Summer Homework: Is It Worth It?
By Bayli Alter
Summer assignments, although seemingly boring and tedious, have been deemed necessary at ICJA. However, there are those who think they are not all they’re cracked up to be: Rabbi Danishefsky, a Gemara teacher at the Academy, says that “summer is a form of growth- that growth does not need to take place through assignments.” He thinks that what promotes growth over the summer is making decisions about how you want to spend your time, spending time with friends, family, and counselors and building those relationships. Participating in activities, being apart of a group, and taking responsibility in informal settings also contribute to one’s growth as an individual.
Many students agree with this approach, mainly because it means they should not have any summer work. Nonetheless, there are teachers who support summer assignments, and see them as an opportunity to help students flourish intellectually. For instance, Ms. Goldstein, the chairman of the English department at Ida Crown thinks, “Reading is for the mind what food is for the body-the fuel to make you a strong, healthy person, so I would hope that students read every day. If they did, I would not feel the need to assign summer reading.” However, she knows that some students need to be encouraged to continue to “grow intellectually,” and summer assignments give students the chance to explore new literature and challenge their minds.
Several students were asked about their views on summer assignments. Senior Marli Gutman says that although summer assignments are annoying, they keep students “in the school mode” in order to insure that they don’t waste their summer vacation. However, sophomore Joey Greenberg says that as teenagers, “we are supposed to enjoy summer”, not do our work. Although some may find work enjoyable, the whole point of summer vacation is a break from school, where we spend majority of the year. Some juniors at Ida Crown were assigned a math packet in addition to reading as work over the summer. However, additional work may cause students to stress about school before it even begins, and therefore not allow them enjoy their final weeks of summer vacation. I think that there needs to be a balance between keeping the students thinking and engaged over the summer, and allowing them to have a fun and enjoyable break from school.
Last year I needed to read The Last Lecture over the summer, and while I enjoyed it, I felt that I would appreciate the lessons taught in it more as senior than a freshman. On the other hand, some Juniors and Seniors are allowed to pick a book to read over the summer - that gave them the opportunity to research a book they felt they can connect to and that they can learn from. I propose that the Academy needs to assign summer reading books that are interesting and applicable to that age group, and assign books that the students will appreciate at their specific point in life, or allow the students to choose a book to read.
So, are summer assignments worth it?
Many students agree with this approach, mainly because it means they should not have any summer work. Nonetheless, there are teachers who support summer assignments, and see them as an opportunity to help students flourish intellectually. For instance, Ms. Goldstein, the chairman of the English department at Ida Crown thinks, “Reading is for the mind what food is for the body-the fuel to make you a strong, healthy person, so I would hope that students read every day. If they did, I would not feel the need to assign summer reading.” However, she knows that some students need to be encouraged to continue to “grow intellectually,” and summer assignments give students the chance to explore new literature and challenge their minds.
Several students were asked about their views on summer assignments. Senior Marli Gutman says that although summer assignments are annoying, they keep students “in the school mode” in order to insure that they don’t waste their summer vacation. However, sophomore Joey Greenberg says that as teenagers, “we are supposed to enjoy summer”, not do our work. Although some may find work enjoyable, the whole point of summer vacation is a break from school, where we spend majority of the year. Some juniors at Ida Crown were assigned a math packet in addition to reading as work over the summer. However, additional work may cause students to stress about school before it even begins, and therefore not allow them enjoy their final weeks of summer vacation. I think that there needs to be a balance between keeping the students thinking and engaged over the summer, and allowing them to have a fun and enjoyable break from school.
Last year I needed to read The Last Lecture over the summer, and while I enjoyed it, I felt that I would appreciate the lessons taught in it more as senior than a freshman. On the other hand, some Juniors and Seniors are allowed to pick a book to read over the summer - that gave them the opportunity to research a book they felt they can connect to and that they can learn from. I propose that the Academy needs to assign summer reading books that are interesting and applicable to that age group, and assign books that the students will appreciate at their specific point in life, or allow the students to choose a book to read.
So, are summer assignments worth it?