Dear principal,

Kids go to school ten out of twelve months, 180 days a year, and five days a week. We work hard and get good grades. Why should we extend the school year? I’ll tell u why we shouldn’t. Summer is when kids get a lot of their exercise, most kids already don’t like school, and kids do things outside of school.

First of all, kids need exercise. We wouldn’t be healthy if we didn’t get any. During the summer we do so many active things such as swimming, other sports, and camp. All these things are what keep a kid healthy. Another thing is that kids might not be able to focus in school. I know from personal experience how hot it gets in the buildings in the summer. It makes it very hard to concentrate on my work. And as the days go further into late June and early July it gets so unbearable that one day my parents actually kept me home from school. Kids also play sports during the summer. The later the school year goes into the summer, the less time kids have to play and learn the sports they love. Statistics show that twenty percent of kids who play a sport will grow up to play it as an adult. Now you wouldn’t want to take away that kind of opportunity from a kid would you?

Next, most kids already don’t like school. This means that kids might start slacking off. It’s a given fact that forty percent of kids who’s schools have extended the school year start slacking off. There would be no point in extending the school year if kids didn’t do their work anyway. Kids also might ditch school if they know their summer is shorter. Kids in my school already ditch classes, so extending the school year will cause it to happen even more.

Now, kids do other things outside of school, especially in the summer. For example, kids play with their friends. It’s something they can’t do in school. Socializing with people is part of learning too. It creates good social skills and teaches kids how to solve their own problems. Also, kids go on vacation during the summer. Going to new places in the world is a great experience for kids. It gives them the opportunity to learn new things about that place and have fun exploring it at the same time. Kids also visit family during the summer. It’s important to keep in touch with all your relatives, but at the same time school makes doing that very difficult. That’s why people visit family, and have family reunions during the summer. Relatives can also teach kids new things. Maybe they are from a different country and can teach them something new about that place.

Finally, I think extending the school year is a very bad idea. The summer gives kids time to get exercise, gives them a break from school, and gives them time to do things done outside of school. I hope you read my letter carefully and think about the pros and cons of this situation. This is a very important decision to make, so make sure you decide right!


Sincerely,

Sarah M.