The winter season brings about many changes. From the snow covered trees, to the cozy nights snuggling by the fire, the change in seasons signifies a change in mindset amongst students, with the shared belief that winter symbolizes the holiday season. Holiday festivities can be seen all around with the opening of the Rockville Town Center ice rink to the roll out of all the classic holiday beverages at Starbucks to holiday decorations and music playing all over town.
Christmas is only a few days away, and people are antsy for what’s to come. Everyone relishes this time of year and all the joy and happiness that comes with it, but at the same they enjoy one other aspect of the season… winter break. MCPS has been known to have a short winter break, spanning a week to 10 days at the most. This year, students receive a whopping eight days of winter break, six if the weekend is excluded.
There is not a lot that students can do in this short time frame. Some students opt to stay close to home over break, only taking a short trip somewhere within driving distance to visit family or vacation. Others have a tradition of going skiing and snowboarding somewhere snowy or jetting down to Florida or the Caribbean to soak up the sandy beaches. On top of that, there are the select few students that utilize all the time to take a real trip somewhere new and exciting, sometimes even journeying overseas.
“Me and my family are going to Paris over winter break this year,” senior Shahar Bezherano said.
Bezherano and her family enjoy these types of trips during winter break because it aligns with her brother’s break from college. Their trips usually span an average of 10 days, sometimes requiring Bezherano to miss a day or two of school.
“Despite the fact that winter break is not long enough, we make the most memories while on these trips, and get to actually experience what we learn in a classroom all year, so we might as well make the most of what we have,” Bezherano said.
While some choose to take the time to explore the world, others choose to stick to traditions and go places a little closer to home.
“Over break, my husband and I are headed to Rehoboth Beach to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. We do that almost every single year and love every minute of it,” Principal Jennifer Baker said.
On top of all the fun festivities, Baker’s entire family, over 20 people, comes over on Christmas Eve for a huge meal, which she prepares herself.
“I love going to Rehoboth because my nephew owns a restaurant there and we make it a priority to go eat there,” Baker said.
The select number of students choose to not have a concrete plan, but instead go with the flow and plan things in the moment.
“Even though it is not schedule, I usually go up to White Tail to ski because my family owns a ski house there,” sophomore Calvin Annulis said.
Whether it’s globe trotting all over the world or staying somewhere close to home, winter break is an amazing time to recharge and reconnect with friends and family.
