With memories of winter break and first semester finals fading fast, many students have forgotten the stress that plagued them as they crammed before each day of finals. The break was not as stress-free as it was purported to be, and added an even more frantic week before it. Even though many teachers had been forced to cut down the material taught, there was still little time to study.

During winter break in the 2010-2011 school year, senior Vivian Tsai and her family visited her grandparents in Taiwan. On her trip, she had to bring along her calculus textbook, her Barron’s AP Chemistry prep book and the AP History textbook to study for finals in January.

With the district calendar setting final exams before winter break this semester, principal Jeff Anderson hopes to give students and teachers a time to “get their batteries recharged.” In order to better help students relax during their two weeks off, Anderson has mandated teachers to avoid assigning homework over the break.

The administration has implemented a new finals schedule this year in which finals week will start on Dec. 19, before winter break, instead of in January. Winter break will now start on Dec. 23, and students will not be burdened by having to study for finals over the holidays.

The Palo Alto Unified School District’s Board of Education voted 5-0 this past January for a 2011-2012 school calendar that would move final exams to January, after winter break.

Though students will take all finals before winter break next year, principal Jeff Anderson has directed that teachers only give their finals during the designated week in January this school year.

With visions of dancing sugarplums currently tainted by the thought of finals, many students can hardly relax during winter break. The holidays are no longer time to enjoy with family but rather an opportunity to spend more time worrying about the upcoming exams taking place just three weeks into the new year. Luckily, with the passing of a new schedule by the school board on Nov. 16, next year’s finals will be held before winter break, and vacation can finally serve its intended purpose.

The school board is on its way to deciding whether the school should have finals before or after winter break for the school year of 2011-2012, according to school officials.

In recent years, Monta Vista, Lynbrook, Terra Linda, Pioneer, Leland High and other nearby schools have all decided to end their first semester before winter break. Now after years of complaints from students and parents alike, it looks as if the idea has become more of a possibility here, though many hurdles remain before Saratoga and Los Gatos High Schools can make this switch.