The holiday season is coming and students, teachers, and board members are excited! This year, students can argue that this year was slightly more difficult than years prior, which is why this break is much needed. This holiday season, Academy District 20 is hoping to explore new traditions or maybe just hang out with family. 

“My parents always make me and my brother sit on the stairs so we can both see our gifts at the same time,” senior Grace Gilbert remarked.

During the break, some students choose to work over the break to get extra money or for fun. A little bit of extra spending money during the holiday season can never be a bad thing.  

“I work at Rock Ledge Ranch, a historic site, and I work the Holiday evening in Historic dress,” junior Sarah Newbrough stated.

Going through historic sites can bring new information about history that is not well known. The historic dress that Newbrough stated is a maid uniform from the Victorian era. It appears to be an exciting experience that everyone should try!

Another cool thing to do for the Holidays is cook! Cooking can bring a family together or cause frustration, but it is always amazing to be able to eat a yummy treat  after hard work is done. 

“We always make baked Potato soup on Christmas eve and wear Christmas Pajamas to wear to bed that night,” Gilbert stated. 

This winter break is also the perfect time to decorate around the house as well. Turning the house into a winter wonderland is something every child would possibly like especially because of the lights. 

‘’My family tradition is putting up the Christmas tree every year while watching the movie elf,” senior Anna Shelton explained. 

A couple of good examples of new traditions students can try are, watching the movie Polar Express, decorating cookies, or passing along Christmas stories. Some students also just wish to use winter break to catch up on some rest.

 This school year might have been difficult to deal with this year. The current seniors are dealing with the reality of senioritis, freshmen are getting accustomed to high school experiences, and new teachers are learning more each day about the students they teach. 

This can also be a difficult year for the board members as well. Due to the fact that the district is short on bus staffing and teachers, it can make it slightly harder for the Board of Education to find more teachers to support students. The board members deserve a much-needed winter break as well as the students and teachers. After all, Academy District 20 cannot be a district without everyone working together.  

Winter break is also a perfect time to wind down after finals week. It can give students something to look forward to at the end of the week and is a perfect opportunity to prepare for the next semester. Winter break is the time for everyone to relax, sleep in, eat, or go out of state. Students, staff members, and board officials should take this time to try out new traditions and most importantly, have fun during the holidays!