Everyone loves the HMHS “fun” days that are rich in Haddonfield tradition. By springtime, everyone is feeling the need for summer, so Wellness Day and Arts in the Courtyard always give students something to look forward to. These fun days are awesome, and that’s why we need more of them, especially when classes start to feel a little repetitive.
Not only are these days engaging and interactive, but they are also beneficial for students’ overall well-being. Wellness Day provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their personal well-being, both physically and mentally, by spending time with friends, participating in the Color Run, making crafts, enjoying snacks, and playing games such as spikeball or blow-up darts. During Arts in the Courtyard, students can showcase their creativity and talents within and beyond the arts, while also engaging with the Haddonfield community. For many students, these days are the best two days of the school year; having more of them would be great for the happiness and pride of the student body.
After a few months of school, a break can be needed. In a survey of HMHS students, 98% thought it would be a fun idea to have an additional “fun day” of school around the time of midterms, most likely afterwards, to celebrate. This would be a fantastic way to raise the spirits of students after a few stressful weeks of midterm preparation and exams.
A possible concern of this additional “activity day” may be the need for funding. To accomplish this, we could run several district-wide fundraisers to raise enough money for food, games, music, and everything else that comes with these days! If this is proposed to administrators, they may be concerned about losing time to learn the curriculum, yet, to have the most productive days of school where students learn the best, it’s important to have breaks in the month where students are able to reset and have a day of fun. As a student from HMHS myself, I can understand where the concerns are coming from, but I believe that the benefits truly outweigh the costs.
Overall, I believe that having more days of fun throughout the hardest times of the school year (midterms, finals, the March “stretch”) would be beneficial to all students and staff. Having a day to look forward to and to simply enjoy, not having to worry about the next homework assignment or test review, will help students and staff reset, ultimately allowing for more productive days of class instruction.
