Students are making a list and checking it twice…of all the work they have to do before break.

The students and teachers of Hershey High School are all facing lots of work before the winter break. Many tests and quizzes are piled onto students after finishing the last chapter or unit before break arrives. Teachers then must grade all of the assessments.

According to HHS junior Patrick Larkin, students’ workloads greatly increases as winter break gets closer and closer. Larkin believes the teachers cram in one last lesson to finish a unit before everyone leaves for break, so they can start fresh with a new unit when they come back.

HHS freshman Alex Held shares the same thoughts as Larkin when it come to the workload students have right before break. According to Held, teachers tend to give tests and quizzes on the same days.

Although it may be unintentional, the workload causes Hel and many other students lots of stress. Held spends countless hours studying and doing homework to feel prepared for the multiple quizzes and tests she must take. Larkin also spends lots of time studying for tests that he has all in one day. Larkin has even noticed that he tends to lose sleep due to how much time he spends studying a night.

One teacher who does try to finish a unit before break is Elizabeth Blosky, HHS biology teacher. Blosky has her units spaced out in a way that lets her finish a unit and test on that topic before everyone leaves. Blosky likes the idea of having everything from a unit wrapped up before break begins.

HHS math teacher Emily Bancroft used to do that as well, but this year she’s trying something new. Both of her classes are in the middle or near the end of a unit, and she will not have a big unit test before break. Instead, she will continue where the classes left off before break along with a review to refresh the information the students have learned previously.

To help students remember the information they’ve learned previously along with a review, Bancroft will most likely assign a little bit of homework to her students. “Nothing more than normal. Maybe the end of a worksheet or a few book problems,” said Bancroft.

Bancroft believes that homework over break can be beneficial to students, but it often isn’t. According to Bancroft, the homework should be done half way through the break ideally. Usually students do the homework right away at the beginning of break to get it over with, or they forget about their homework and do it at the end of break. Either way, Bancroft then feels as if it didn’t matter if she gave the homework because it didn’t make a difference.

Held agrees with Bancroft. “I know what teachers get at when they give us homework, but kids do it all right away and forget anyways,” said Held. She shared that she has had some homework over winter break in the past, but it hasn’t been anything more than a few worksheets.

Blosky does not assign any homework over the winter break, but she will provide optional things on Canvas to preview the next topic the class will be covering if the student’s choose to do so. Nothing would be required.

According to Blosky, the break is a time for the body and brain to rejuvenate. “It’s also important to have time with your family and friends,” said Blosky.

Since Blosky would like to use her break to spend time with her family, she tries to get all of her grading done before break. She admits that it doesn’t always happen and she has had to do some work over break in the past, but she makes it a goal to try to get all of it or at least most of her grading done.

Bancroft also prefers to finish grading papers and handle missing assignments before break, so she can use the time to refresh herself as well.