Six classes a day sometimes means six times the amount of homework to do and six times the stress. Students need a break. 

With the responsibilities a student takes on from work, sports, clubs and more. On a day-to-day basis, school becomes overwhelming and everyone deserves a day to regroup and focus on their mental health. 

Posted around the school are posters promoting well-being. However, if a student takes a day off without a doctor’s note to back it up, the day is counted against them. It doesn’t make sense.

When COVID-19 closed schools down in March 2020, some kids went months without seeing others and stayed in isolation. As a result, returning to school after so long was a drastic change for some—a change many are still adjusting to. 

Mental health days allow for journaling, assessing needs, avoiding social media, catching up on much needed sleep and enjoying a meal that doesn’t come from a bag. The point is to avoid stressful activities and relax. 

With the updated attendance policy, students face losing credit if their absences in a class reaches 10. This promotes students showing up to class more, but puts more stress on them. Students put their health on the back burner in fear of losing credit. 

If given mental health days, there would be a limit to avoid students missing an unreasonable amount of days. An excused day once per quarter is reasonable and days should not be allowed on exam days or other major testing days. Some students may require more days when they are going through hard times, which should be allowed after having a meeting with their counselor. 

It can be argued students may lie to take a day off, but like everything, mental health days should be limited. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about half the people who experience mental health related illnesses in their lifetime experience signs before 14. 

To better students’ health, the attendance policy should allow one mental health day per quarter, to be taken without counting against them. Students, parents and advocates should speak up and share this idea with the school board.