The end of summer and the beginning of each school year is a bittersweet time for us all. We will miss the beach days, the late nights, and the sleeping-in until noon, but it also marks the beginning of an exciting year to come. This year, Newport Harbor started a week later than many nearby schools, giving the students an extra week to enjoy summer.

Jillian Russell, member of the JV Cheer team said, “I think that having the extra week of summer was nice because the pep squad was able to schedule a few more practices to prepare for the football season ahead.” Her statement reflects the opinions of many other athletes at Newport Harbor, who are now able to feel better prepared for the upcoming sports season.

Personally, perhaps like many of my classmates, I have used the extra week to catch up on the summer assignments that I had left for the last minute.

While there is general agreement that an extra week of summer is a good thing, the benefit will be short-lived. School will now end on June 23rd, a week later than previous years.  Libby Larner, a sophomore, points out that “because we are getting out a week later than other schools, it almost feels like we will be missing out on the first week of summer.”