An eighth-grade student’s letter from Brooklyn wins an extra day off for New York schools

NEW YORK – An eighth-grade student from Brooklyn managed to give nearly one million New York City public school students an early start to their summer break.

Isaac Regnier, a student at Seth Low IS 96, sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams in the spring along with a petition on Change.org asking for students to be dismissed from school on December 23, the Monday before Christmas Eve. His efforts paid off and on Tuesday he received a call from the mayor himself informing him about the change in the school calendar.

“So on December 23, you and your classmates will now be on vacation,” Adams told Regnier during a phone call to his class.

Isaac’s petition was started after he realized that Christmas Eve falls on a Tuesday this year, so students will have to report to school on Monday, December 23, before the break begins. Isaac felt that this one day was unnecessary and in his letter appealed to Mayor Adams to consider starting the break earlier.

As a result, New York City Public Schools students and staff will now begin their summer break on Friday, December 20 and return on January 6. The state’s 180-day school requirement will still be met, ensuring students do not miss any class time.