Since the school year is ending, students at Briar Woods High School make sure to end the year on a great note. Since students are preparing for summer’s arrival, vacation plans and summer ideas are already seeping through the last few weeks of school. This hot season is when people can relax, interact socially, reflect on their current plans, and aim to target new accomplishments for the upcoming school year in late August.
Summer creates a space where students can continue focusing on their passions and hobbies. It helps them take time to focus on themselves and be able to try new goals, visit beautiful sites around the world, or reconnect with other family members. Nick Miner, an 11th grader at Briar Woods High School, explains what excites him most about the summer. Miner says that “I really enjoy the summer because it allows me to do the things I don’t have time for during the school year – mostly reading and creative writing, as well as getting to hang out with my older brother when he visits from college and hanging with friends. I also usually get to take a couple of small trips with my family and have been lucky enough to see the whole East Coast, from Maine to Florida.”
Cameron Krick, an 11th grader at Briar Woods High School, explains that the break lets her “enjoy traveling to other countries in the summer for good weather. I can’t do that in the winter because then the suitcase will be heavy with coats and no space for souvenirs.” The beautiful weather in the summer permits others to travel the world since traveling to other places for a duration of time throughout the school year would make students miss loads of work.
Kate Beardslee, an 11th grader at Loudoun Valley High School, says that while the year is ending, she feels that the ending school year is “bittersweet. I’m very relieved because Junior year was by far the hardest year of school I’ve had. Its weight lifted off my shoulders that it’s ending, but that also means that my high school years are coming to an end, which saddens me and scares me that this will be over soon.” She continues to express her accomplishments throughout the year. Beardslee says, “I feel the most accomplished that I did well in my first AP course and took the AP exam. Ap psychology was very challenging, but I ended the year with a very good grade. The course was a lot of late nights, studying, and stressing, but it was all worth it!”
This summer of 2023 will bring students a stress-free schedule that brings enjoyment and excitement to daily life. Not only does summer convey much emotion, but it is a reflection of people’s school year. The 2022-2023 school year created a space where students can learn from past experiences, acknowledge their accomplishments, and get an idea of what to do next year.