The countdowns have started, and the excitement is rising. Winter break, as all breaks from school, is highly anticipated. It is fun to get off school, but several students and teachers wonder if it is long enough.

Fairfax County gives the first day off on December 24, which is Christmas Eve. School starts again on January 2. This gives the students only seven days off school to relax, vacation, or have loads of fun. The weekends make it eleven days, which sounds long, but the time only gives you one day after New Years Day.

Special Ed teacher and freshmen girls basketball coach Robert Bouchard, said that Fairfax County has had the same number of days off for as long as he has been a teacher. It may seem like it is getting shorter as the need to have fun is increasing. Many students wish for the amount of time we have for winter break to be lengthened.

The most reasonable amount of time would be a minimum of a full two weeks for break. It gives extra time before Christmas and after New Years. However, everyone wants even more time than that for break, even teachers like Bouchard.

Freshman Chris Thng, who moved from Singapore just a few weeks ago, used to enjoy the whole month of December as a break. He believes it should be that way in America, too. “Here it is quite short, too short.” he said. Other students who have moved from different areas had more time too. Freshman Will Engebretson had 2 and a half weeks in Ohio, and sophmore Nick Spear who has moved several times said he always had at least two weeks.

Winter break is more than just a time to be away from classes. “Students, towards the ends of quarters and seasons, get more stressed out from sports to grades, and break give them a time to relax and unwind,” sophomore Torin Liberthson-Brown said. This break is a time for yourself, spend time with your families, and hang out with your friends.

Vacations could be longer and more enjoyable if winter break was longer. The basketball coaches only get a vacation if their team travels for tournaments. The teams would have a longer trip if they were given more time for break. It is a time to visit family, such as Liberthson-Brown is in Long Island, New York, and Engebretson in Ohio. Several are going on vacation just to relax, such as freshman Danny Jabbour who is going to the Dominican Republic. These vacations have to be cut short because of the harsh calendar outlined by FCPS.

It is time for Fairfax County to give the students a break. We are one of the best school systems on the East Coast with students that work hard year round. A few extra days of winter break doesn’t take much out of the curriculum, but can make a huge difference to students.