For many students, February and March represent one of the most highly anticipated breaks of the year: Ski Week. This week-long break allows students and teachers alike to relax and take time off to travel or spend time with family and friends. For certain people, it is a case in which they can enjoy a winter sport, such as skiing or snowboarding, while others enjoy the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy their time away from the rush of school life.
In the middle of a busy, test-filled second semester, the idea of a week-long break encourages students to recharge their energy.
In many California school districts, Ski Week has been a tradition for decades. Over time, the break was branded as “Ski Week”, mostly due to the fact that everyone would be on trips to mountain resorts, spending time together in the snowy weather.
Families would often travel to Mammoth Mountain or the nearby Big Bear ski resorts for the week. These locations offer skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities that take advantage of California’s picturesque mountains. Even if families do not end up travelling, the week can become a chance to spend time together and reset at home.
However, as of late, Ski Week has become a popular debate amongst teachers and superintendents, partially due to its controversial timing. Parents and teachers argue that the extra week off disrupts the academic calendar, especially considering state testing deadlines in spring, such as CAASP testing for juniors. With the school year already jam-packed with week-long breaks, such as the two-week-long Winter break and one-week-long Spring break. Due to this, some teachers believe that taking away from class time could make it more difficult to cover all topics and materials before the end of the year.
In some California school districts, Ski Week has been removed from the academic calendar entirely. School administrators in these districts want to keep students in school and learning to become more consistent. Other districts have adjusted calendars to avoid testing or have simply shortened the break to a couple of days instead of a full week.
Despite the debate, many students encourage the break.
Urva Pawar (12) says, “It would be the perfect time to sit back and take a break from homework for an entire week. It sucks because my friend from Laguna Beach High School has the week off in February, but we still have school.”
Laguna Beach High School notoriously has a Ski Week every year, usually towards the end of February. While it may not include skiing anymore, it is still a tradition for many schools in California and provides time to pause a crowded semester.
Charlotte Jameson (9) comments that, “Growing up, my elementary school always had a Ski Week. It was such a nice break to relax from homework and just enjoy the Southern California weather. Guess I took it for granted!”
As schools adjust their calendars, this debate continues. While some believe the break is important and supplies students with an opportunity to recharge, others still feel that the calendar should remain undisturbed. Ski Week continues to be a topic that motivates discussions across all of California.
