“On December 23rd we will be having an early dismissal,” announced the PAHS administration. From December 23 to January 4, students had time off school to celebrate Christmas and to ring in the New Year with friends and family.

Unfortunately with COVID-19 still being around, precautions still had to be taken while spending time with loved ones during the holiday season.

According to many students, the holiday break was anything but traditional to past years.

Junior Haley Gauntlett said, “This winter break was definitely anything but normal. I still managed to enjoy simple aspects of my holiday, such as going to Christmas Eve mass and spending time with my family. The only difference was that the gatherings were much smaller and involved masks.”

Just like everything in 2020, it was a year that no one planned for and came as a surprise to everyone. Creativity to survive the boredom was vital to enjoy the time away from school.

“Obviously this year went the way nobody expected nor planned; however, we can still make the best out of things. During the break, I enjoyed it with my close family members, taking precautions to make sure we stayed safe. It let my family and I enjoy our Christmas break even with the crisis unfolding. Staying inside, watching movies, and playing games all helped cure the boredom,” said sophomore James Malek.

Some students chose to just spend time with their family and to continue working on homework to prepare for when the students would return in January.

“I stayed at home with my parents and did some school work, but I FaceTimed my friends and stayed in touch as much as I could,” said freshman Emma Seiger.

With the help of technology students were able to keep in close contact with their loved ones during the holiday season.