Pro
By Lucy Freccia / Co-Editor (2008-2009)
I’ve had amazing summers. An enrichment program at boarding school, community theatre productions, awesome family trips, a tour of Europe—all experiences that have made me who I am today.
However, taking summer school has been one of the greatest investments for my future I could ever have made.
My class schedule during the school year leaves no room for course requirements such as gym and health, so summer school has been a huge time- and life-saver for me.
Getting up early in the most sluggish months of the year is a small price to pay for the credit gained from summer school. Whether it’s Physical Education or Government and Economics, two of the most popular courses, summer school offers classes that keep on teaching. Homework load for the school year is lightened exponentially. Summer school courses tend to be less work, and it is a relief to have one fewer class to worry about in this busy time of our lives.
Slots open in schedules for taking other, less academically strenuous classes; for instance, Torch. It’s almost like having an eighth-period option.
But really, school in the summer? Many protest, but let’s remind ourselves that most classes run for only about four hours and most teenagers aren’t up until noon anyway. Think of it as getting a major head start on the day. Even if you’re out late the night before, there’s still 12 hours left in the day after school to sleep it off. And at the end of the summer, all of those little head starts will have accumulated as a course credit for graduation.
Consider another bonus: if math isn’t a strong subject for you, a boost course may be available. This is yet another advantage of summer school: supplemental learning. If you want a head start into the school year, this is a perfect opportunity to solidify any unstable topics. Just imagine how much easier you’ll breathe without the panic of being unprepared for a test, just because of a few hours of studying during each the weekday of summer.
College counselor Stephanie Krosnosky is offering a college preparation class this summer, after which most of one’s entrance essays will be done. For incoming seniors like me, being ahead can be nothing but good.
Especially in a community like Bexley, where excellence is expected, it’s okay to relieve some stress and take a summer course.
One of the best things about our program is that it’s not for kids who failed or need special help. Summer school is for anyone who wants to get a leg up. We are encouraged to continue learning whenever possible, and summer school will keep minds sharp and fresh.
There are so many reasons to take summer school that the excuses not to just fade away. Yes, summer is a time for play. Summer is a time for personal growth and exploration. But summer is also a time to get things done. And summer school definitely checks things off the list.
As I said, I’ve had experiences in the summertime that absolutely have made my life worth living. Therefore, I feel I can honestly say that summer school doesn’t taint my vision of an excellent summer. I’m not proposing you spend three months studying in school, never taking a break, but a course or two is an option to be strongly considered.
Con
By Megan Leite / Staff Reporter (2007-2008)
Sleeping in, going to the pool and hanging out with friends is what summer is all about.
Many people at Bexley do not have those lazy days because they are going to summer school.
Who wants to stay in Bexley? Since we stay in Bexley for nine months of the year, I want to travel and others want to travel.
When we go to summer school, it forces many of our families to stay here.
When I went to summer school, I couldn’t see my family and friends out of state or go to the sports camps I wanted to go to.
Similarly, many others have the same conflicts I do. Like my fellow students, I don’t like missing out on all of the fun events of summer.
If you go to summer school, you will have more homework and the classes move at a fast pace. This is not particularly beneficial for those of us who have trouble keeping up during the regular school year.
When you get behind in summer school, you suffer. On the other hand, taking the class during the school year means you get more one-on-one time with your teachers and you learn the material at a slower pace that’s suited for you.
Also, getting a year’s worth of work done in a six-week period is just not right.
Retention becomes a big problem, especially on college entrance exams that we all feel so strongly about.
These summer school classes cover almost a whole chapter every day and are longer than classes during the school year. This fast pace will cause problems when we need to remember this important information for our SATs and ACTs.
Classes in the summer are sometimes boring. I know when I took my summer school class, I lost focus and zoned out. I saw that others in my class did the same thing. Even though we wanted to pay attention, summer class made this more challenging.
Not paying attention for one day during the summer can set you back on a lot of extra work we don’t want to be doing.
Teachers don’t want to be spending all this extra time in summer school, either.
They shouldn’t have to spend their entire summer grading and writing tests. Teachers spend enough time during the school year doing this as it is.
By teaching summer school, they are missing time with their families and they don’t get to travel. Just like students, teachers need a break, too.
Students and teachers alike will be burned out by the end of the summer and will not want to go back to school in the fall.
This would cause problems during the regular school year for those who still want the summer vacation they never had.
I want to enjoy my summer. Going to school for five hours and doing homework for one or two more is not my idea of summer and it is not how summer is meant to be.
Neither students nor teachers want to be in class for another two months, when we have already been in school for nine. I know I don’t.
Enjoy summer, don’t hit the books. Go outside and soak up the sun. Summer is for relaxing, not for school.