by Cooper H.

You’ve probably noticed by now that every now and then we have half a day of school. These days are called half days, for that exact reason. However, the main reason for a half day isn’t just to give students a shorter day off; it serves a different purpose. Let’s explore why we have half days.

Mrs. Alexander, the academic dean at Alamo Heights Junior School, explained that many school districts “came up with the idea of a half day so that teachers could have time for professional development.” Additionally, Dr. Guthrie, the Junior School’s principal, mentioned that “half days give teachers time to plan lessons and meet with students’ parents.” Just as students need time to work on assignments, teachers need time to plan those assignments.

There must be a reason why teachers like half days, or else we wouldn’t have them. “Teachers enjoy half days because they get to work with their colleagues without being rushed,” said Mrs. Alexander. Now, let’s take a look at the ups and downs of half days.

We know that there’s no point in doing something without gaining benefits, and so does Mrs. Alexander. She shared that “a good thing about a half day is that you get to see all your classes, even though the time is short.” With a half day off, students can still finish their work in every class.

Every choice comes with both positive and negative impacts. “Even though you go to all your classes, they’re really short,” added Dr. Guthrie. “Kids don’t think it’s a real school day, and sometimes their behavior isn’t the best.” It’s okay to have some disadvantages when making big decisions like this.

There are also some days during the year when we have a full day off instead of a half day. But is it the same thing? “No, not really, because a full day off has a different feeling in the building,” mentioned Dr. Guthrie. “Teachers would probably rather have a full day to get work done.” These events don’t just pop up at the last minute.

Our school district plans these events, along with others, but how do they plan them? According to Dr. Guthrie, “They are planned at the district level. Dr. Alfaro has a committee of parents and teachers. Well before the next year starts, they check the calendar and decide where each event should fall.”

Both teachers and students enjoy half days because they give students time off and give teachers time to finish work. As with most things, half days come with pros and cons. Half days, full days off, and other events are all pre-planned to avoid any issues.