With the upcoming holiday break, students at Woodrow Wilson High School are excited for the chance to sit back and relax. The official day of the winter break begins on December 22, 2022 and ends on the 3rd of January, 2023. However, with all this free time, how are students going to fill the void? Here are seven ideas for students to pass the time: 

  1. Have a Disney+ streaming party–

Many streaming services provide a feature called “group watching.” All you need is access to a streaming service like Disney+, or Hulu and a friend. Simply follow the directions on the screen and both you and your friend can be laughing, or crying along with each other to a good old fashioned holiday cheer. 

     2. Get to know your family history-

For many students, holidays mean time spent with family. This serves as a great opportunity to learn about where you come from. Learning your roots provides many benefits and allows family members to laugh at the “good ol’ days.” 

Disclaimer: The Eagle Dispatch as a whole would like to remind everyone that family is more than blood and bone, but rather the strong emotional connection between two or more people. 

     3. Start a new hobby-

With more than a week off, the winter break would be a great time to pick up an old hobby, or even learn a whole new one. Whether it’s pulling out crochet needles or a paint brush, the internet is a great place to learn about all sorts of skills around the world. 

     4. Read a book- 

Reading a book is the last thing some students want to do over their break as it can be challenging or even boring. However, others find that when books are not assigned by teachers they actually become fun and full of adventure! 

     5. Get organized for the New Year-

Pick up a planner from the store (or ask one of our counselors) and start writing appointments, sports, and other upcoming events. Organization is an important part of a student’s life. Spice it up: use fun highlighters, and colored pens. 

 6. Catch Up on Sleep-

Sleep is an essential part of health. According to nationwidechildrens.org, “Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours. However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours (studies show that most teenagers need exactly 9 ¼ hours of sleep).” 

      7. Clean out your email- 

It is commonly said that there are two types of people in this world: those who check, organize, and read emails, and those who don’t. As teenagers, we’re often concerned with things like school, grades, and friends. Most of us don’t give our email a second thought. But don’t tell us those 5000+ unread messages in your inbox aren’t causing some anxiety. Take care of it, and take care of yourself!