Dear Principal,

Community service is both a punishment and a voluntary action. Some convicts must go through it because of a crime they commit, and some do it to help the community. In my opinion, I think we should allow those people to do the service. Time is important to a teen; especially on school days. We should not be required to do community service, for we have very little time as it is now.

Middle school ends at 4:15, which is later than high school and elementary school. Although it may seem like a long time to rest, it isn't enough for many students. Many students have sports that use up that time. Others may have music lessons or extracurricular school activities. Adding community service to our schedules will take up much of the time we use to relax after a long day at school.

Friends are a big part of a students life.

Although texting and calling is becoming much more popular, lots of people still want to see their friends face to face. Friends can help you if you're sad, they support you, and they keep you entertained. If community service is required, many won't get to see or talk to their friends as often as they'd like to.

As you can see, community service could have an impact on students. It could make the community better, but at the same time it will make students miserable. Time is limited in a middle school student's life. Depriving them of that takes away many advantages of being young. I do not think that community service should be required in middle school.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Student