By Mandy Hui ‘22
As it was nearing the end of 2020, students felt both excited and exhausted for Christmas break after the long weeks of hybrid learning, including a mix of in-person and remote. Along with that, there was the gratifying feeling because they endured a period of momentous events in a singular year.
The Covid 19 pandemic limited the number of opportunities and activities people could plan and participate in over the course of their Christmas break. However, with the two weeks away from school, students at St. Mark’s were still able to enjoy Christmas with their family. Common pastimes among St. Markers were baking and watching movies. Darius Wagner (‘23) described how their family engaged in a “new normal”, stating how they “cooked amazing food, gave baking a try, and watched some good, bad, and cheesy films.” In contrast, Sarah Bechard (‘22) was lucky enough to be able to ski for her first time, and despite it being challenging at first, “it was just really fun to do it with my sister and friend,” she said. Sophie Ledonion’s (‘23) highlight of the break was meeting and catching up with her siblings as they bonded over baking last-minute Christmas cookies for Christmas day.
Furthermore, the Christmas break has also given time to some seniors, the class of 2021, to finalise and submit their college applications. One senior explained how she utilised her break: “the break was a chance for me to complete my college apps. However, I was still able to converse with my friends over the phone and to hang around my parents. It’s satisfying to know I’m almost done with the college process.”
Although Christmas in 2020 was unlike previous years, students were given the opportunity to reflect upon the year and revitalise for the coming year. Students have learned to savour the moments with family and friends, and as one student said, “though we were all grateful for all our Christmas gifts, we were more grateful for the gift of health and making it to the new year.”