After three weeks of school, the mighty Highlanders found a day off this past Thursday in honor of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Consequently, there were many options for students as to how they spent their day off.

For Jewish students, the day is usually spent at synagogue in the morning, followed by a festive meal with family and friends. At this meal, apples and honey are served to symbolize the start of a sweet new year. “I went to services during the day, and then my family and I had a great dinner,” Brock Pasternak, senior, stated.

Noah Check, junior, noted that his family attended services on Wednesday night, which is titled “Erev Rosh Hashanah,” or “the night before Rosh Hashanah.” “My synagogue has services on Wednesday, so we wanted to go to those services,” Check voiced. “On Thursday, we were just able to relax and eat as a family.”

On the other hand, non-Jewish students were able to experience a mid-week day off from school. “It was nice to hang out with friends and take a break from school,” Zach Beale, junior, expressed.

“I went to lunch with friends and it was wonderful,” Bryce Counsellor, senior, recalled.

However, Homestead’s student-athletes found the day to be replete with practices. “We had a practice for volleyball, so I went to my practice,” Margaux Wilson, senior, vocalized.

“I had football practice and a team dinner,” Malik Phillips, junior, reminisced.

For seniors, the day proved to be another opportunity to work on their post high-school planning. “My family and I flew to Birmingham and we visited the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa,” Alec Schulz, senior, recounted. “I worked on my college essays a little bit,” Wilson added.

In general, the day proved to be successful in a variety of ways, as students at Homestead generally enjoyed the mid-week day off of school. “It is always great to have a day off!” Phillips exclaimed.