For years Pentucket Regional School District’s students have been enjoying the luxury of Early Release Wednesdays.

Early Release Wednesdays are wondrous days when students are dismissed from school 90 minutes earlier than regular school days. This gives faculty an opportunity to get work done, hold meetings, and attend classes. A win-win situation for students and teachers.

Enjoyed by all students, Early Release Wednesdays are no longer going to be enjoyed this 2013-14 school year. They’re even better. Early Release Fridays.

Fridays are often a struggle for students antsy for the weekend ahead. These early release Fridays, starting in January, 2014, gives the youth of Pentucket a head start on their weekend, dismissal will be at 12:45 p.m. These Early Release days are as follows :

• January 17^th, 2014, February 7^th, 2014, March 7^th, 2014, April 4^th, 2014, May 2^nd, 2014

In addition to these shortened Fridays, this fall, students will be given two full days off for these so called Professional Development Days. In October and November there are two days with no school, one day off in either month, so teachers have the day to develop as professionals. Just when you think it can’t get better, it does.

These days happen to lie on already long weekends. Columbus Day weekend was a 3-day weekend already. In addition to that Saturday-Monday break, school was not in session for a Professional Development Day on Friday. Students did not have to come to school Friday, Saturday, Sunday, AND Monday (Columbus Day). A real godsend.

It happens again too, next week. Veterans Day, Monday November 11^th, has a Professional Development Day the after, on Tuesday. Two four day weekends. Wow.

To Pentucket Students, enjoy this break from the stresses of school and enjoy four days to yourself. To teachers, thank you for developing for students’ personal benefit.