5 days

After making a few adjustments to the schedule this year, administrators decided to reduce Thanksgiving break to three days rather than the usual five days. Personally, I am quite frustrated with this change as well as other students. 

Let’s face it, the start of the school year can be extremely draining. Having a week-long break just a month before the holidays gives students time to catch up on work, rest and recharge. A full week also allows time for students to spend with their families and friends, which is exactly what Thanksgiving is all about. Taking a short three-day break hardly allows people to fully unwind and reset, however, having a full week gives ample time to catch up on sleep and assignments. Students as well as teachers often experience burnout and a week is definitely a necessity for them to return with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and focus towards school.

Additionally, some families use the week-long break to find time to relax by vacationing. These trips are often booked well in advance and some weren’t fully aware that the break was shortened while planning their getaways. “I don’t have time to travel to visit my family anymore,” said senior Lauren Vance. Subsequently, the absences during Thanksgiving break will likely increase, which will cause frustrations for both students and teachers alike as it disrupts the flow of learning if there are several people not present in class.

As we reflect on the essence of Thanksgiving, it is important to not consider this return to a full five day break as a luxury but rather an investment in the well-being of students and faculty. 

3 days

In past years, Thanksgiving break has spanned a full school week plus the two weekends on either side, totaling to nine consecutive days off of school. This year, however, that number has been halved to only five days due to the addition of two school days at the beginning of the week. This may seem extremely limiting and disappointing at first, but the benefits of this shorter break far outweigh the costs. First of all, two extra days during the school year means we go back to school later and get out earlier. If the trade is only two days of school sandwiched by a full weekend and a five-day break in exchange for a shorter school year, I’ll take it. 

Second, two days of school are nothing, and a two-day week is laughable in terms of workload. While one could argue that it is not the length of the school year but the interruption of the break that is the real problem, I really don’t think the interruption is large enough to matter. We still have a five-day break, which isn’t anything to scoff at.

Third, Thanksgiving break is only weeks away from winter break. With winter break just around the corner, I don’t feel that having a full nine-day break is as important as it would be in other parts of the year. After going through January and February, a break in March is understandable, but a full week off school during the first months of school is just unnecessary. Thanksgiving shouldn’t necessitate a full week off of school; with winter break just a month after, and school starting just two months before, a break isn’t really important in November.