Look! Who is that? It is a dog that looks like a Unicorn. She is called Uni Doggy. Uni Doggy was famous to all the people on Earth. She doesn’t live on Earth, though. She lives on Rainbow World, but she visits Earth sometimes.

One day, Uni Doggy visited China. When she landed on the ground, boys ran to her, started teasing her and disturbing her. What is happening, thought Uni Doggy. She checked other countries and cities. But everywhere she went, boys were bullying her.

Suddenly, two fairies came by. They were whispering to each other. One fairy was red with big red wings, and the other was a sparkly fairy (but not red) following the red fairy. Uni Doggy used her magic hearing. “You’re not being nice to the boys, Leia,” the sparkly fairy said. Then Leia whispered back, “But you are not being fair, Mia.” The sparkly fairy sighed. Then she floated over to Uni Doggy. “Why don’t you send the boys to the scariest planet of all, Halloscare,” she whispered in Uni Doggy’s ear. “Okay,” Uni Doggy whispered back. Time to work! Mia used her wand to create a giant basket. Then, she made yummy food for the boys. She put one crumb in the basket and… so many boys ran over to the food! One at a time, Uni Doggy lifted them up and sent them to Halloscare.

Meanwhile, remember Leia? She realized that she was wrong. She was a little timid, but she released all the boys and they returned to Earth. Uni Doggy can see that already because boys were running over to Uni Doggy and trying to hug her. Everything was back to normal.

Dear donor,

Thank you for sponsoring to build a facility to benefit young people in the neighborhood. I’m writing this letter to suggest building a kid club for elementary kids with rooms for different activities so that it meets everyone’s needs. This is my picture in mind: It is a sturdy two-story building. There will be a reception desk at the entrance where the staff welcome people, valid membership cards, and answer questions. The first level would be a basketball court and a dance studio for training and competition as these are two of the most popular activities among kids. The second floor is a quiet area with a library for kids to read and work on homework with their tutors, and an art room for kids to learn how to draw and make crafts. There would be teachers to demonstrate how to do these.

These are my three reasons to build a kid club. First of all, it offers a safe place for kids to hang out inside after school and on weekends, because you need to be a member and scan your membership card in order to get in. If a membership card is not recognized, that person can not get in. Secondly, the club would have several rooms to meet different needs. For example, it will have a library for kids who love reading and studying, a dance room with big mirrors for kids who are passionate about dance, and a basketball court for young athletes to train. In this way, everyone can find an activity of his/her interest or explore something new to find his/her ‘sparks’. Last but not least, it rains a lot in Seattle all year round except summer, and this indoor place will keep kids warm and dry while learning and having fun.

Due to the above reasons, in order to provide kids a safe and comfortable place where they can explore different activities while staying dry, I suggest we build a kid club. Thank you for your consideration. I’m certain this kid club will provide fun for many kids.

Sincerely,
Catherine Zhu

Dear Kopf-Stover,

Do you think school starting at 8 is too early? In my opinion, school starting at 8 is too early because you have to wake up at 7:30 or earlier which is way too early. School starting at 8 is not good for the students because most kids don’t have enough sleep which might lead to health problems. The weather is too cold and rainy at 7:30 which can make kids get a cold easily. If kids wake up earlier, they will be exhausted in school.

First, kids are sleeping late lately. I sleep at 10:00 PM and later; when waking up at 7:30 AM, we sleep only 9 hours or less. According to BRIGHT SIDE on youtube.com, kids ranging from 6 - 13 need 9 - 11 hours of sleep. According to my doctor, if kids do not sleep that long, they can get health problems, grumpiness, poor mental alertness, and more AGGRESSIVE DISPUTES. If they sleep earlier, they can’t finish that much work, which will make the teachers like you, mad, and will struggle on tests. In final analysis, school starting before or at 8 isn’t good for the students’ health.

Second, the climate is too freezing and rainy at 7:30. According to the ‘weather’ app, 7:30 AM on November 2, 2021, in Seattle, will be 50 degrees fahrenheit which will make my teeth chatter. Remember, there is only 1 month, June, in Seattle, that is in summer, so you will still have to experience the cold. You might say that you have Spring, but you have to watch out for rain, and it is still a little cold! When you experience coldness, your chance of getting a disease called hypothermia, which makes your body temperature go lower than average causing slowed breathing, is increased. If you wear a big jacket, it may cause discomfort because when I wear big jackets, somewhere there is something very annoying and always disturbs me. You will slip a lot of times when you walk to school since it happened to me 2 years ago! That is why school starting at 8 is not beneficial to the students, especially young students.

Lastly, you will miss after school classes if you don’t wake up as early, some may say. If kids wake up earlier, they will be FATIGUED in school, and if they wake up later, they won’t be exhausted. According to teenink.com, being tired isn’t pretty because you will have tough times paying attention and remembering. To prove that, I am weary while writing this! If you don’t pay attention or remember things poorly, you can get lower grades, like in this contest. Hence, school beginning at 8 is not excellent for the kids.

In conclusion, school beginning at 8 is not adequate for the children. Kids are sleeping behind recently, the climate is excessively cold and stormy, and last but not least, in case kids get up prior, they will be depleted in school. Thus, school should start at 9 AM, so that everyone will get a good night's sleep to be ready for school.

Hi Jessica,

Did you know that daycare may give kids a lower chance of getting cancer? I understand that you have been pondering on what to donate money for, if you can’t decide maybe you could try donating money for a local daycare. In my opinion, having a local daycare facility would be a great benefit to our town because, kids with busy parents would have a place to be under adult supervision, kids get to socialize and make friends, and because they have a smoother transition to kindergarten.

My first reason why kids should go to daycare is simply because kids with busy parents would have a place to be under adult supervision. When kids are under adult supervision there will be many benefits to both the adult and the child. The first benefit of children being supervised is, kids have a lower chance of getting lost. When kids have a lower chance of being lost, adults are less concerned. Furthermore, kids aren’t tempted to have bad behavior since they are under adult supervision. Lastly, adults get to know children better, which is beneficial to both adults and children.

My second reason is because kids get to socialize with other children and adults. One advantage of that is that kids learn how to control their emotions, such as gratitude, when they recieve a new toy or a snack. They also get to socialize, when they do that, they better understand other children.

Lastly, kids have a smoother transition to kindergarten. That is true because kids already have a little experience in school, causing them to be less nervous. My next reason is because they also have a higher chance of getting good grades because they have attended preschool. Lastly but definitely not least, they already have a little knowledge about education because preschool already ecomposses some topics.

Overall, a preschool for a local facility would be great because kids with busy parents would have a place to be under adult supervision, kids get to socialize and make friends, and because they have a smoother transition to kindergarten. I am writing to you because I personally think that a local daycare would be a great benefit to our community. I hope you make the right choice.

Dear Wealthy Donor,

When you were young, did you like to play sports and be active? Well, I have a great idea for the new facility that would help everyone exercise. With your donations, you should build a gym. This would encourage kids to play more sports and encourage adults to exercise more. This would directly benefit everyone in my community. You should build a gym because it would boost kids’ morales to play more sports, it would help people become healthier, and it would reduce everyone’s stress levels.

Building the gym is that it would encourage more kids to play more sports. Kids need to be active instead of indulging themselves by playing video games or watching TV. According to the CDC, kids need at least one hour of exercise per day. The gym is a very good way to get kids their one hour of exercise. Kids could play sports or work out in the gym. If the kids had a gym, they at least have a choice whether to go or not. If there is not a gym in the community, they would not even have a chance to have fun while exercising or develop a potential love for sports.

The gym would also help people become healthier. According to Everyday Health, cardiovascular exercise (running, swimming, aerobics, walking) stimulates your metabolism, helps you burn calories, and can even suppress your appetite post-workout. Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that keeps organisms alive. If you boost your metabolism, you can live a longer life. Do you want to feel responsible for elongating lifetimes?

The final reason why you should build this gym is that it would help bring down everyone’s stress levels. Have you ever felt very stressed and suddenly felt better after an hour of exercise? That is because exercise helps bring down stress. According to Harvard Health, exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. If you build this gym, you will reduce stress levels for people of all ages.

You should donate to help build this gym because it would encourage kids to play sports, it would increase everyone’s health, and it would bring down stress levels. You could inspire a child to take on a sport. You never know. They could become a professional sports player. People’s health would improve if this gym were built. Stress levels for school and work would come down. This gym will improve everyone’s quality of life prominently. Please consider donating to help build the gym. Thank you.

Many thanks,
Collin

Community service is a vital addition to any local community and should be mandated in order to earn a diploma. It provides students with opportunities for personal growth, increases physical activity, and is a way local facilities can get help without the burden of cost. Community service exposes students to diversity, social responsibility, and prepares them for college and the workplace. Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science found a link between self-reported levels of good health and happiness and formal volunteer work. Today’s students spend much more time indoors than previous generations, thanks to advanced technology and faster transportation. As a both indirect and direct result, 9 out of 10 teens are not exercising enough (CBS News). Community service combats childhood obesity, as it often requires physical movement and is a great way students can exercise while helping others. Additionally, local businesses sometimes are in need of volunteers but lack the money to hire. Community service solves this problem, benefiting both parties. Shelters are often short staffed and encouraging students to volunteer would be extremely valuable. While some view the amount of mandated volunteer work as daunting, the benefits it brings greatly outweigh the possible drawback that the student is unwilling.

Community service is personally rewarding and reduces anxiety for students during their stressful years of high school. A study by United Health Group says that 76% of people who have volunteered in the past twelve months say that volunteering has made them feel happier, and 94% of people report that it improves their mood. 78% of volunteers say that it has lowered their stress levels. Lower stress levels are linked with higher academic results. Additionally, community services give students many opportunities for personal growth, exposing them to groups of people past their high school circle of friends. This allows them to exercise leadership, communication, and social skills to interact positively with others. Furthermore, it can protect people from depression during challenging times, as it tends to help create a strong support system for participants. It broadens their awareness and view of the world around them, increasing their sense of social responsibility. A friend of mine recently volunteered at a food bank, and afterwards reflected that the experience made her realize how lucky she was. Similarly, teens across the world have said community service increases awareness and interest in social justice.

Moreover, there are numerous physical and phycological health benefits of community service that would greatly benefit today’s teens. As stated before, obesity rates in the US have risen and teens lack exercise. Mandating community service would encourage students to be physically active while being productive. For activities like picking up trash or sorting donations, the required 60 minutes of exercise for teens can be easily met. This reduces risk of breast colon, gallbladder, pancreatic, kidney, and prostate cancer. According to the National Library of Medicine, the mental health impacts of being overweight or obese are extensive. This leads into the psychological benefits of community service. Volunteering boosts self-esteem and sense of accomplishment as students get to experience humans helping other humans. The National Library of Medicine states “High self-esteem makes people more willing to speak up in groups and to criticize the group's approach. Leadership does not stem directly from self-esteem, but self-esteem may have indirect effects. Relative to people with low self-esteem, those with high self-esteem show stronger in-group favoritism, which may increase prejudice and discrimination. “Being happier has been linked to better test results, which in turn, leads to more happiness.

Volunteering and participation in community service not only brings personal benefits, but also is valuable to the community. Volunteers are responsible for many things that we take for granted. After natural disasters occur, they’re responsible for cleaning up debris and helping victims get re-settled. Without volunteers, many elderly people would not be able to get food, parks and beaches would be much dirtier, and children would struggle more without the help of volunteer tutors and mentors. The Corporation for National and Community Service says that in 2013, 62.6 million Americans volunteered 7.7 billion hours of work. The estimated value of this work is almost $173 billion, almost as much as the GDP of Ukraine. A more local impact of community service would be its benefit for facilities like shelters, which are often short-staffed. Community programs may lack the money to hire workers but are in need of help will directly benefit from community service.

Some are still skeptical of the benefits of mandating community service, but part of the responsibility of schools is to produce good citizens out of their students. History teacher Jonathan York says, “Helping others out, you get an intrinsic value in yourself. You should feel good when you help other people out.” Sometimes it’s necessary to require something if it’s essential and important. Serving the community develops leadership skills, awareness, sense of social responsibility, and engagement. If there is pressure to complete the required hours, it will encourage students to improve their time management skills. In the long run, participants will benefit greatly. As these students go on to attend college, how they manage time may define whether or not they succeed. In a sense, community work will prepare them for the future and how to tackle deadlines.

In conclusion, community service should be mandated and the benefits it bring greatly outweigh the possible drawbacks. It helps connect to the community and teaches students the significance of giving help to others in need and sparks interest in social justice. Students are given opportunities to fortify their learning and friendships. Volunteering also increase physical activity for participants. As stated above, 1 in 10 teens today have enough exercise. Community service often requires physical activity, and students can exercise while being productive and helping others. Some may say that if mandated, community service will be seen as laborious to students, and make them unmotivated. However, the pressure of completing the hours, if there is any, will force them to improve time management skills. Community service is undeniably an extremely valuable experience that everyone should participate in. Mandating it will encourage students to involve themselves in activities that develop their life skills and awareness.