students to decompress and mentally prepare for the next two weeks of testing.
Fortunately, the length of break is a simple problem to solve. The State School Aid Act of 1979 for the state of Michigan requires districts to provide 180 school days for students. The length of our breaks is determined by this 180 day marker. By starting school before Labor Day, it could allow a two week holiday break. It would be more convenient to have a longer break built into the school year versus an additional three days of a ten week summer vacation. To support student’s mental health and capacity for performing well on their midterms, it is in the best interest of the students and the district to lengthen the holiday break.