Enjoying Spring Break During a Pandemic

For decades, Spring Break has been a renowned experience each year for students and teachers across the country.  From get-aways from college with friends, to family vacations, the annual event is a consistently sought-after relief from school work and from preparation for the final months of the school year for students and educators alike.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, it may have felt difficult to make the most of Spring Break, but Nanuet students and teachers discovered alternative ways to enjoy themselves.  

This year, Spring Break was spent at home for many people due to the present pandemic. Spanish teacher Mrs. Johnson has done just that, however, she explains what she would have done during a normal school year.

“In years past, my family would typically travel during Spring Break, either to Disney or to visit my family in Pennsylvania and Vermont,” she said. “This year we spent time at home instead of visiting with my family or traveling to Florida.”  

Students and teachers have adapted to the restrictive circumstances we are facing this year by finding new ways to have fun. Mrs. Johnson said that her family came up with new ways to enjoy Spring Break.

“My daughters like to play games like Battleship on Zoom with their cousins and grandparents, so we set up some time for them to get together on FaceTime or Zoom for game nights,” she said.  

Many students took this break as an opportunity to merely relax and take a pause from stressful school work and from anxieties brought on by the pandemic. Some students spent time with friends, while others rested at home throughout the break. 

Junior Emily Boyle decided to spend time with her friends, but made sure to stay safe while doing so.  

“[I didn’t do] anything exciting over Spring Break,” she said.  “[I saw] some friends, which is all I’ve done most other Spring Breaks, the only difference is that the number of people I’m seeing has decreased.”

Hopefully, educators and students all enjoyed a restorative break from schoolwork and the stressful circumstances in which we find ourselves. We have all made sacrifices and worked hard to ensure that we can still sufficiently learn or teach despite our current predicament.  

Spring Break is also a great time to enjoy the increasingly warm weather and to relieve ourselves from electronics and the internet, as we have constantly relied on them for schoolwork. According to Mrs. Johnson, she hopes that her students were able to do just that.

“I hope my students were able to take a break from their schoolwork, reduce their screen time, and get out and enjoy some time outside with their families,” says Mrs. Johnson.  

While Spring Break was especially needed during these trying times, it is undoubtedly essential for students and teachers every year. Spring Break offers a relief from stress placed upon educators and students during the school year.  

Boyle, along with many of her classmates, said she believes that breaks are vital parts of the calendar.  

“I could not imagine doing schoolwork for [many days] straight with no breaks,” she said. “Everyone would get so burnt out that at a certain point we wouldn’t be able to learn or work anymore.”  

Spring Break is clearly a vital relief from schoolwork each year for students and teachers alike. Although this year has been very different and much more stressful than past years due to the pandemic, we have still found ways to make the best of Spring Break.