News

Two Four-Day Weekends Added To Next Year’s Calendar

Students will enjoy two scheduled four-day weekends during the 2014-2015 school year, one during Fall Term and the other during Winter Term. The change was spurred by the positive feedback among both faculty and students after Head of School John Palfrey granted a four-day weekend this term with Head of School Day. Paul Murphy, Dean of Students, first brought up the idea to institutionalize additional four-day weekends at a Senior Administrative Council Meeting. “We just had a long-held feeling that we need breaks of substance along the way. When the administration created February Frees, it was a result of this feeling too,” wrote Murphy in an email to The Phillipian. “At the same time, I’m a little nervous that people will make too many plans [for the long weekends] and then arrive back to campus even more exhausted,” he continued. Fall Term’s Family Weekend will become a four-day Midfall Holiday next year, as classes will not be held on the Monday or Tuesday. The current Midwinter Holiday will also be extended to a four-day weekend. To compensate for the the extra day off during Winter Term, students will return a day earlier from Winter Vacation next year. No changes will be made to the Fall Term schedule. Murphy said that, while the Midfall Holiday will be a good opportunity for students to rest midway through the Fall Term, one of the main reasons the school decided to schedule a four-day weekend is to give students — especially Seniors — the opportunity to visit colleges and work on college applications. The additional day off next Winter Term will not replace Head of School Day, according to Murphy.