Would students rather be sitting at home doing nothing or would they rather be doing something fun at school? Well the principal has decided to make everyone at Generic_School participate in an extracurricular activity. I agree with this decision; students shouldn't be sitting doing nothing they should be out having fun. I think this because an activity would be a great way for children to meet friends and find something they are interested in.

Participating in an activity might help kids make new friends. Kids might not have many friends at school; therefore, if they went to an activity they could meet some new people. Last year in seventh grade I didn't have many friends. My best friend moved and I was going to a new school with a lot more people. One of my friends at school said they were signing up to be in Best Buddies; so I decided to sign up too. We became close to one of the buddies and now we all are friends do stuff outside of school. Also, children might not have any of their friends in their classes. Generic_School is very big and has many class rooms. The chance of get in a class with a friend is low. Last summer I was very nervous about not having any classes with friends. When school started I only had one class with a friend, but we didn't even get to sit next to each other. I didn't get to spend time with my friends until after school at Best Buddies. During that time I also made a new friend. Another reason is because kids might be shy and not able make friends during the day. I have always been a shy kid and when I didn't have any classes with my friends I kept to myself even more. Best Buddies gave me a chance to have fun and interact with more people. This year I still go to Best Buddies, and I am still good friends with the people I meet last year. Making friends can be hard at times, but going to an extracurricular activity could help.

Going to an extracurricular activity could help a student find something they are interested in. The activity they choose might be something they could do in high school. For example, when Generic_School's eighth graders went to visit the high school; they had a bunch of tables around the gym. At each table there were teenagers showing all of the extracurricular activities they had there. I signed up for Best Buddies because I really enjoyed it this year and last year. Also, the activity that a student picks might influence their decision on what they want to do when the grow up. For instance, I had always wanted to be a doctor when I grow up, but going to Best Buddies slightly changed my mind. Spending time with all the kids at Best Buddies, and helping them made me want to change what I wanted to be. Instead of being just a regular doctor, I now want to be a doctor for kids. Last, but not least, a student might like an activity so much that they want to do it outside of school. I enjoyed Best Buddies so much last year that I did it again this year! Last year my friend and I went to the movies to go see

"The Lion King"

with our buddy on the weekend. I also invited him to my birthday party and he invited me to his. Participating in an activity might help a child find a hobby or even something they would like to do in the future.

Overall, I support the principals decision, and think that everyone at school should be in an extracurricular activity. Not only can an activity help a student meet a new friend, they could also find something they are interested in. Instead of kids being board at home, they could be at an extracurricular activity having fun!