For the first time, Deer Valley Unified School District is providing a five day fall break for the students.

The break is from November 24 through 28 and students and teachers are finding it difficult to adjust to.

Kim Stoffers, chair of the mathematics department, describes the effects of the November break on her department.

“With the new standards, there’s more that we have to cover and there are less days that we have to do it,” Stoffers said. “We’ve had to start cramming more than we’ve had to in the past.”

Stoffers explains how her classes have to move at a faster pace to be prepared for finals.

“Certain concepts we try to go at a faster pace,” said Stoffers. “I flip some of the lessons for the students to do at home so I can pick up a day or two in my class.”

However, Andrew Cardon, OHS math teacher, is pleased with the new changes.

“I think one more week off for Thanksgiving is nice,” Cardon said. “I didn’t mind starting earlier and I don’t think I’ll mind staying a week later but we’ll see when that comes.”

Cardon is levelheaded toward the break and justifies the negatives with the positives.

“The biggest negative has been trying to squeeze all the days in the semester,” Cardon said. “I think the biggest positive is that the kids and the teachers will be more rested at the end of the first semester.”

Like every teacher at OHS, Kristen Lucero, dance teacher, has had to adjust her calendar to work around the fall break.

“I was nervous because my [dance] show initially was scheduled the week after the break but, fortunately I was able to get it pushed a week after,” Lucero said. “I’d always love more time but you just do what you got to do.”

Teachers presume that the students will experience an increase in homework versus school work because of the added break days.

“It’ll result in more work for students in terms of having to take stuff home, especially for AP students to stay on track,” said Sara Stollar Yates, science teacher.

Serena Helman, senior and AP student, believes that the break has only intensified her academic stress.

”Now I do at least 2-3 hours of homework each night and all my tests have been moved up,” Helman said. “I have to do more work at home and we don’t get to ask as many questions in class because we only have so much time.”