Summary:
A letter to the school board asking that they reconsider removing one full period from the school day.
Dear School Board Members,
As a senior at High School, I am writing first of all to thank you for taking the time to listen to my fellow students voice our concerns about the six period day. While I am grateful that we were able to talk with you, I am hoping that you took our concerns to heart.
I have been a member of three different choirs throughout my four years of high school. Choir has helped me become a more cultured person and has given me many irreplaceable experiences as a student. Although this can be said about many of the classes I have taken in high school, all other classes last only a semester or a year, choir has been a four year learning experience for me.
As a freshman, I was in Women's Choir with 46 other girls where we built our knowledge of choral singing and were able to experience many of the preliminary skills of singing. Men's Choir, which is the equivalent of Women's Choir, had 29 boys when I was a freshman. Last year, at semester, Men's and Women's choir were forced to join to become one Greyhound Choir consisting of 54 students. This is a 22 student decrease from only two years before. This year, the numbers have dwindled to even fewer, with only "?"? students.
The lack of students has greatly decayed the quality of the choral program at East. The main cause for these decreasing numbers is the six period day. Students are forced to chose between a foreign language and a music. Languages are often what are chosen as many colleges call for at least two years in a foreign language and more than two is highly recommended.
This is only one of the many reasons for the reinstatement of the seven period day. The six period day is costing many students the chance to be in not only choir, but other music programs. It is taking away students' opportunities to choose classes that they want to take, leaving them only room for the required classes. Although these classes are an important part of curriculum, they do not give students a chance to use other artistic talents they may possess.
I am asking that you reconsider the decision to take away an hour of education, an hour of endless opportunities to learn and grow into mature adults and give us a fair chance at gaining a complete education. We are put at such a disadvantage to our peers and are asking you to put our needs first. When have you ever heard students ask for more school? We are not only asking you for more school and a better education, but we are challenging you to listen to our request and remember that we are who you are working for.
This is the complete article, containing 470 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
