Dear editor,

I believe that we should have a two-hour early release every Monday again, or commonly referred to as “half-days.” In 2014, the school board voted to remove half-days. However, I believe that we have more than enough time for school. FCPS can revert back to the 180-day calendar instead of the 990-hour calendar, which will allow us to bring back half-days on Monday. We do not lose much instructional time either, as we still have 180 days of school.

These half-days had numerous benefits for students. We were able to go to sleep earlier, which helps us pay attention in class more. We also had more time to complete homework, allowing for less stress and a better schedule for our lives outside of school. With the added time to our Mondays, we were able to do an extra sport or another extracurricular activity. Also, bringing back half-days can have benefits for teachers. Teachers can have more time to grade papers or plan lessons to assist their students. They can also enjoy some more time off from their job.

I hope that half-days can return to our schools. The students and teachers of FCPS will greatly appreciate half-days being brought back.

Thank you,

Cameron Wu