Only a week into 2021, students and staff at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) have gotten a new Wellness Break in the middle of the school day to take a break and disconnect from all technology.
The Covid-19 pandemic cancelled in-person school in early March 2020. Junior Odalis Arias-Flores notes that early in the pandemic the transition to virtual school was chaotic due to the drastic change, but affirmed that school year 2020-2021 has a much more organized system in place. It was announced over the summer that Prince George’s County Public Schools would not be going back to in-person school in the fall.
Prior to the institution of the Wellness Break, students followed the same schedule as existed during in-person school. The school day officially begins at 8:45 a.m. and concludes at 3:20 p.m. There are eight class periods, including one for lunch. The schedule remains the same in those aspects and, to institute the break for students, five minutes was shaved off each class period for a 40-minute break that occurs after fourth period.
Why the Break?
Junior Kenneth Graninger believes that the “stress of the pandemic and the struggle to find motivation” for students are contributing factors leading to the creation of the Wellness Break. Others believe that the workload, eye-strain and back pain resulting from the excess time on screens were also reasons for the new break. Caitlyn Strickland, who teaches U.S. history to freshmen students, noted that too much screen time has led her to have headaches three or four days a week.
Almost all of the teachers at ERHS were in support of the Wellness Break. Many did not even mind having five minutes taken from class. Strickland says that she uses the time to make lunch for her kids and spend time with them.
Many students are thrilled about the change. Junior Sophie Bose remarked that it is a blessing, speculating that a 45-minute lunch period alone was not enough to eat, finish up work and take a break from the screen. Although grateful, other students worry about the ability to maximize their learning in a virtual environment. Graninger worries that one negative aspect of the break in the day is that students may not be able to learn as much as possible.
Using the Time
Students seem to be doing all sorts of activities with their time. Some catch up on sleep or pursue fun activities like watching Netflix or making art. The Wellness Break also gives students more time to make lunch. Bose recalls that before the existence of the break, she would only have time to grab a snack five minutes before class. Sophomore Sage Lancaster prefers distance learning, but was extremely relieved to have the new break; she says that it gives [her] extra time to take care of [herself], which she declares is priceless.
Walking Away
Although the intention of the break is to abandon technology for a period of time, several students believe their peers are not likely to do so. Arias-Flores notes that it is sometimes a struggle to walk away from her computer and understands why students would feel the need to work through the break. She hopes that ERHS will continue to institute breaks of this nature to help add balance to the students’ lives.
Caroline Lehman is a junior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.