This year, UPrep has again changed it’s second semester breaks’ lengths, and it has sparked debate. 

UPrep had a four day mid-winter break and two week spring break two years ago, and this year, it was changed to two one week breaks. Last year was different because construction in the commons needed extra time over the summer. 

Many eighth-grade students, who experienced both schedules, liked the older one. 10 of the 19  surveyed liked the four day mid-winter break, two week spring break split the most.

Eighth-grader Maxwell Bolen is one of them. He believes that the four-day, two-week break system was better.

“[Spring Break] has better weather, so you get to spend more time relaxing in it as opposed to the cold,” Bolen said.

He also thinks that we should match with Seattle area public school breaks more, as now, we no longer share any time during spring break.

“I know people who don’t have the time to hang out with other friends in public schools. Since breaks aren’t the same time, I get that sometimes it’s hard,” Bolen said.

On the other hand, eighth-grader Leo Carlin’s opinion is the one week split is more practical.

“If we had a four-day mid-winter break, you wouldn’t be able to do anything in those four days. And also [in two week breaks], you would forget all your material that you’d learned before spring break,” Carlin said.

He thinks the current split is better for vacationing, as well.

“One week is the perfect time to be able to do something,” Carlin continued.

UPrep does have reasons for the change. Executive Assistant Debbie Playter, a member of the team that builds UPrep’s schedule, gave important insight into the school’s reasoning. 

“We had the old system for about ten years. The reason we introduced it was because the Global Link program was brought to a much higher level. Global Link needed more time during spring break so the students would not miss school,” Ms. Playter said.

This was changed to the current system. 

“We changed [the breaks] because UPrep introduced intensives. We were able to move many of the long Global Link trips to winter intensives, which allowed us to bring the breaks to their current position, more similar to surrounding schools,” Playter said.

Despite this change being a debate, three of the four students interviewed in person agreed with the school’s reasons. 

Playter was asked if it might be changed back next year if the students asked. 

“No. We’ve already planned next year’s schedule and sent it out to parents. It’s already set,” Playter said.