The people commenting on the site and corresponding by email have not favored the change while the MS Principal has defended the shift.
Most of the conversation to date was shifting from afternoon to morning, but another aspect is the mandatory Club participation. Principal Kern's position on the clubs is as follows:
The middle school's mission is to be developmentally responsive to the needs of our students. In other words, to allow students time to be involved in many learning opportunities our clubs and activities. The research shows that engaging students in school activities creates a positive school culture. The more learning opportunities we offer and allow students to explore the more likely students will succeed in their academics.Research comes in many forms, some good, some not so good, and it can be taken out of context. I don't know what research was used and I didn't ask, but I personally think that students benefit when they want to participate, not when they are made to do so. I would also think the benefit would come when the activity is in addition to a full time academic day and not as a part of it.
I was provided a list of the clubs, there are 62 altogether. Each reader of the list would probably find varying degrees of 'value' from these clubs and some are levels of the same activity (for instance there is Walking I, Walking II, and Walking III).
There are hobbies, crafts, fitness, games and they cover a diverse range. While "Fishing" caught my eye, my favorites on the list are probably "Paper Airplane Making" and "Snacks Around the World", but in all seriousness my daughter would probably struggle to decide which one to do because many things she already does at home with us (board games, chess, crochet, crafts, jewelry making, kick ball, football, jump rope, quoits, scrapbook, and soccer to name some more). As a result my guess is she'd join the one most of her friends were joining.
The big question would seem to be value.
- Some money must have been allocated for these clubs because they require materials and/or supplies and as mandatory activities I don't see how the school could pass a fee through to the parents.
- Teachers would most likely be the ones responsible to manage each club and that is planning time taken for the activity as well as the one day out of the week they lose of non-teaching time they would have otherwise had.
- What are the kids really gaining from this? In a sense it is directed recess to start the day (board games and sports activities) as opposed to a study hall at some point in the day.
At the Shafer Open House we were told there would be a list of activities coming home, but at that time not enough teachers had offered to participate so the list wasn't ready. We still haven't received the list and now it is nearly November. I know there was previously offered at least one activity my daughter was looking forward too, and I'm sure there would be more than one if she had more time (ie other non-school after school activities).
What do you think? How should activities and clubs be structured? Have Bushkill and Lower Nazareth had clubs this year? What is the status at the HS where they are usually before or after school?
12 comments:
Think of it as an early introduction to vo-tech, or CIT. They are learning skilled trades earlier, just in case college doesn't work out...
These activities are a joke, pure and simple.
The other day, there was an article about how the district "saved" us $180K by restructuring some debt.
Having a child in the middle school, I know I haven't paid a dime towards these "activities", so the money must be coming out of the district budget.
So one has to ask, how much did they really save us?
Also, if you think your child is in one of the "fun" activities, you may need to think again. Selection was done 8th grade first, followed by 7th, with 6th only being able to sign up for what was left over (read those that no one else wanted to do).
These people are out of control. They spend money like a sailor on leave, then come crying to the taxpayers that there isn't enough money to educate our children and jack our taxes up another notch.
The leadership of this district either have zero management/budget skills or are just a bunch of morons.
There are too many clubs, but to cut any will offend someone, and no lazy school administrator wants to incur the wrath of future paper airplane makers and their parents and/or guardians.
How did we get to this? We're wasting money on every indulgence we can imagine, and wondering where the core educational mission has gone. Wonder no longer.
As a parent with two children n the middle school, I am extremely frustrated this year!!
To change the activity period to the morning is one issue and to require mandatory club participation is another issue.
Regarding the change of activity period to the morning, Mr. Kern has repeatedly said that this was a decision that was requested by the teachers. According to Mr. Kern, children were not behaving when activity period was the last period and that there were numerous behavior problems. I know that this district loves data; I would like to see the percentage of students that were repeat problems during activity period.
The argument made that activity period as the last period benefited student who participated in sports; Mr. Kern was quick to announce that only 11% of the students within the school participate in sports (note: that he did not take into consideration students who participate in sports, community activities or volunteer outside of those not directly associated to the school.)
The second issue is regarding the restructuring of activity period. (It is noted that Mr. Kern said that with the restructuring of the activity period it also needed to be moved to the morning.) Every other Wednesday students must participate in a mandatory club, these clubs range from scrap booking to board games to walking. On the Wednesdays that are club days, activity period is moved from being the first period to the last period. If it is not club day, the activity period (at the teacher or team discretion) students can do very different things. For example they can: do homework, visit with friends, do worksheets like math facts or handwriting, do no homework (under the statement that this is not study hall, this is activity period), get extra help (only if is the day for math help or english help). There is also the mandatory SSR day during activity period, which requires all students to read. During SSR however, they are encouraged not to read for a class but read something fun and entertaining to them
I do not think that Mr. Kern truly considered all sides and angles of changing the time and structure of activity period. Get back to teaching our kids what a school should be teaching them. As for engaging students, engage them academically, and let parents do their job of making the decision to have them participate in “activities/clubs” outside of school.
I feel like we are all banging our heads against a wall and speaking a different language than the principal and school board. They have conveniently turned their hearing off to any parent who is voicing an opinion on this activity period. And, Mr. Principal, don't say....people just don't like change. That's a poor excuse to replace the fact that the principal and school board just might have made a MISTAKE. If the MS does the right thing, it would be to IMMEDIATELY put activity period back to the end of day, cancel ALL "clubs" and other things (SSR and PSSA Prep)that are supposedly good for OUR kids and have teachers TEACH! As it stands now, the only thing that MIGHT (and that's a BIG might)improve would be PSSA scores, but how about our childrens overall knowledge base?? I know that is what PARENTS are concerned about.
Dear aparent:
I could not agree with you more; you are absolutely correct. I too am tired of banging my head. This school board and administration, from top to bottom, are more concerned about every other issue, except the education of our children.
How will the new building look? Will it be green enough? Are the students involved and engaged in activities? How is the data collection? (By the way, where is the PSSA data?) Do we have enough administrators? How can we confuse our children with the mosaic scheduling? Is there enough PSSA pre-testing (4-sight) preparation?
But a NEWFLASH…no one within the NASD would admit that they have made a mistake! That would require common sense and introspection!
Sincerely
I have a NASD headache
Everthing about the activity period changes show how little thought and planning were done by the administration. From the time change to the morning to the forcing of the students to choose an activity. My child, a 6th grader, was sick during the day 6th graders selected an activity, and therefore was given little choice of an activity upon her return. I have not seen a list, so I could not help her select a meaningful activity. She was left with Sudoku as her activity. While she might enjoy this type of puzzle, doing it for 50 minutes a week, or every other week, is a bit much. In addition, we were frustrated because she expressed an interest in joining SADD, which would have taken the place of the activity period. However, she missed sign ups and was told there was a long waiting list. Upon talking to the advisor, I was told that about 100 students signed up,forcing the instructor to hold a lottery and take only 45 students. (It is worth noting, a visit to SADD's website shows no one should be turned away from a chance to participate in this club, which is fully funded through grants and sponsors.) I was told the principal told the teacher to limit the number to 45, so the rest of the kids were turned away and spend their activity period doing meaningless activities. So, my daughter's attempt to fill her activity period with a worthwhile activity through which she can learn and actually help others was not made available to her, and she is instead forced to work a puzzle. My conclusion is that the activity period in its current format is a waste of time, and I would challenge the administration to find more challenging and educational activities for the children or return the period to the end of the day, so the students could at least to homework and study, in order to free up their time after school, where parents can participate in meaningful activities with their children.
I too agree with the last two posts. I feel that this administration will not listen to anyone but each other anymore.
Nothing this district does makes sense. Admin doesn't want to hear about how the kids feel. It's chalked up to this area doesn't like change or you can give us your opinion, but we really don't care.
I personally could care less about change. It's a way of life and it happens. What I do care about is that if you are making a change, that you consider how it affects everyone involved.
I have heard the principal at the MS talk about the change in activity period. They could have activity period in the middle of the day if they want to, but if you are changing the time of the activity period to get kids involved and engaged in activites, then offer them more! Obviously this is quite a challenge, because you will need teachers to help facilitate more activites and that would mean you would need more coverage for the kids that didn't participate, so I'm not sure this was totally thought out. To me, it seems that the only change in activity period was the time of day. And as for the discipline problems that were happening, DISCIPLINE THOSE KIDS!! Don't make everyone suffer for something only some of the kids are doing.
As for the required club participation, I'm not really thrilled with this either. One of my children would benefit much more by being allowed to go get extra help then to play games.
I've talked with my kids about things going on and I must say I am quite puzzled with a lot of things. I have a 6th grader doing handwriting worksheets (which may I add I haven't see since 3rd grade) in activity period. When I ask about PSSA Prep, my kids look at me as if I have three heads. They are telling me that they aren't doing PSSA Prep every other Wednesday as parents were told. Now maybe they are and they don't know it, but it doesn't sound like it to me. Also building wide SSR day doesn't exist either from the info I have. My kids say if you have SSR day, but there is an activity that day (i.e., student council, yearbook, newspaper) those kids go and miss SSR. From the impression I got at Open House, the entire school shut down for SSR time and EVERYONE, even the custodians and principal was reading..hmmmm.
Sounds fishy to me. It bothers me that things are represented one way but are really another. Just be honest with what is going on!
And what really stinks is that the parents who care and want to do something are stuck because we tried talking and no one wants to listen.
Signed,
Sad and Exhausted
Just one more thought.....Where is the PTSA in all of this? Does anyone active in that group read these blogs, have an opinion, care to represent the best interest of our children? Has the PTSA discussed this at all? After all, I thought they formed PTSA at the MS to represent the best interest of our children........just curious.
When the activity period was brought up at the last PTSA meeting, there was no voice or opinion from the PTSA. Concerned parents made comments, but the PTSA was silent on their position, so I am not sure they had an opinion or if they agreed with the principal.
The next PTSA meeting is November 15. I would encourage parents who are concerned to plan on attending. Maybe if Mr. Kern sees enough parents show up to show their disapproval of the activity period, something will change. I am confident that it will not change by just posting a blog or complaining to your friends. You and everyone you know who disagrees with the structure of activity period will have to attend meetings (PTSA or school board) to make your voice heard.
anonymous 10:35....my point exactly! You said that at the last meeting the activity period was discussed and concerned parents voiced comments so it's obvious that voices are being spoken (aside from PTSA meeting, phone calls to MS) yet not being heard.....no one is listening! I like your key remark...."there was no voice or opinion from the PTSA". AHHHH, no surprise there. It's been my experience that most, if not all, people on the PTSA board seem to support admin (I sometimes wonder if they support admin so that their little Johnny will be favored in some way). Rarely do topics at these meetings contradict the game plan of admin. It's my belief that people don't attend these meetings because of this, whether it's perception or reality.
Do you really believe that filling the next PTSA meeting with concerned parents and comments will change how activity period is being handled? Or attending a school board meeting? I believe Mr Kern has heard enough complaints to know deep down that this change is not what's best for the children. It all goes back to the ability to admit a mistake....it's not going to happen.
Therefore, the next best thing for those of us who care about our children, is to voice our concerns here (BLOG) and be comforted in knowing that others have the same concerns with a glimmer of hope that someday someone who can make the change, listens and acts upon it.
In addition, we know that some school board members, admin, and teachers DO read this site, so speaking for myself, I long for the day that one of them steps up on this (or other blog issues involving NASD)and actually does something.
To Mom of 3 --
As for picking a meaningful activity for your child, having seen the list of 62, would have been difficult.
To term ANY of the activities on the list as "meaningful" would be a joke.
Three years ago, they switched activity period to the end of the day. Why? They said it made more sense and worked better for getting kids help. You know, when the days lessons are still fresh in their minds.
Now, they change it back to first in the morning because they said it didn't work at the end of the day.
These people are idiots, should not be running a school much less educating our children.
I disagree with the last comment. I believe that if a large enough group shows up at the PTSA meeting and voices their opinions, they will get noticed. If it is one or two, then it will get written off as just another disgruntled parent.
You are correct in that board members and teachers to review this site. We have seen comments from both, especially last your during the contract dispute. But my guess is that none of them will have the guts to post on this topic.
To the administrators reading this, learn how to run an organization, because you haven't got a clue on how to do it effectively. If you worked for me, you would have been fired long ago for gross incompetance.
To the teachers reading this site, grow a backbone and speak out against the idiocy being imposed on our children.
Post a Comment