Are we doomed to be tired when November 1st is a school day? Can we convince administration to give us the day off?
October. The month of candy apples, un-be-leafable weather, and pumpkin spice lattes, but this spice-tacular month has one more thing to offer, the most spooky scary holiday of all….Halloween!
Halloween is the day before All Saints Day, and it celebrates the ghosts of the dead returning to earth. Or at least it did some 2000 years ago. It has now become a fun holiday for both kids and adults.
Kids like to dress up and go trick or treating and adults like to have a bowl of candy for kids to take from while trick or treating. This brings up a bit of a predicament since trick or treating usually happens at night.
If Halloween is on a weekday, kids are going to be staying up on a school night which could cause problems. If children don't have the next day off they could be tired and unfocused throughout the day which could cause them to be very stressed and panicked.
Along with children being tired, some may argue that it’s important to have November 1st off because it is a religious holiday. All Saints Day is actually considered a Christian day of Holy Obligation as it is followed by All Souls Day on November 2nd. In fact, most religious schools give students a day off on November 1st due to the religious nature of the holiday.
But what problems could a day off impose? Well, the biggest problem is that children and their parents have different schedules: a child might have a day off from school while their parent might not have a day off for work. If children have a day off when parents don't, it can leave parents feeling stressed about leaving their child alone, or scrambling to find child care.
A day off could also make the school year longer by adding an extra day at the end to make up for the one they missed. But what do students and staff think?
Three students and three teachers were asked about their opinions on Halloween, whether they think a day off should be given after Halloween, and why they think people should or shouldn't get a day off.
The students wanted a day off while the teachers just said maybe a two hour delay would be good or just canceling tests or quizzes. One kid said that they would like a day off because of sleep, they said, ¨most kids will probably fall asleep later than 12. We have to get up at around 6-7. Going to bed late and waking up early isn’t healthy.¨
The teachers didn't think a day off was necessary, but a two hour delay would be nice and perhaps the best compromise.
One of the teachers said, ¨We would need to make up that day and I would not want the school year to go longer into June. What I could see is maybe a 2-hour delay so kids can sleep in.¨
Both opinions are understandable but maybe a day off rather than a delay would let kids get the homework they need done or study for a quiz, and it would give teachers more time with their families and friends before they work. Recently, PW had a half-day for PSAT testing and called in select students to catch up on classes they were struggling in. That’s an option, too.
All in all, a day off after Halloween is beneficial but does have its flaws. Ultimately, it is unlikely that the school will have a day off after Halloween but that's ok! Hopefully no one has any important tests or quizzes to get done, and kids will probably get all their energy for the day from all the candy they'll eat!
Have a happy Halloween!