The Leprechaun Gold - St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

School
Leprechaun Gold
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
15 North Maple Street
Akron, Ohio 44303
On the Web: www.stvm.com
Advisor
Mrs. Maureen Harrigal
Assistant
Mrs. Barbara Wood
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Meghan Dannemiller
Jackson Ewing
Staff Reporters
Ian Edgley
Mandy Sollenberger
Erica Bratton
Kristen Bratton
Erin Farrell
Kelly Lauck
Connor Wallace
Brianna McVicker
Photos
Yearbook Staff
Mrs. Beth Dolan
Mrs. Patty Burdon (front cover)
AN IRISH PRAYER
May the road rise ever
to meet you
May the wind be
ever at your back
May the sun shine
warm upon your face
May the rain fall
soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the
Palm of His hand.
The Leprechaun Gold is published throughout
the year for the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary
High School. There is no charge for the paper
but donations are accepted and appreciated.
Unsigned editorials represent the consensus
of the editorial board. Letters to the editor
are encouraged, provided they do not contain
material disruptive to the educational process
and that they are signed. The Leprechaun Gold
reserves the right to edit submitted material
for length.
Leprechaun Gold
Summer reading debated
Jackson Ewing
Co-Editor-in-chief
“PRO”
Summer reading, while it may seem tedious
and boring to some students, is something that
many experts feel is necessary. Many studies
about summer assignments have been conducted,
and summer reading is something that they feel
is vital to a student’s development.
Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at
Emory University, finds that summer reading is
absolutely necessary. Bauerlein believes that not
only is the time for summer break too long to
retain knowledge, but students’ attitudes toward
school also come into play. “The reason stems
not only from the brain drain of summer and the
fog of texting that enwraps youths during leisure
hours but relates also to an attitude young people
take toward education. In a word, they regard
learning as a classroom thing, that’s all.”
Bauerlein cites the 2007 American Freshman
Survey as proof of students’ attitudes towards
learning being a problem. In the survey, it was
revealed that the rate of high school seniors
who went to college and talked to teachers less
than one hour per week came in at 53.4 percent.
Bauerlein argues that this survey shows that
students’ attitudes toward work are only to
get a good grade on the assignment and not to
retain or completely understand the material.
“The outcome is unsurprising,” Bauerlein said.
“Once the assignment is finished and class
ends — poof! The knowledge goes away. It’s
done its work.” This, according to Bauerlein,
can be changed by incorporating education
into student’s lives, especially outside of the
classroom.
Other educators feel that summer reading
Ian Edgley
stafff reporter
It’s the night before school and rather than
enjoying the last hours of freedom, students are
reading some awful book and answering a seemingly
endless packet of questions at 3:00 a.m.
They sit at their computers, tired and exhausted,
and wonder, “Why am I doing this? This is a
waste of my time.”
Unfortunately, almost all schools from Alaska
to Hawaii require summer reading, claiming
that summer assignments lessen the amount of
information lost over a summer.
Nancy Kalish, co-author of “The Case
Against Homework” states, “The truth is,
homework doesn’t accomplish what we assume
it does. According to a Duke University review
of more than 175 studies, there is little or no
correlation between homework and standardized
test scores or long-term achievement in elementary
school, and only a moderate correlation in
“Con”
is important as well. Richard Allington,
a professor of Reading Education at the
University of Tennessee, says that reading
during the summer is important. “Every
summer the lack of reading practice produces
losses in reading proficiency, while doing
some reading during the summer produces
small gains.” According to Allington,
research shows that students who do not read
during the summer are losing three months of
reading proficiency. This can lead to falling
years behind in the future.
There have been many studies as to
the effectiveness of summer reading and
homework in general, and many experts in
education feel that the two are necessary for
students to expand their knowledge. Many
educators say that summer homework is
something that can greatly benefit a student’s
education by taking education out of the
classroom and keeping the skills used in
school in use.
“I thought The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night Time was a very good
choice for a summer reading book. It was
really interesting and I’m glad I read it,” said
junior Leah Tomazic.
Senior Brigid Graham thought, “Tuesday’s
with Morrie was a great book. I loved that
it was a true story and how the reader could
relate to the characters.”
“I loved reading Tuesday’s With Morrie.
It was full of life lessons and how to express
emotions. I absolutely adore the kind of
person Morrie was. He made me feel warm
and loved,” stated senior Sierah Kaalima.
middle school.”
Duke analyzed the effect of homework on
students in a 16-year long study titled, “Does
Homework Improve Academic Achievement?”
Many studies claim that students lose
skills they don’t practice over the summer.
“However,” Kadish insists, “ if a child
can’t regain his grasp of fractions with a
brief review, maybe those skills weren’t
taught well enough in the first place. Doing a
mountain of math sheets without a teacher’s
help — and perhaps incorrectly — is not the
answer.
Worst of all, summer reading affects how
children view learning. Do teachers want
their students ready to start the year refreshed
and ready to learn, or burned out and resentful
from the last week they have dedicated
to their summer assignments? It’s something
that every teacher should consider.
2 September 2011