Just about a week ago the new calendar for Holyoke Public Schools was released, albeit under the radar. A quick glance at the plans raises a few questions, especially surrounding the start date. Over the past few years, Holyoke High had tended to start school in late August, most commonly on the 29th. The new date shaves almost a week off of our typical summer vacation (which proposes a start date of August 23rd) which, coupled with a tentative release date of June 28th, leaves less than two months of summer break for HPS students. Teachers are left with even less, being expected to return on the 17th of August. 

What’s the root of this change? Well, Holyoke Public Schools have admittedly lost a large portion of time, as is to be expected. The coronavirus has and is still affecting education across the country. Yet many, including myself, have serious reservations about the measures that will be taken to combat this. After all, there’s a reason we have summer break in the first place. Students need time to experience life outside of school, to relieve stress, and to exercise their physical and mental health in different ways. Be it for seeking work experience and a taste of independence, time to unwind and reconnect with friends, or – in a year where we’ve faced stress abound – a day spent without the additional burden of high school pressure, summer is a time most students look forward to as a season of excitement and ease. 

I’ve heard the argument that students who’ve been learning remotely, summer break (or any break for that matter) should seem insignificant – surely students don’t need time off when they’ve been completing assignments from their bedrooms all year. And to that I would respond, that’s exactly why we require vacations, now more than ever. More and more children and teens are falling victim to a groggy acceptance of social isolation, with some having developed such severe social anxieties or indifference that they literally refuse to leave their rooms. Think I’m exaggerating? An article from the New York Times describes the plight of Ms. Kian whose son has become so resigned to the at-home life of COVID-19 that she has to beg him to even step out into their backyard. In another article of mine (which you can read here), I dove into the increased levels of depression and anxiety in adolescents due to this “new normal”, and they don’t appear to be resolving. A tried and true benefit to those experiencing such mental strain? Being outside, being with friends and family, getting fresh air – all staples of summer vacation. And what’s more is that government reports have explicitly stated that sunlight is also effective in killing off the virus; that’s more than we can say for school. 

So summer vacation offers potential mental health benefits, physical health benefits, and the occasion for some good old fashioned relaxation. But what about learning? When students have already fallen so far behind, surely we can’t justify the normal summer vacation. Well, actually, we can. 

Breaks give the mind the chance to reset, preventing – or resolving – burnout. While it isn’t directly applicable, this article analyzes a 2016 study (which is unfortunately locked behind a paywall) whose research shows the benefit of breaks for younger children and presents data which suggests students lose focus toward the end of the year. This points to breaks maximizing productivity when students are in the classroom; and a refreshed, focused student would likely be able to make up for lost lessons a lot more effectively than a tired and agitated one –  if I had to wager a guess. Summer vacation is, at its core, a time for students to drop the bookbags and live their lives. But it’s also so much more than that. Jobs, dates, trips and travels (which may already be preplanned and a little tricky to cancel) – the list goes on, as do the psychological and developmental benefits that accompany them.