Hudson – Students in Kate Tobiasson’s class seventh grade English Language Arts class at the Quinn Middle School recently competed a unit on persuasive writing. As such the students chose topics of interest to them and wrote a letter to the editor on that topic.
Here in the third part in this series – more letters will be printed in future issues of the Community Advocate. All letters will also be posted on www.communityadvocate.com/communityvoices.
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Dear Editor:
One main problem at Quinn Middle School is that students in the LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex) community need to feel empowered to have a voice in schools. Students that consider themselves part of the LGBTQI community at Quinn Middle should be better supported because, as of right now, there is not a comfortable place for them to openly talk about problems.
The students apart of the LGBTQI community have feelings want to be heard. In order for these students to feel embraced, they need to be able to identify in a safe place. Instead of having people focus on the students’ gender or sexually, people should create a welcoming environment. Quinn Middle School can make a welcoming environment by making a club for this high risk group.
Additionally, Quinn Middle school needs health classes that talk more about the LGBTQI community. In schools verbal, and sexual, abuse needs to be stopped. Although like many middle schools in Massachusetts, Quinn Middle School has guidance counselors, those aren’t enough. Bullying can’t be stopped if the complaints are not heard. By opening up the LGBTQI community to students when they are younger, we could stop bullying for those who identify as part of the LGBTQI community. Students part of this community should know that their peers are here to help them.
To unshackle the voices, we need to create a club to support the marginalized and silenced members of our school.
Sincerely,
Madeline Scafidi
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To School Teachers,
Mental illnesses are getting more common, but not just in adults. In fact, a new study showed that 50 percent of school age children show symptoms of depression, and 80 percent show symptoms of anxiety, and the diagnoses are rising.
Why is mental illness in kids going up? The answer: overworking and over stress.
Throughout the country, the work is piling up on kids. Children have full schedules, which include all day learning and other activities. All of these activities carry pressure to do good, and gives kids so much stress that they develop anxiety. They don’t have time to play.
Playing is a very critical thing as a kid, or even teen, to participate in. Play teaches important coping skills, but when it’s stripped away, so are the coping skills. It is because of this that they can’t cope with stresses.
Many people think the reason is that children are using more social media, but that is a little part of it. In a study, it’s shown that the main reason children have so much anxiety is because of the stresses of school.
This problem strips them of their childhood, and replaces it with depression. We need to take action to lower stress. We could do this by giving less homework, showing kids it’s good to fail, and letting kids take longer breaks at school.
So, please, for the sake of our students, let kids be kids, not learning robots.
A Concerned Student,
Krista Avila
