With spring break weighing on everyone’s minds, the hot topic around the halls is where did everyone go for the break? We took it ourselves to figure out where the hot spots are for spring break at Charlotte Latin School (CLS). Spring break at CLS definitely reflects a specific cultural climate-from each grade spending time with family and friends to the all-grade inclusive senior trip, everyone looks forward to something exciting and fun. With all of the varied destinations Hawks end up at for this coveted week off, we asked every student in the Upper School to choose their ideal spring break location. Options included a beach setting, a mountain setting, overseas, the lake or at home.
Whether this is a beach on one of the coasts, or a beach resort inside or outside of the United States, the CLS students have spoken, and the beach is the top spring break destination. Out of the 391 students who participated, 59.3% of the students voted for the beach. Before taking a poll, we both took a guess at which destination would be most popular, and we stood correct. The top locations this year included Montego Bay, Jamaica (where the unofficial senior spring break took place), Caribbean islands like Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands. Additionally, the Florida beaches on the east and west coasts of Florida were very popular. Charlotte Latin senior Lindsay Baker ‘24 went to Montego Bay, Jamaica this spring break and had the time of her life.
“Fun places make fun memories,” Baker said. She attests to the fact that the beach is the best place for spring break because of the ocean, activities, warm weather and pretty scenery.
Following in second place behind beach destinations, the next most popular spot for spring break at CLS this year was in the mountains. Ranging from the slopes in Park City to Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone, Beaver Creek, or even the Aspen Mountains, 14.3% of Latin students spent their breaks skiing and snowboarding in the snow. Although it is a very different setting from a beach, many students took advantage of new opportunities. Ben Goldman ‘26 said, “This year when I went skiing I did my first double black extreme terrain and now it’s my favorite run on the mountain.” It’s precious moments like these that really make the mountain experience worth it.
For Latin students, the opportunity to immerse oneself into a different culture is very important. That’s why 14.3% of students prefer to go overseas to the Eastern hemisphere for their week off. Many students this spring break took the 8 hour + flight over to the eastern hemisphere and visited Europe. This year people explored Paris, London and Italy. CLS student Carson Clutter ‘25 and his family went to France over the break.
Most of their break involved tourist activities. “It was all really fun,” Clutter said. He enjoyed the cultural aspects of his trip. “I got to experience a new culture and traditions through making croissants and visiting places like the catacombs.” Going out of the country is a great mix of learning, relaxation, and fun.
Lastly, a good number of CLS students enjoyed their break remaining at home. Sometimes it’s less about the big excursions, and the best breaks can be spent relaxing in your bed and relieving all the stress from school. Robby Gette ‘24 said, “It’s nice to have some time off with such a heavy workload and be able to decompress.” While it may not be the same as lying in the sand or gearing up for the slopes, an equally enjoyable break is well-spent binge watching your favorite show on Netflix, sleeping until noon and hanging around the house carefree.
This year, lakes came in at our lowest percentage, a shocking 1.3% of Upper School Latin students. We talked to a few students, and the main consensus was that lakes are a weekend trip or a place to visit over the summer. CLS students think the weather would not be good enough during the break, and the water would still be quite cold. Because spring break is very much anticipated all year, most kids plan their trips in advance and choose to go somewhere farther away, or somewhere with more activities to do, rather than go somewhere they can probably drive to on a regular weekend.
Whether it was laying out on a beach, skiing down a mountain, traveling overseas, hanging out at the lake, or just staying home, CLS students greatly cherish their week off of school, where they can take their minds off homework and focus on family and friends. Overall, our data proves that a majority of Latin student’s found this comfort on the beach, relaxing near the ocean and getting some Vitamin D.
