For most students, schoolwork seems to be endless, even during week long breaks. To prevent students from working on homework during their time off, counselors and teachers from each department finalized a no homework over break policy last spring. All departments voted for the policy, with the exception of the English department, who rejected the rule, and the Career and Technology department, who was split between yes or no.
The no homework over break policy states that teachers are not permitted to give students any homework that forces students to use their time off to complete their assignments. This new rule applies to one week to two week long vacations such as Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring break. Three to four day weekends, such as those created by staff development day, Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day are exempted from this rule.
There are a few exceptions to this policy. For example, teachers who assign projects and homework before break are not allowed to make the assignment due the first day students come back. Students must be have sufficient time to finish their assignments before and after their break to complete their task.
“Students shouldn’t need to depend on a break in order to complete an assignment,” Principal Mary Jo Fosselman King said. “There should be enough school days for you to get your work done.”
If teachers on campus are caught breaking this new policy, students should report them to administration or to the counselor’s office. From there, administration will have a conversation with the teacher to discuss an arrangement that will not force students to rely on their days off to complete their assignment.
“I feel that most of my teachers are working hard to make sure this rule is being emphasized clearly,” Sophomore Michelle Qin said. “All my teachers have mentioned this new policy.”
At the end of the day, the policy is meant to ensure that students are getting a proper leisure.
“Our focus is that we want kids to have a true break,” Ms. King said. “A break where they can spend time with family because that’s what breaks are for.”