Breaks may be an essential part of school life—from spending time with family and friends to having time to focus and get the mind together—breaks have always been a time for reflection and development outside the classroom.
However, there is an issue here: breaks are not convenient for everybody, but only for a select few. Therefore, I propose a solution: three-day weekends with holidays off.
There are 179 days on the LPS 25-26 AHS Black & Gold Calendar, with a total of 30 days off from school, including ten holidays. After accounting for the holidays, teacher work days, and compensation days, students end up with 20 three-day weekends using the breaks and teacher work days, and one day off on each holiday.
Breaks may seem like a good experience for many, but in reality, the time off can be more harmful than helpful. For many, alone time can be a rough experience. Having various mental conditions, such as OCD, can be in full effect when there is no structured routine and schedule. So while many enjoy the time off, it can be a warzone internally for others, according to NOCD and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
A solution to this would be to provide three-day weekends rather than breaks, as they are long enough to travel or see family without being overwhelming for many students.
In addition to being potentially stressful, breaks lead to unbeneficial learning habits. Keeping the learned material is crucial for school success. In fact, taking short breaks improves cognitive functioning, and in wakeful rest the mind can link information together much easier, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“I think they [the school] should just be awesome and listen to student feedback, because I would do it, I would do an extra hour of school every day to have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” Cole Narron ‘27 said.
Some students are more opposed to the idea.
“I wouldn’t say so because I would want holiday breaks to visit family during holidays,” Kaylia Beley ‘29 said.
