A few weeks ago, I was talking to my friend at swim practice. As I complained about the mountains of homework waiting for me at home, she nodded sympathetically. After I finished my prolonged rant, she announced—to my bewilderment—that she had no homework this weekend.

This was an unattainable fantasy, an alluring throwback to my stress-free elementary school days. But believe it or not, this is a reality at some high schools, including her own: Churchill.

This phenomenon is referred to as a “wellness weekend.” Teachers are not allowed to assign homework on Friday that needs to be completed over the weekend. This gives students an opportunity to relax from the everyday stress that comes with being in high school and focus on other extracurriculars. Whitman should help facilitate this vital rejuvenation time by implementing one homework-free weekend every month.

Nearly 56 percent of students consider homework the primary source of stress, a 2014 Stanford Study revealed. A wellness weekend would provide students with just enough time to recuperate and return to school refreshed and motivated. Students would also be able to devote more time to extracurriculars that are vital to our success.

“Indicators of successful participation in school include consistent attendance, academic achievement, and aspirations for continuing education beyond high school,” a study by the National Center for Education Statistics reported. The same study found that extracurricular participation was positively associated with each of these indicators among 1992 public school seniors. Whitman is notorious for challenging course loads, and without breaks from school work, extracurriculars are often the first to be pushed aside.

So instead of distressing, let’s de-stress once a month by welcoming wellness weekends.