To the School Administration, Faculty, and School Community,

As students, we understand that school is supposed to challenge us. We know that assignments, projects, exams, presentations, and deadlines are all part of learning. We are willing to work hard and take our responsibilities seriously.

But sometimes, it feels like there is no time to breathe.

On a normal school day, we move from one class to another, take notes, listen to lectures, complete activities, think about upcoming exams, and worry about assignments that still need to be finished. When several deadlines and exams happen around the same time, the pressure can become even harder to handle.

There are times when we come to school already tired and leave feeling even more exhausted. We may be physically present in class, but mentally, we are already thinking about everything we still have to do.

That is why we are asking for something simple: an actual break.

When we say we need a wellness break, we do not mean another activity that we have to complete. We mean a real break from schoolwork.

A break where we can put our notebooks and devices aside for a few minutes. A break where we do not have to worry about an assignment, study for a test, or finish a project. A break where we can talk to our friends, eat, walk around, sit somewhere quiet, or simply do nothing.

We believe that this kind of break is important, especially during weeks when academic pressure is particularly high.

Sometimes, students are told to manage their time better when they feel overwhelmed. While time management is important, there are situations where the problem is not simply how students manage their time. Sometimes, there are genuinely too many things happening at once, with very little time to recover in between.

Even a short period of genuine rest can give students the chance to clear their minds before going back to their responsibilities. 

We also want to make sure that wellness breaks do not turn into another school requirement. If a “wellness break” involves completing a worksheet, writing a reflection, attending another required activity, or doing something that students are expected to submit, then it can still feel like another task.

We understand that activities such as mindfulness sessions, exercise, stress-management workshops, and counseling programs can be helpful. We support having these resources available.

However, they should not replace actual rest. Sometimes, students do not need another activity. Sometimes, we just need a few minutes where nobody expects anything from us academically.

Students are expected to stay focused for hours at a time and continue performing even when they are tired. When there is no opportunity to step away from academic pressure, it can become difficult to stay focused and motivated.

Taking a short break does not mean that students are lazy or do not care about their education. In fact, taking time to rest can help us come back to our work with a clearer mind. We believe that students can work hard while still needing time to rest. We can care about our grades and still feel overwhelmed. We can want to succeed and still need a moment to breathe.

These things can exist at the same time.

Through this petition, we respectfully ask the school administration to consider providing students with regular, genuine wellness breaks, especially during academically demanding periods.

We ask that these breaks:

• Give students time away from academic work.
• Do not require students to complete assignments or graded activities.
• Allow students to rest, eat, talk with friends, walk around, or simply have some quiet time.
• Be especially considered during periods with multiple major exams, projects, and deadlines.
• Be accompanied by accessible mental health and counseling resources for students who need additional support.

Take student feedback into consideration when planning future wellness initiatives. We are not asking the school to make academics easier or to remove our responsibilities; we are asking for balance.

Students are often encouraged to work harder, stay productive, and make the most of every minute.  But we are human. We get tired. We get overwhelmed. We sometimes need to step away for a moment before we can continue.

School should be a place where we learn and grow, but it should also be a place where our well-being is taken seriously. We should not have to reach the point of complete exhaustion before we are given permission to rest. A few minutes of genuine rest will not solve every problem students face. But it can remind us that our well-being matters too.

Our Appeal:
We are asking our school to recognize that rest is not a waste of time.

We want to continue learning. We want to do well. We want to meet our responsibilities and make our school proud.

But we also want to be able to do those things without constantly feeling like we have to run ourselves into the ground.

We are not asking for less education. We are asking for time to breathe between the demands of education.

We hope the school administration will listen to the experiences of its students and consider giving us something that every student needs from time to time:

a real break.

A break where we can put the academic pressure aside for a moment, catch our breath, and come back ready to continue.

Please support this petition and help us create a school environment where students can work hard, rest when they need to, and succeed without sacrificing their well-being.