There will be a time to unwind after 11 months of non-stop activities for families and their students. 

The Iowa High School Activities Federation has started their non-contact period or otherwise known as “Family Week,” as a time for students to spend time away from activities and with their loved ones. Perry Schools Activities Director Kaitlyn Whelchel says that this time period off has been a blessing for their students. Whelchel notes that they have students that perform in many activities throughout the year so guaranteeing them one week of down time has been beneficial. 

“We all know how it is. We need some time off and we need some time to recharge and especially having this week off before we get going with the school year is great for them as well.” 

Whelchel explains that she has a lot of parents wanting to know when would be the best time to take a vacation and this week provides her an easy answer. 

“It’s always nice to be able to say, Listen, Family Week is going to be the last full week in July. It’s a great time to have a vacation. No open gyms, no practices. So that’s been kind of a nice thing to be able to guarantee everyone moving forward.”

The Iowa’s Unified Activity Federation’s non-contact period is scheduled from July 24th through the 31st. The IUAF is composed of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, the Iowa High School Music Association, and the Iowa High School Speech Association.