What does 休まないでください mean in the given contex?


I'm going through listening comprehension examples, and though, I can
recognise separate words (well, most of them), particles, grammar and so on
and recall their meaning, I still have trouble with understanding the whole
sentences. In the example below, the phrase `休まないでください。` means don't rest, as
far as understand, but the part that goes after contradicts it, by saying that
students should 'take' a good rest for the next 6 days. Am I missing
something? Or is something like "have a good rest, but don't relax too much
since in 6 days you will back in school"?

> 皆さん、明日から休みですね。休みは四日から九日まで六日間です。十日はテストをします。 **休まないでください。**
> では、六日間ゆっくり休んで、また学校に来てください。




There seem to be three elements to your quoted text.

  * There will a few days to take off.
  * There will be an exam after the break.
  * A summary statement.

The first of these is

> 明日から休みですね。休みは四日から九日まで六日間です。

The idea expressed is that starting _tomorrow_ there will be six days of a
break.

The second is

> 十日はテストをします。休まないでください。

After the break, on the 10th, there will be an exam. The speaker urges the
students "not take the day off". For example, he may feel it could be easily
after several days of a break to lose track and miss the exam accidentally.
Who knows.

And the third part is

> では、六日間ゆっくり休んで、また学校に来てください。

では here signals a summary: Take a nice easy break fro six days, then please
return to school.

