Some schools have a year-round schedule, and others have a long summer break schedule; Bay Farm isn’t a year-round school, thank goodness. It used to be when it opened more than 20 years ago!

There has been ongoing debate as to which schedule is better. There are pros and cons for each. But we at The Dolphin Tail believe that having a long summer break is best.

Of course, most kids would probably say the same thing. A long summer break schedule (otherwise known as a traditional calendar) allows students to have something to look forward to. Life is short, and a long summer break gives students time to experience things, go on trips, experience the world, and relax for a while without worrying about homework and grades. School can be very stressful, and it’s nice to take a long vacation from that once a year.

Of course, there is another point of view. Many parents and educators prefer year-round school (otherwise known as a balanced calendar). During summer break, students usually forget many the things they learned during the school year, so when the students get back in school, there is a lot of reviewing that has to be done. Parents and teachers like that they can schedule trips during the three-week breaks that happen throughout the year, not just during summer when everyone else is traveling.

I interviewed my mom and dad to see what their opinions as parents would be. Not surprisingly, they liked the idea of year-round school for exactly the above reasons.

There are no plans to turn Bay Farm, or any other AUSD school, into a year-round school. Between high school AP exam schedules, union rules, maintenance schedules, childcare options and more, it’s probably unlikely that we’d go back to that schedule while we’re still in school.

But in any case, though there are many different perspectives on whether there should be year-round school or a long summer break schedule, we believe students need the stress-free time off.

Zelinda Strell is the Features Editor of The Dolphin Tail. Her editorial represents the collective opinion of The Dolphin Tail newspaper staff and does not intend to represent the views of any other person or persons, including Bay Farm School and its staff or administration, or the Alameda Unified School District. Opinion submissions from Bay Farm’s school community, staff and students (of all grades) are welcome and will be considered; send to the editor at BayFarmDolphinTail@gmail.com.