Mental Health Half-days has created controversy with the students and teachers of Menchville High School. Usually, on Wednesdays, these mini-breaks let students leave school early by cutting classes short and excluding students’ homerooms and lunches from the schedule. Students go to school from 7:10 am to 10:40 am, going to 3 classes instead of 4.  Some students are in favor of the half-days whereas others are opposed. 

Leann Vo- There are pros and cons to half-days. I feel like it is a great way to relax and recharge, to catch up on the work that students need or miss. I also feel like it is a waste of time since we are just coming back to school tomorrow and does not have as great of an impact. With Advanced Placement exams coming up in May, is also something I am concerned about. Schools in other states start in August and we are already a month behind; these half-days may give us another disadvantage.

Justice Broadnax- I enjoy the time that we have off but there has to be a better way to get the break we need. When it comes to athletics, we cannot stay too late after school so we are not training as much, potentially affecting our performance. I do not like how our first period is neglected. The students with core classes as a first period may struggle even more with less instruction and time to ask for help.

Ann Chappell Ellington- Why make it a half-day? Why not make it a whole day? Taking off 3 hours and 15 minutes is not gonna give us the break from school that we need. It throws off the interchanging schedule that is already off because of the snow days. 

Grace Rivera- I do not mind the half-days. In fact, I am always in a good mood when I know it is a half-day. I really do not have a negative or positive opinion concerning them. I know that some teachers are stressed especially Advanced Placement teachers. However, I know that it is a time when teachers can get up to date on their grading.

Kylee Berg- I think we shouldn’t be given as much work and maybe we wouldn’t need mental-health days. That’s all I have to say about that.