Can We Read Comics and Magazines?

Dear Principal,

Our school has started a 25 book campaign. All the students have to read 25 books by the end of the year. However, students must read novels, not comics or magazines. However, some of my fellow classmates are opposed against this and believe that magazines and comics should be accepted, while teachers believe they're not suitable. Comics and magazines should not be allowed for the 25 book campaign. Books help you learn and prepare you for the future. Along with that, comic books are not very educational.
First, books are a great way to learn. Reading a fiction book, one can easily expand his imagination and develop better reading, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Reading a nonfiction book is even better as one can become a better reader and learn facts about whatever the book was about. Along with that, one can learn and comprehend about a new subject better. Imagining a student's school skills getting better as he reads books 25 times! Books must be used for the 25 book campaign!
Furthermore, books are used to prepare for the future. In anything one is reading, he could actually be benefiting for your future job. Along with that, reading skills in the future could come in handy when one has to comprehend hard, new words, sort out useless information in something one's reading, or determine what information is fact or fiction. Along with that, reading books increases one's literature knowledge, which can be handy when one has to take the SAT. Books are a lot more important than comics and magazines!
Finally, comics and magazines are not that educational. While they're enjoyable, comics and magazines are a little babyish, with a lot of pictures and very simple words. While reading comics and magazines do improve your imagination, it doesn't give any more of the advantages that books give. A long with that, some comics and magazines could be about something like a television show or a movie, and could easily throw a student off topic. Comics and magazines should not be used for our 25 book campaign.
Thank you for reading my letter. I believe that novels, and only novels, should be used for the 25 book campaign. Novels teach students many important skills and help them prepare for the future. Comics and magazines aren't really that educational. Our 25 book campaign was strictly made to educate students. If we want to help students to the maximum degree, we must use novels for our campaign!

Sincerely,
Oliver Tang

Pool or Recreation Center?

Our city has recently been given some money for the young people of the community. Right now, the city is debating whether we should build a recreation center or a pool. The money should definitely be appropriated into making a pool. Pools are a great way for kids to have social time, are a valuable source of exercise, and can give enjoyment to kids.
First, pools are great for social time. There, kids can simply relax and talk to friends. A pool is also important after a long and stressful day to unwind your muscles and swim around slowly. A pool can also be the source of many games, like tag or Marco Polo. Just simply having drinks and talking to a friend during a hot summer day is almost perfect. I have had experience with this. Our city needs a pool!
Next, pools are a valuable source of exercise. Every week, I go to a pool to just have fun and learn swimming. While doing all that, I'm actually exercising. With the lack of places to exercise, we do need a pool for kids to have fun. While swimming, one can burn 700 calories an hour! We need somewhere that anyone, kids and adults, can exercise and have fun. A pool is the perfect place to do just that!
Finally, pools are a great source of enjoyment. During summer, when a kid's bored, he can easily rush over to the pool to have some fun. In a hot summer day, a kid can easily stay cool by going to the pool surrounded by family and friends. Playing in a pool can easily pass a lot of time, and make the day go by quickly. When one's stressful and hot during a summer day, all he has to do is swim. Swimming is a popular sport, and many in this town enjoy doing it. We have to make a pool!
Thank you for listening to my essay. I firmly believe that our money should be put to use for a pool. It's great for social time and exercise, not to mention it's a important source of enjoyment. Our great city deserves a pool for everyone, the young kids and the adults, not just kids. We must make a pool!

No More Cell Phones In School!

Dear Board of Education,

In the beginning of the year, my school established the rule that cell phones are not allowed in the building. Since then, students and parents have been arguing that we should be allowed to carry cell phones to school. Our school is considering changing the policy. However, the ban of cell phone carrying in the school should be continued! Cell phones provide a major distraction to the school, could be easily lost or stolen, and make kids without cell phones feel left out of the student community.
First, cell phones are a distraction to the carrier and his classmates. Imagine that while the teacher is talking to the class, you hear a song come from nowhere. All the students in the class turn towards the carrier, while he rushes out of the class. During that process, valuable class time was lost. Along with that, during class, a bored student could easily text her friend in the school. Again, this beeping sound could bother nearby students with the constant beeping noise of her phone. Right now in class without cell phones, it's extremely peaceful and nobody is disturbed. We have to keep the serenity and prevent the carrying of cell phones.
Next, cell phones can easily be lost or stolen. One student could just leave his cell phone on his desk and forget about taking it. Next period, one student might come in, see the cell phone, and snatch it. Like that, it's gone. Most cell phones these days range from $150 to $300. Once a phone is taken, that's an automatic waste of money. To most students, cell phones mean almost everything to them. Then it's completely a waste just to bring it to school to chat with friends a few times a day, with the high risk of not coming back with it. It's just like leaving a cell phone outside just for someone to take. Cell phones mean almost everything to most kids, and leaving it home is the best thing to do if one wants to prevent the loss of his cell phone.
Finally, cell phones can be used for cheating. I know many kids who resort to different ways of cheating, such as writing the answers on their hands and covering it. Allowing cell phones to be brought to school is just another opportunity to cheat. I have a friend who goes to another school, who told me anecdotes of how kids at his school with cell phones texted each other the answers of various quizzes and tests. We have to keep our school a trustworthy place with integrity. We have to prevent student from cheating by using cell phones.
Thank you for reading my letter. I firmly support our school's decree of no cell phones in school. Cell phones are an easy distraction, can easily be left behind or taken, and can be used for cheating. Would you really want to see ten cell phones going off in the school, and teachers struggling to get their students' attention? While it's "painful", having no cell phones makes a better school community!

Sincerely,
Oliver Tang

How One Reaches Maturity (Draft)

Many people ponder about how you can tell when one reaches maturity. It can't be defined by age, as a young person could behave maturely, and a grown-up could behave immaturely. Age is definitely not the criteria for measuring maturity. When one has responsibility, he can then be considered "mature." Responsibility is an important virtue for life and is important if one wants to live within the barriers and rules of society.
First, responsibility is an important character trait one must have to succeed in life. Anywhere, anytime, one must take care of himself and make wise decisions to move ahead in the path of life. Making a bad choice, without having responsibility, forces one to go a wrong direction. Then, one must use up some time and take a detour to get onto the right path again. Making too many mistakes without using responsibility could end up wasting too much time. Along with that, responsibility allows one to take care of himself, when he is alone in life without parents. Without responsibility, he puts his safety and future at great risk. If one says that maturity depends on age instead of responsibility, that's similar to saying a boy who is polite and takes care of his family is less mature than an unintelligent middle-aged man who sits around and relies on his family completely. One must have responsibility to get ahead in life and finally mature.
Finally, responsibility is a sign of maturity is because it helps you live by what's accepted in society. Without responsibility, you break the rules all of the time. Most of these "rules" are here for a reason to protect us and ensure we have a good life. Without responsibility, we might break these rules putting ourselves in a bad position. Without having responsibility and following all the rules, whether it be at home, a place where one works, common sense and everyday life rules, etc, there's no doubt one will have trouble prospering in life.
Responsibility is the key thing in life. It gives us a bright future and allows us to reach a level of maturity no matter what the age. If you really want to be mature in the future, all you have to do is follow the path of responsibility!

Monolingual Schools for All (Final)

Imagine this. You're a Mexican immigrant who just arrived in America. Before you attend school with American students, you must learn English. You go to a school for immigrants expecting to still hear some Spanish, but instead, your teacher speaks only English. You fail to grasp almost everything. However, after a few weeks, you get some understanding of this strange new language. Many people believe that schools should be bilingual, but others think that schools for immigrants should remain monolingual. Schools should be monolingual! Monolingual schools are more effective than bilingual schools, because monolingual schools help students learn a new language faster and save money.
First of all, monolingual schools can help a student learn a new language better than a bilingual school. By speaking a strange new language, you can push children out of their native language and help them learn a new language faster. While a student won't be able to understand anything you're saying, he will grasp the language sooner or later, and will learn better than a student who has a teacher who speaks his native language.
I have had experience with this. In 3rd grade, my Spanish teacher was out for a month, and she was replaced by a substitute teacher who spoke all Spanish. Though it was torture for the whole class, I actually managed to learn a lot of Spanish in the month she taught. Right now, there is a student who just came from Japan in some of my classes. All his teachers speak to him in English in hopes of his being able to learn and repeat what they say. The attempt was successful. Speaking in only a new language in school can really benefit an immigrant student.
Monolingual schools also save money. If we want bilingual teachers, we must pay an abundance of excess money. Eliminating bilingual teachers allows schools to save money. Many school districts, such as the Bernards school district, greatly need money for more important things. Because of the beginning of our economic crisis, many districts have very tight budgets. A district should not waste their money on bilingual teachers. They should devote their money to something more useful, like better technology for teachers and students, more books for the media center and classrooms, or a longer school year. Removing bilingual teachers or transferring them to monolingual teachers is a perfect way to save money.
Although a bilingual school can be great as it allows a student to hear their native language and relieves stress in learning, a monolingual school is better. It helps students learn a new language better and saves money.
A monolingual school is what everyone needs!