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Eyes droop. Yawns take over. Teachers get frustrated with the
growing amount of sloppy homework and surreptitious naps. The reason?
Many junior high students dedicate hours after school to sports and extracurricular
activities and then go home to complete an onslaught of academic respon-
sibilities. |
Students have
extra activities several times a week, so there isn’t an opportunity to
catch up on missed schoolwork due to after school commitments.
Maya S. explains,
“I have them [extracurricular activities] almost every day of the week,
and it takes two hours away from my homework time.”
GiGi I., apparently
beleaguered, states, “I have about two and half to three hours of homework
every night and choir four times a week.”
Homework causes
students to stay up late after practice or even miss an important game
or practice.
Carrie M. says,
“Sometimes I have to skip practice to get it [homework] all done.
I’m usually up to around eleven-thirty.”
Cynthia L.
states, “I usually can’t start until ten because of cheerleading and tennis.”
Unfortunately
these stressful late nights carry over into class performance the next
day.
Maya S. elaborates,
“Sometimes I don’t really know what the teachers are talking about, and
I lose track of everything!”
Carrie M. says,
“I’m majorly sleep-deprived, but I’ve grown used to it. Sometimes
I’ll be out of it for a lecture, and then I’ll miss important notes.”
Cynthia L.
declares, “Sports use up a lot of energy and makes me tired the next day.”
However, some
students believe that the teachers are preparing us for high school and
helping us stay interested in school work.
Cynthia L.
proclaims, “Mrs. Zeiss is doing a good job because she gets us involved
in many things.”
Beware of AfterSchool-itis.
Symptoms include, but are not limited to, incomplete homework, constant
yawning, and dark undereyes. Cure: sleep and less after school activities.
--Kathryn H. and Rachel S. |
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