This is a full-circle moment. Last year, I wrote an article wishing for a longer Thanksgiving Break, not the typical three-day week given to high school students. This year, Lockport District 205 approved a calendar that gives students the full week off for Thanksgiving.
The process of getting this calendar approved began in Sept. 2024, when the Superintendent Advisory Council Executive leaders selected areas to focus on for the school year. The calendar committee was led by me to advocate for the full week off at Thanksgiving and the Eid Holiday off for students. My peers in this group first explored various calendar options that we could present based on when school should start and end.
“I am very excited to have the whole week off during Thanksgiving break because it is allowing me to go on a family vacation without having to miss potentially critical days right before finals,” Exclaimed Senior Abby Carroll’s thoughts on this change.
After that, we collaborated with administrators to learn that 10-16% of students miss school for the two days they are supposed to attend that week, which is around 350-600 students gone in a single day. This was the evidence we needed to claim that desired week.
Similarly, we argued that students undergo unnecessary stress before the break because teachers often cram tests into the small window of time leading up to Thanksgiving. Our final reasoning was that schools that feed into Lockport High School give their students the whole week off, like Homer Junior High. Following in their footsteps would create continuity between the schools, especially for parents who have children in multiple schools.
“Having tests during Thanksgiving week creates a lot of stress for students who go out of town. Not only did I have to study for tests the week after Thanksgiving, but I also had to take tests that I had missed previously, which made it harder for me to do well,” stated senior Mark Lacek on the pressures of cramming.
As the months went on, we formalized our plan to present our calendar to Dr. McBride and the whole advisory council, which would include our two student requests of Thanksgiving week off and the Eid holiday. After doing the research, attending meetings, and thanking the board for their consideration, we sealed the deal. This outlines how a wish became a reality. I encourage anyone to use their voice to seek change, no matter the issue, and be persistent if you feel it is important.
