Dear TEACHER_NAME,

I don't agree with requiring all students to perform community service; this is because I think that even those who don't do community service still care about our community. I think another main reason many students do not do community service is they do not have time. Especially when you incorporate after-school activities to your daily schedule. Take me for example. I love my community and I enjoy helping it, I really just don't have the time. I have about 2-3 hours of homework a night. I have play rehearsal Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to 4:30. On Mondays and Fridays I have an hour long karate class. On Tuesday, I babysit from 5:30 to 7:15. On Thursdays I babysit from 4:30 until 7. Finally on weekends I have lacrosse for an hour on Sunday. This pretty much means my only day of rest is on Saturday. I also know many of my friends are busy with religion, school, sports, as well as family. They as well do not have much free time.

A suggestion for your idea might be not to make community service required, but a volunteer service. The student council may be able to make a sign up sheet with different acts of community service for each day of the week excluding the weekends. After these activities are developed by the student council, a sign up sheet should be available to kids in the main office; if you sign up, you aren't expected to go every week. You should sign up each week for a day you are available. For example. If week one's list was on the wall, you wanted to participate and you knew you were busy every day of the week but Tuesday, you would sign up for Tuesday's community service act. You may want to go again week two, but only be available on Thursday instead. This means you aren't expected to go to Tuesday's community service again unless you signed up. Kids may sign up as much or as little as they like. I'm sure that there will be a great turnout from volunteering kids. If you do not like my idea, I completely understand. I just don't like the idea of requiring all students to participate in community service.

Thank you,

An Eighth Grader