Spring break was March 25 through March 31. Staff and students enjoyed vacations, warm weather, and the chance to reset.

Chris Torda is a science teacher who traveled to Palm Springs to continue a tradition that has been ongoing for over 20 years. He said, “I have been going since I was in high school. It was gorgeous and beautiful – we’ve been going back ever since.”

The warm weather was a draw for Torda. He said, “My trip gave me a nice tan. I was getting a little pasty – I looked like a ghost! People just look good when they tan – they look healthy.”

Senior Braeden Beck just returned from Myrtle Beach after visiting there for the past seven spring breaks. He said, “I went with two other families, and it was extremely fun. The weather held out better than it was supposed to.”

For Beck, the weather and scenery was what he enjoyed the most. He said, “My favorite parts of the trip were sitting outside by the pool and long runs on the beach in the morning for a workout. The warm weather brought me a good mood and slightly less pale skin – it was also nice being able to wear shorts a t-shirt.”

Similarly, Lacy Long-Goldberg is an English teacher who annually spends her spring breaks with family. She said, “[Traveling] a few hours away in Southern Ohio is our tradition. I do like going on vacation, but with only a week, I think that can create some stress, so just traveling the few hours is pretty much a tradition.”

Long-Goldberg enjoyed the time with her family. She said, “Just being able to spend time with family was a great thing. My trip was a lot of family, food, and fun.”

On the other hand, sophomore Rachel Gifford and her family decided to try something new and travel west. She said, “We really wanted to just go out west because we haven’t yet and I want to go to college in Arizona so the pieces just kind of went together.”

Gifford enjoys nature and the outdoors. She said, “The Angels Landing hike was definitely my favorite part. It was just a thin piece of rock that you had to walk on and there were cliffs on both sides. The adrenaline rush was really fun.”

Junior Gabi Fappiano always takes a vacation during the week of spring break but the location changes. She said, “A tradition my family has is going on vacation every spring break but we try to go to different places every year.”

Fappiano appreciated trying new things with her family in Sarasota Florida. She said, “I loved hanging out with my family, enjoying new restaurants and hanging out with friends that were close in location to us.”

Torda feels spring break is a reward for working hard throughout the winter months. He said, “To me, it’s exactly how it sounds, it is a spring break. It’s time to just decompress after working hard throughout the third quarter and the winter.”

Long-Goldberg also believes the break brings a surplus of benefits for students. She said, “It should allow students to rest, relax, maybe go on a trip and definitely get some extra sleep. Most of all, I don’t have to worry about homework and school for a week.”

Gifford appreciated the time to reset. She said, “I think spring break is a much-needed recharge after what feels like the longest quarter. It takes students a lot to get through it so when you have a break week after it, you get a minute to reset before starting the home stretch.”

Fappiano believes the break is like a refresh. She said, “The break really benefits students by giving them a chance to feel less stress as they start their fourth quarter. Having a break tends to make kids more relaxed so getting back into the groove may be hard but manageable.”

As a senior, Beck is looking forward to the final stretch of his high school career. He said, “Spring break makes us want to get out of this place that much sooner, and after spring break is really when the senioritis sets in for us kids about to graduate.”

Now that spring break and the four-day Passover/Easter weekend is over, students will not have another long weekend until Memorial Day at the end of May.