Sascha – Spreak
A warm, gentle breeze coming through the windows of classrooms, a test-free preceding week, and the first promises of summer. The early days of April that we so graciously call Spring Break are the gift that keeps on giving.
For many, the promise of days off is what keeps Parker student’s heads above water through countless tests, college decisions, applications, and the treacherous Chicago winters that consume our calendars. Post-it notes in Mr. Bruno’s office with numbers descending to one were crossed out eagerly every day, not just because Parker students are obsessed with a calendar, but because of the undeniable excitement that comes with Spring Break.
Other schools have Spring Break exclusively. Chicago Public Schools are in session from early January to mid-March, their Spring Break falling just as students are burning out and anticipating the end of the year. At Parker, however, we have February Break, a brief vacation that falls in the middle of February. Its origin, however, isn’t in the mere generosity of our administration and their concerns for students’ mental health and academic longevity, but in flu season. Historically, so many students, from junior kindergarten to seniors, have gotten sick during this time of the year, and the break from school and the absence of students from the building isn’t just to prevent students from racking up absences but from also spreading their sickness to other students when trying to stay in school. In cases like this, February break is a useful and borderline essential. However, this doesn’t make it the superior break.
February Break falls at one of the worst times during the school year. No matter a student’s age or grade level, the week before February Break is arguably worse than finals week. Between tests in every subject with a lack of the breaks that are engineered into the finals schedule, the five days preceding February Break feel like a strung out fever dream of misery in the form of projects and tests. For seniors, February is a torturous waiting game. College applications are submitted and are sitting on an admissions officers desk waiting to be filed through as participation and anxiety only continues to increase. This period is filled with uncertainty and angst for so many, and the pile of work proceeding a break only adds gas to an ever-present flame. While February Break allows students to take their minds off of school, tests, and homework, the week-long gap in the schedule incentivizes teachers to pile on exams and projects, making February Break feel more like an escape than a vacation.
Spring Break, however, represents one of the best parts of the school year, the end. Just six weeks after classes resume, Summer Break begins, Upper classmen have prom, and seniors walk across the auditorium stage proudly holding their diplomas. To me, Spring Break represents the start of a chapter of “cherry on tops” and “tying of bows.” The sweet and sentimental parts of the school year are some of my most core memories. This means too, however, that the Upper School has to start saying goodbyes, to the seniors that are graduating, to the teachers and staff that are moving on from Parker, and the traditions and quirks that make our model home, our model home. Relaxing, rejuvenating, and the beginning of the end. Spring Break isn’t just what keeps Parker students motivated and hopeful throughout seemingly never ending days of school, but it’s a check point in the school year that shows us that we are almost at the sunny and stress free days of summer.
All breaks are important for students’ mental health, for teachers to finally catch a break from grading. But Spring Break isn’t just a break but a symbol of all the accomplishments, memories, and achievements of the year. A reminder that in six short weeks, every cherry will be on top of a cake, every bow will be tied, and every post-it note will finally be crossed out.
Owen – Freak
With finals finished and the drudge of Chicago winter reaching full force, February Break comes at just the right time. It’s undeniable that the timing of the break is sublime, given it works in tandem with other breaks to divide the second semester into three six week periods, and sets students up for success as they attack the foremost months of the second semester. It’s short and sweet, adaptable with vacation plans, and carries no baggage to ensure a truly restful experience. The February Break is the epitome of all Parker breaks.
Parker’s current schedule for Upper School places finals right after Winter Break, which many describe as stressful due to the looming presence of exams, and therefore skews the point of a break in the first place. The February Break assures that students need not to worry about the stress of exams and their transition into a full semester of schooling, and instead offers a real break from tests and assignments to give students a pause before the long slog until the end of the year. I have never found the length or timing of the break to be out of proportion, and in fact, I believe this cocktail of a lack of finals and tests creates the ultimate break experience. However, should the timing of Parker’s finals change, as they have been in conversation to do, the February Break will still serve its purpose to rest and reboot.
February Break is the perfect puzzle piece to separate the second semester. The schedule works on a six week rotation with breaks to separate periods of schooling. Most other schools effectively slug it out from the months of January through April, which can be grueling, and a long haul for students who are also balancing extracurriculars, personal life, and a lack of sleep. The break’s current position gives students time to retain information they’ve learned, and recollect themselves before another six weeks of education. I don’t see this break as merely beneficial, but necessary. Without this time to recharge, burnout is inevitable for students as well as teachers. If we want a school full of engaged and excited learners, we need time to pamper our cerebellums.
February Break also provides for students to avoid commuting to and from school during the heart of winter in Chicago. Chicago winter makes “Game of Thrones” winter look like summertime in Dubai. Any chance to stay inside and stay warm is taken, and the ability to avoid waiting for public transportation or walking from door to door is a liberty. Most cancellations of classes due to inclement weather have happened in the month of February, making it objectively the most dangerous month for students and faculty attempting to make it to the building. It’s in the school’s best interest to have time off during this month. The city’s inopportune weather and misalignment with CPS breaks makes travel an ease, with many Parker students taking advantage of shorter lines and faster travel at airports. The break offers flexibility with climate. February is a time where most local temperatures are bitter and cold, however travelling down south to warmer climates makes for a good balance of the two. I’ve taken advantage of both cold and warm weather during the February Break, so it really just depends on what you’re in the mood for.
Like Parker’s mission, February Break differs from most other high school’s systems, and grants students and faculty a unique disposition that assesses and addresses the needs of the people it serves. The break works for the school, not vice versa. We should embrace the February break, and understand that it’s not just a quirky week in between Winter and Spring break, but a structure that gives pause and space for the benefit of the community at the most opportune time.
