Dear Principal,

Most people feel good when they help other people, and they do it as often as they can. They might be a volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate money, pick up litter, help someone put up their groceries, or any other community service. Volunteering is a great way to help the community and anyone can do it, however volunteering is called volunteering for a reason. When you volunteer, you're willing to give up your time to help someone else. You shouldn't force someone to volunteer for community service. Volunteering is a choice. That's why it's called "volunteer."

Some people might want to help out, but they don't have time. They could have a job after school, plus have to do all of the homework required by your teachers. If you force students to perform a service, they might not be able to reach there highest point academically because they're so bogged down with a to-do list. Students would get too stressed out with everything they have to do. Stress isn't good physically or mentally, and that could cause grades to go down. Not having to do community service would give students more time for studying and other things like an after-school sport or club. If you want more kids to participate in extra-curricular things, you can't add another burden onto their shoulders. You know what they say, All work and no play...

Helping out the community is very important, but community service isn't the only way for a person to help out in the community. Most people recycle, or donate old clothes to a local charity. A recent survey showed that starting a recycling or donating program at our school would have a lot more willing participants than required community service would. In fact, 90% of the student population said they would love to help out with my proposed programs, whereas only 40% would be willing to volunteer for a service. Donating and recycling, or another idea you may have that's easy do to and doesn't take too much time, would be just as helpful to the community as volunteer work would be.

People who have the time for volunteering can and will do it on their own. I would encourage students to take part in community service, but sometimes, people just don't have the ability to. There is no need for you to require community service in our school. Don't force students to be a volunteer, because then it just wouldn't be volunteering. They wouldn't be as willing to do the service, and they might not do the job as well as they would if they did it by choice, and the community service would be a waste of time if the helper didn't do it right or well enough. That's just common sense. Please consider my suggestions, and thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

Your Student,

STUDENT_NAME