Recently, Wednesdays have undergone a significant evolution at Cary Academy. This year, Wednesdays have been transformed into X days, C days, and wellness days, all of which provide engaging opportunities for the Cary Academy community and alleviate stress.
X days are built in time in the school calendar that allow students to explore their interests and passions that extend beyond the classroom. There is a wide gamut of opportunities from which students can choose, ranging from exploring the art of bonsai to volunteering at local food banks to building mini-greenhouses for our community garden. X days are primarily student–led, which gives students the space and resources to delve more deeply into their interests while also teaching others about their hobbies. X days not only allow students to gain leadership skills and discover new passions to pursue, but they also allow middle school students and upper school students to engage with each other and, as a result, foster meaningful connections. Darcy Keegan (’25), remarks, “I like X days because they give us the freedom to create or participate in fun opportunities that I can do with my friends. They also give us a break from our regular school day and offer a change of pace from being in classes all day.”
C days, on the other hand, allow students to attend each of their academic core classes for 45 minutes, compared to the usual 80-minute blocks. Additionally, no homework is assigned or tests administered during C days, which allows for a more laid-back class and enables students to solely focus on the material being taught. Mirella DiGiulio (’25), comments, “C days are really helpful because it gives me an extra day to do my homework and makes me feel more prepared for class. I also like how the classes are shorter and that I have all of my classes in one day.”
Conversely, wellness days function as a day for students to take a break since they are not required to come to school. Having multiple tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, and homework due each week can be very stressful, and wellness days help relieve some of this stress by allowing students to take care of their mental health. Wellness days also allow students to simply catch up on sleep or engage in educational activities outside of school. Although students are not required to be on campus, teachers are still available to meet with any students that are having trouble in a certain subject or need to make up any tests. Ava Karrenbauer (’25) exclaims, “I really like wellness days because they give me an extra day to get on top of my work and meet with any teachers if I need to. They are especially helpful when I have multiple tests and projects due the next day.”
In short, Wednesdays create a myriad of unique opportunities for students, allowing them to explore new hobbies, gain leadership experience, or simply catch up on work. Although students may have differing opinions regarding which form of Wednesday is their favorite, we can all agree that we are thankful for the new experiences these Wednesdays afford us.