Middle School Sports

[Jack_Giannattasio]

Any word on Middle school sports - are they going to be offered next year?  Will there be a fee?

[James_Obrien]

There will be no sports or clubs as of now. The Board is going gage interest in a pay-to-play program.

[Jack_Giannattasio]

How does the board plan on gauging interest - via a survey?  Will this be done over the summer so that fall sports can run in a timely manner if parents are interested in a pay to play format? 

[Al_Miller]

Good question...The next BOE meeting is not till August being the one in July has been canceled to ask them. I think even physicals for fall sports were normally due over the summer.

[Ginger_Hoffmeier]

How about a survey sent out with the tax bills?

[James_Obrien]

I think we should take a year off from sports and clubs and re-evaluate at their worth. Poll the community through the district web site to see what the parents are willing to pay for and design a program that covers ALL the costs.

Lets take the time and do it right because as long as Christie is Gov. things will only get worse when it comes to funding education.To rush into this and find out we are still paying for bussing or ref's or basketballs would only continue to drain money from the classroom.

[Jack_Giannattasio]

Do you honestly feel that a year off is fair to the kid that is going to be an eighth / seventh / sixth  grader next year.  You look at is as a drain on money from the classroom, I look as it as money well spent on developing our young people into well rounded individuals - kids learn a lot of life skills as a part of these extra-curricular activities. It sure beats having them hanging out in front of wawa after school.  If need be I am willing to pay for my kids to participate - I'd also be willing to volunteer my time to coach cross country and track, although I wouldn't be able to get back to Howell till 3:30 at the earliest.

I'd love to hear from some of the boe members that are so prevalent around here during election time - if there is no meeting in July, how can a  pay-to-play system be implemented by September to allow for students to participate in fall activities.  

[Gene_Tanala]

Jack:

Myself and Jeanette Smith Smith post here all the time, not just election time.

The BOE is evaluating all avenues regading extracurricullar activities.  I am a staunch supporter or this as I coach High School Baseball.

Unfortunately, the legislature started with a 2.9 cap, Gov Christie wanted a 2.5 cap, and today, they are voting on a 2.0 percent cap.............This is down from 4 percent, along with state aid cuts.

The HTEA generously gave back a million dollars plus to ave teachers jobs.
Given the uncertainty of the state concerning the cap, state aid, surplus, etc, we really have to wait and see. Its unfortunate , but it is what it is.

Respectfully,

Gene Tanala
taxpayer 

[Jackie Everitt]

What ever happened to the $1.00 Candy Bar fundraisers for sports (or was this never done in Howell).  When I was in school this was how we raised money for our sporting programs.  The best thing about the $1.00 Candy Bars is:  They are cheap - the kids in school not playing will buy, parents can take them to work put them out on their desk and probably sell a box a day with little to no effort, students and parents can sell them outside of stores, we can ask the small store owners to put out a box, and they can also be sold at the games.

I understand that many are against fundraisers because it is not safe for the kid's to go door to door which I agree with but something like $1.00 Candy Bars can be sold safely in so many places and it is something at a price that will appeal to the masses.

[MaryBeth_OBrien]

I have to start with I do not ususally get involved with school things unless it afects my child. Ususally that's Jamie's cup of tea. But with that said there are 2 posts I fel I need to respond to.

First to Jack. Life is not fair. Making a well rounded child is not just sports and after school activities. Part of making a well rounded child is learning early, that life is not fair. Let me share my expierence with after school activities in the middle school. No I do not have an athletic child. He played soccer and I paid for it. The only thing my child ever got involved with was the school play. I have a special needs child. He is VERY high funtioning. But in the wisdom of the middle school THEY decided that the only way he could participate in after school activities was with an aide. So you the tax payer were paying for an aide to sit and watch him paint a well for a school play. Now could those dollars have been used more wisely for education? OF COURSE! Now the aide had a daughter who was also participating in the play and asked her mom the aide why she was there everyday after school and the aide, her mom, decided that screw comfidentialaity she would not only tell her child but tell her child which child she was there for. Now being a typical middle school kid, that child then blabbed to all the other students that my child was "different". He was alianated and not included in ANY of the activities regading the play...not even invited to the after party. Not one child made an attempt to socialize with mine. Now tell me, how well rounded did my child become from this? what did he learn? He learned a very important life skill: He learned that life is not fair and that's the way it is. SO if we get rid of after school activities for a year or more...GOOD. I see no use for them. There are a million places in town that you can pay for your child to become well rounded. It's not the school districts responsibility to make your child well rounded. They are there to educate.

As to Jackie. Selling candy in school is not allowded. As for me, if I were to take a box of candy and put it on my desk and sell it, one I would get suspended for a day for selling goods.  and two, what did my child learn? That mommy and daddy will handle it for me. SO I can now go hang out at Wawa and they will do all the work. All a kid has to do is play the sport and mommmy and daddy do it all for me. As for any idea of children sitting at the enterances and exits of food stores selling candy, to me, that's teaching them to beg and not work for what they want.

Like I said..I just needed to add my 2 cents here. Sorry if there are spelling mistakes. But I type fast and hit the wrong key often.

Marybeth

[Jack_Giannattasio]

MaryBeth,

I understand that life is not fair - however it seems nonsensical to take a year off to evaluate when you have parents willing and able to pay and volunteer to allow for the extracurricular activities to continue.  I'm sorry you did not have a great experience with your son and the school play. I, however, can tell you that many of the lessons learned in playing football and track have had a positive impact on the person I am today; more importantly the time management skills I developed as a young person most certainly aided me in becoming a better student.  As a coach of both high school football and track and a high school teacher with twenty years experience, I can confidently tell you that most of the better students are involved in many extracurricular activities. You don't need to take my word for it, there a plethora of research confirming this.  To say that getting rid of extracurricular activities is "GOOD" is shortsighted and naive - in my opinion.

I'd also like to point out that there are not a million places - not even one in town where  my kids can be a part of a cross country team, and other than a four week rec track program there is no avenue for that as well.  These two programs cost next to nothing to run  - the uniforms in the middle school already exist, I've already stated I'd be willing to coach for FREE - so, as I said, it seems ludicrous to wait and see for the sake of waiting and seeing.  

Gene,  I did not mean to offend you or any other board member - but you have to admit, come election time, the posts from some other members (not you) tend to peak.  I'm glad you see the value in these programs and I implore you to at least get the discussion started about salvaging them, on a pay to play basis if need be, so they will exist in the fall.

[Jackie Everitt]

Marybeth - you are right Life is not fair and I am really sorry your child had a bad experience - weren't any of his friends from school also involved with the school play?  I know that my girlfriend who has a medium functioning special needs child makes sure that before she tries any activities atleast one or two friends or classmates that she socializes with are taking part in the activity.

I guess I just went to a school that was a little more practical.  We were allowed to carry our Candy and sell it in the halls, during lunch, or during StudyHall as long as we did not do it during a regular class.   But then again too when I went to school kids didn't have to be told "Now eating candy all day is no good for you and to make sure you don't get fat we won't allow you to buy it" our parents taught us that and also made sure that we are balanced meals.  

Ok - you can't sell Candy at work but 90% of the parents would be able to - every company that I have worked at other then Retail Establishments has always allowed people to set up a box with the price and an envelope.  As long as you trust your co-workers you don't need to interact with them.  I do not feel that this is showing your kids that Mommy and Daddy will do everything - especially if you do it while they are finding places to sell as well.  This shows that as a family everyone can work together.  

As far as teaching children to beg - just think the things I have listed below : It's not begging it's learning about life:
1)  They must approach the store manager for permission (Many stores also require a letter to corporate before they will allow you).
2)  They are interacting with all types of people (This is where an adult should be present or atleast nearby to protect their safety).
3)  Oh my God - they may actually learn how to make change (Sorry Pet Peave of mine when you give a cashier a different amount of change then they enter into the register and they can't figure out how much to give you back)
4)  The learn rejection - Yes, many people will say no
5)  Maybe some will also learn manners - Thank you very much and that the f-bomb is not a normal part of everyone vocabulary.

Oh and by the way all school clubs were funded by fund raisers.  The Candy Bars were only one - we also did Car Washes, Paper Drives (Ok with manditory recycling this one wouldn't be very profitable) but they could still collect alum. cans, Spaghetti Dinners, Can Drives (I know that you don't like this but again they are doing something).  

I am sorry - we are losing our bus but I am not as upset about that as most parents in my area - I complain about taxes - expect to also have to give something up.  But I fell that after school activities are a part of school and should be maintained - and I also feel that maybe the option for the student to do fundraising or parents (or Student) to pay might be the solution.  The families that can afford the cost can pay the others or even the other parents who want to see thier children work for the benefit of the program can do fundraisers.

[MaryBeth_OBrien]

Jack,

"I can confidently tell you that most of the better students are involved in many extracurricular activities"

WOW that's one heck of a statement. SO those who do not run track or play football are what? Hmmm let's see my son is  and has been an honor roll student all his life (in HS, middle school and grammer school) Knows time management so well that his homework is done in full before he steps in the door when he gets home. No projects or papers are left to the last minute, so acelerated, he completed Alegerbra 1 and 2 in one year..all while giving up his free period and lunch so he could finish both classes. And I forget what position  he played on the football team...NONE, nor did he play any other sport. Yet he seems to be one of the better students in HS. So much so he was recognized for academic excellence in math and science as a freshman.

Not ALL parents are able to pay to pay. You may be, but there are plenty of parents out there who are struggling and to pay for a sport in the middle school is not a necesity over putting food on the table.

Just a question, are choir and band being eleminated as well?

I just looked up Bill Gates..I couldn't find what position on the football field he played either, nor how fast he ran in track. I guess he too wasn't one of the better students.

And there ARE plenty of outside teams, leagues and other sports that are available in the town and neighboring towns. I guess you are focused on football and track since that is your background?

[MaryBeth_OBrien]

Jackie you are kidding right? Friends? once a middle school child is lableld by another there are no friends. You become an alien. You are taunted and teased to no end. The kids who were your "friends" can't be seen with you or they too will endure the taunting and teasing. Thus ends any and all after school activities for my child.

As for fund raisers, I am all for it. Car washes and things where the kids have to do something aside from stand outside a door and say "will you support so and so sport and buy a candy bar for a dollar?"  I am all for the kids getting out there and actually doing something for the money. I was in marching band in HS and we did so many fund raisers. Not once did we sell a thing. I washed so many cars, cleaned so many yards and did whatever WORK it took to raise the money for my activity.

Selling food is no longer an option in this litigous society. Hard work is a great way to earn funds for activities. But as far as I am concerned, you are never going to get enough parents who can afford to pay to play in this economy. Nor will you get enough expierenced people to coach or run the sport or activity.

And to be honst, it may look good on your transcripts for college, but sports and after school programs are not part of the mandated education. Not necessary.

[Jack_Giannattasio]

MaryBeth -

Clearly you are unfamiliar with the word most. Also, your reading comprehension has a room for improvement.  Nowhere did I state most of the better students play football and run track - what I said is that most of the better students are involved in extracurricular activities. Football and track are two - others include soccer, volleyball, softball, wrestling, field hockey, all the other sports, the play, yearbook, choir, band, student government, the school newspaper, national honor society, Spanish club, French Club, Italian Club, the history club, the science club, the math club, science league, math league, tutoring club, speech and debate, forensics league, peer leadership, computer club, and many, many more.  Get the picture.

All the extracurricular activities at the middle school are being eliminated.  Yes that means choir and band, to the best of my understanding - does that change your GOOD to a GREAT?

It seems that it is you who is focused on football and track.