As we near the end of March, there is one main thing on students’ minds – spring break. As students and staff go their separate ways to go on vacation and spend time with their families, they get a much needed ten day break from school. However, there have been numerous complaints from students saying that spring break is too short, and wishing that they could take more time to recharge. In my opinion, ten days is the perfect length. It allows for just enough time to take a trip or relax at home, and gives both students and staff more individual days off throughout the year, ensuring that the school year ends at a reasonable date.

Taking short days off throughout the year is more beneficial than a longer spring break. It gives me much more motivation to get through the week knowing that I have a Friday or Monday off rather than knowing that I will get a longer break months later. These more frequent long weekends are also great for studying for important tests or catching up on homework and in the end, cause for less stress. 

For many people, spring break is also designed to be a time to go on vacation. Most people I know at Park will leave Minnesota to go somewhere fun with their friends or family, but personally, I wouldn’t want to be away from home for more than ten days. It’s also important to consider that most families can’t afford to take vacations longer than that, so a lot of students spend most of their break sitting at home. For those who do go out of state, ten days gives these students and staff members time to both travel and relax at home, and although ideally we would have more time to do so, extra time really isn’t necessary. 

Additionally, spring break has been ten days for as long as I can remember. For as long as I’ve been in the district, we’ve only ever had a week off. I don’t think complaining about it being too short is valid, as that’s how it’s always been. Furthermore, after traveling so long and then sitting at home, I get bored. As stressful as school can get, it gives me something to do and helps me stay in a healthy routine.

Although everyone wants spring break to be longer, in reality, I think the length is perfect. It gives students and staff just enough time off school to relax, while also making sure that we get days off throughout the year and the academic year doesn’t get too long. Although I can definitely see why people complain about break being too short, I believe that it’s a good amount of time off school.

Spring break is around the corner, much to the delight of many students. Break is a time to unwind and decompress during the school year and it is extremely useful to many Park students. As of now, spring break is about a week each year but many students believe that it should be longer.

Many students here at Park have large classloads with constant homework and responsibilities throughout the school year. This can create a lot of stress and be detrimental to a student’s mental health. Spring break is time for them to catch up on work as needed and reset their minds so they can be successful when they are back to school. 

With AP tests around the corner, students need all the time they can get to study. AP tests can be important for many students as they can offer college credit which can reduce college costs. Many classes have limited time to get through a lot of material which limits in-class review days. Days over break can be beneficial for students to review work they did in the first semester and make sure they have everything completed from recent units. These classes are usually a lot of work and time to catch up can be vital to a student’s success in difficult coursework. 

Spring break also provides time to rest for student athletes. Most spring sports start up a few weeks before break and as students try to balance school and spring sports for the first time this year, a break can be very helpful. Giving your body a break can also help athletes prevent injury that could ruin their season. By allowing their bodies and minds a break to recover from the start of sports, they can have more success in their seasons. 

The break also encourages students to get outside as the weather gets warmer. With less time they might have to spend on schoolwork and extracurriculars, there is more time to bask in the nice weather. This can be incredibly helpful to student’s mental health and can help remotivate them before they go back to school. 

Spring break is much needed rest for many students, especially juniors and seniors. It creates a nice transition from the third to fourth quarter and it encourages students to prepare for the new quarter. Especially for seniors trying to make college decisions, this time is vital to tour or research colleges and try to narrow down their future plans. It’s also a valuable time to spend with friends and family before they graduate. 

All in all, spring break is very important to a student’s mental health and serves as time to catch up and relax. It sets them up to do well going forward in school and in their sports and extracurriculars. It’s vital that Park’s students have enough of a break to make sure they can achieve success.