Before school let out, the Beacon received several letters from Hillsborough Middle School students exercising their writing and thinking skills in making and substantiating an argument on a topic important to them.
We condense some of them here, and will print a second batch next week.
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Homework should not be given in the Hillsborough school system. The topic has some arguable points, but benefits nothing overall. Homework is counted too much as a grade, increases the tremendous amount of work already given and places too much stress on teens. Homework truly has a negative effect on the life of a teen.
If someone misses one homework assignment, their grade will most likely decrease about 2 points. However if they hand it in with every answer correct, it barely raises their grade. One tiny assignment to be completed at home should not affect anyone’s grade.
Some may argue that homework can aid teachers in understanding what a student is having difficulties in. Yes, it can, but so can assessments or in-class assignments.
In addition, students are already packed with tons of work. School work, studying, sport and hobbies and family problems, etc., are enough on one student’s plate. Homework just adds to it.
— Elizabeth Koczon
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The issue of school start time is a hot topic for students., parents, and teachers that needs to be addressed. . . All students should have the right to a safe and easy trip to school. More importantly, they should not have to worry about falling asleep during their classes.
As students mature, their bodies and sleep cycles change. Early school start times, teamed with homework and after-school activities, make achieving the recommended amount of sleep quite difficult. . . At Hillsborough High School the homeroom bell rings at an early 7:40 a.m. Bus pickups begin 45 minutes before that, requiring a very early wakeup time for students, leaving them tired and less attentive during class. Their work will improve because being able to sleep longer will help students be more focused in class.
The safety of students and their academic performance is put into jeopardy every day because we are not listening to researchers who recommend different schedules for students.
— Eric Booth
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School uniforms would be extremely beneficial to the school system. It would improve grades, decrease bullying and create a more even playing field for children of low-income families. Hillsborough would be creating a much better learning place for all people by adding uniforms to the school dress code.
Children who wear normal, everyday clothing have more of a chance of being bullied for their fashion choices. School uniforms eliminate that possibility. . .
One downside of school uniforms is that children will not be able to express themselves through clothing, but will still be able to through their personality and voice.
Grades would improve in students with uniforms because one of the largest distractions is gone.
— Emma Psemenski
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In my opinion, student athletes should be required to take physical education. This is because student athletes already get all the benefits of PE at practice or a game, and their gym period can be put to better use. . .To begin with, when in season, a student athlete’s gym period can be used as study hall. Students who play sports get home very late which gives them a limited time to do school work. By turning the gym period into a study hall, it would help immensely.
Student athletes deserve a break.
— Brooke McCormick
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The deer population in Hillsborough is escalating quickly and causing many accidents. People think shooting them is the answer. However, there are safer alternatives to keep them from causing accidents. Everyone blames the deer for all the accidents, and even though that is partially true, they would not be running through the streets if humans did not take away their habitats.
First people who still want to hunt the deer should be in an area with no houses or public laces. The deer hunting laws in Hillsborough say that hunters have to be a certain distance from the public, but disasters can happen. . .
An effective alternative for not having to kill the deer is not tearing down their habitats, and, if people do, they should have to relocate the deer. Being in their own environments will prevent having an abundance of them around people, which can cause disasters,
— Corinne Cosentino
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A major topic that has arisen in America is over whether we should replace textbooks and notebooks with technology in schools. All of Hillsborough schools from fifth grade forward have upgraded their technology. The computers in each library have been updated, and each student has their own Chromebook to work on.
Schools should switch to using computers rather than books because students can write reports and homework on them, they can communicate with them and can access all of their textbooks on it.
First off, students can write all of their reports and school work on their device. For example, Google has a program where students can make documents, presentation and spreadsheets. . .Also, multiple people can work on these documents at the same time. These devices are also more efficiently at keeping school work organized, because none of the work can be lost and are all kept in one place.
Computers also help students communicate with others, Through these devices, they can contact other students or their teachers with emails. There are also chat capabilities so if students need to communicate from long distances, they can. Even if the students has a speech problem there are a variety of apps and tools that can speak for them.
— Thomas Cavagnaro
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I feel like we need more thriving stores in Hillsborough. Hillsborough has been a widely recognized place to live by numerous magazines, including Money magazine. We have top-quality schools! With that, I imagine Hillsborough as a cake with three pieces: town recognition, schools and stores. The store piece has been partially “eaten up.”
With us having a plethora of vacancies, the town has lost a ton of tax revenue. People, residents of Hillsborough or not, have lost their jobs. Those helpful workers can’t make money if they don’t have a job!
I see many people who live in Hillsborough in Bridgewater shopping centers. I have seen those people at stores such as Modell’s, Michael’s, Costco, Barnes and Noble, Target and the Bridgewater Mall. We should have stores like these so we don’t need to drive on busy Route 206 up to a neighboring town’s shops. . . As Nike’s slogan says, “Just do it!”
— Sean Cavanaugh