While other schools throughout Rhode Island were spending their February breaks up north on the slopes, the students of NK spent all week moping in their classes. After almost four months without a week long vacation, our prayers have finally been answered.

This year, the North Kingstown School Department decided to discard February Vacation and have a later start time for the school year. Many students were upset with this change and have been barely hanging on until this April.

With April vacation approaching us, students are eager to get away from school, go somewhere tropical, or even just stay at home and sleep all week. Rhode Island weather has helped it feel like a real “spring” break after all. Our winter was short this year, and the weather lately has reached up to 75 degrees. Some people however, are not enthusiastic about their shredding season being cut short.

Junior Joe Piacitelli said that he was “disappointed in the weather this winter.” Piacitelli is an avid snowboarder and loves to spend as much time on the slopes as possible. The recent weather has ended his season far earlier that past years. “It was 50 degrees on Christmas. I was counting on Yawgoo being open longer but the rain and warm weather ruined the snow,” Piacitelli said. “I go up north a lot to Loon, Waterville Valley, or Mount Snow, but the weather really stunk this year even for those mountains. By this time all the snow’s gone anywhere really, and I can’t snowboard this break which stinks because there was no February break.” Piacitelli, along with his friends and fellow snowboarders, is sad about the short winter, but will continues to shred on his skateboard instead this spring break.

While some stay salty about the short season, others look forward to getting salty in the water. Senior Zack Quarella surfed throughout the winter, but as the weather gets warmer he is excited to go more frequently. He usually surfs at Narragansett Beach, but this spring break he is traveling to California to explore the waves on the West Coast. “I’m pretty excited actually for this spring break because my friends and I are going out to San Clemente together,” Quarella said. “As long as the swell cooperates, I will surf probably every day I’m there. This is a great start to the rest of the season, and I can’t wait to surf in ‘Gansett when I get back.”

Others decide to stay home this spring break and do local activities. Freshman Kaitlyn MacDonald is not traveling anywhere this spring break. Kaitlyn joined the varsity softball team this year and says that consumes most of her time. “We have practice every day almost, we probably get one day off a week. Just because we have spring break doesn’t mean we stop practicing though.”

Kaitlyn says when she has late practices she will sleep in as much as possible during the vacation week. She also said that the softball team isn’t just work this vacation, they planned a team bonding trip. “We are going to Six Flags one day this vacation, then were staying overnight in a hotel,” MacDonald said. “I am really excited because I’ve started to make new friends and this seems like a great way to have fun with them outside of just softball.”

Whether students decide to stay home this break or travel the country, everyone feels this April Vacation was well deserved.