This year, students were given a particularly long fall break that was scheduled from Wednes- day, October 11 through Sunday, October 15. In addition to the already scheduled five days off, students were given the following Monday, October 16, off as a reward for 70% attendance at the previous week’s volleyball games.
However, the start times for the break differed amongst classes as each grade had commitments to fulfill before enjoying their days off.
The freshmen began their break the earliest, with all six days to take a pause from their busy calendars. October 11 was National Testing Day, so sophomores and juniors be-gan their break in assigned classrooms to take the PSAT. Seniors who chose to sign up for the SAT were also on campus, putting in the hard work before a much deserved break.
“Taking the PSAT was not as difficult as I was expecting and it felt easier than last year. I was nervous going in, but after the first section, my anxiety was alleviated and I completed the test quickly and easily,” said junior Claire McCoy. “I enjoyed having a break after because it was a nice way to decompress after the stress leading up to and during the PSAT.”
At 12:00 p.m., fall break officially started for everyone and several students chose to travel around the country. Senior Malia Lamb visited the Midwest, touring colleges such as the University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.
“This fall break, I toured the three campuses and learned a ton about their curriculum,” said Lamb. “I had initially really wanted to apply to those three schools and visiting them allowed me to be more informed of their programs. Every school had such great school spirit, which was something I really enjoyed.”
Seniors like Lamb also made use of the break to work on college applications. For students applying Early Admission or Early Decision to schools, their November 1 deadline is quickly approaching.
Other students chose to travel to visit family who live out of state. With it being the first long break of the year, many sought to take this as an opportunity to visit loved ones before the busy holiday season rolled in. For those who stayed home, they spent time getting ahead on schoolwork, but made extra time for family and friends.
Not everyone had such a restful week, though. NDB’s Cross Country team drove to Incline Village, Nevada for their first training trip. The team trained in high altitudes to build their stamina and make running locally easier.
Additionally, the NDB Spirit Team attended Serra HS’ Poly Day game on Saturday, October 14, enjoying the festivities and performing in a halftime show.
On Monday, Tri-School students attended their classes at Mercy B and Serra HS as both schools were in session. NDB sports teams also resumed in preparation for the weeks’ games and athletes attended practices, despite not having school.
On Tuesday, October 17, the entire community was back on campus to resume their studies for the rest of the semester.
