FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS : STUDENTS BACK FROM VACATION LATE SLEEPERS LAMENT LOSING THAT LUXURY.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer Reality bites. No more staying up late, no more sleeping in. Winter break is over. Which means back to school, back to the books and back to setting that annoying alarm clock five days a week. ``I didn't want to come back at all,'' said Sarah Swanson, a junior at Simi Valley High School Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. . For the past two weeks, the 16-year-old has stayed up past midnight and slept in until 11 a.m. Her days and nights were spent with friends. And she studied little for end-of-semester finals. Looking back on her glory days of leisure, Swanson said she had a severe case of the back-to-school-blues. ``Thinking about it was really depressing,'' Swanson said. ``I'll just try and hang in there.'' Monday was a reality check for many teachers, principals and students in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. who returned to the educational grind 1. GRIND - GRaphical INterpretive Display. A graphics input language for the PDP-9. ["GRIND: A Language and Translator for Computer Graphics", A.P. Conn, Dartmouth, June 1969]. 2. after two weeks of leisure. But for some, coming back wasn't so terrible. ``I was getting bored,'' said Nicole Mckendricks, a Royal High School junior. Because the 16-year-old spent most of her vacation with family, Mckendricks was anxious to see her friends on a regular basis at school. Hitting the books again after two weeks isn't so bad, either, she said. ``Some students just hate school, but I don't,'' Mckendricks said. ``It's not torture torture, the intentional infliction of severe physical or mental pain or suffering in order to intimidate, coerce, obtain information or a confession, or punish. to me.'' There are things she will miss, though. ``I'll miss sleeping in.'' For Principal Shari Wohlstattar, the feeling is mutual. ``The hardest part for me is getting up early again,'' said Wohlstattar, of Santa Susana Santa Susana can refer to several places:
Wohlstattar spent most of her day Monday catching up on the changes staff and students went through over the past two weeks. One kindergartner kin·der·gart·ner also kin·der·gar·ten·er n. 1. A child who attends kindergarten. 2. A teacher in a kindergarten. returned to school with an arm cast. A sixth-grader came back on crutches. And some staff members suffered unfortunate family tragedies over the holiday. ``Life goes on during those weeks,'' Wohlstattar said. ``But everything gets compacted into the first day back because we haven't been in session to know what's going on Verb 1. know what's going on - be well-informed be on the ball, be with it, know the score, know what's what know - know how to do or perform something; "She knows how to knit"; "Does your husband know how to cook?" .'' Principal Pat Hauser said switching mental gears from vacation to work was not that difficult. ``I'm one of those people who enjoys the breaks now and then,'' said Hauser, of Santa Susana High School Santa Susana High School is the third high school located in Simi Valley. The school campus is a middle school that was converted. The school colors are: silver, black, white, and teal. The school mascot is the Troubador. They are a school of the arts. . ``But I really thrive on the structure of coming to work everyday and being around the kids and teachers.'' A principal for many years in Simi Valley, Hauser said students tend to come back from winter break with a good attitude. ``They generally come back feeling like it's a new year - a time for a fresh start,'' Hauser said. ``They come back feeling like they really need to make the best of To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage. To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain. - Bacon. See also: Best Best it.'' Simi High Principal Dennis Rast said two weeks off is just long enough for students to want to come back to school again. ``The two-week holiday tends to be enough for kids - they are usually ready to come back to school,'' Rast said. ``For the most part, they miss their social connections and miss student life.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--ran in Simi and Conejo Editions--color) ) Nick Accardi, 12, reads ``Tom Sawyer'' on Monday at Los Cerritos Middle School. (2--ran in Simi and Conejo Editions--color) After a long winter break, Simi Valley High School students return to class Monday. (3--ran in Simi and Conejo Editions--color) Students enjoy their first lunch period after the end of winter break. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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