E is for Excellence and Enrichment in Extracurricular
With internal and external ASA's running for a couple of months now, hopefully students have settled into a nice rhythm that balances home learning, extracurricular activities and evening routines. Whether kids are participating in a team or individual sport, performing or visual art club, leadership, academic and non-academic clubs, extracurricular activities help students connect with like-minded peers while developing new skills, interests and talents. Often times it is not easy to strike a balance between the amounts of time spent on after school activities and time spent on home learning responsibilities, quality family time and proper rest. So, how many activities should students commit to and which ones are the best ones to consider?
Finding the Balance:
How many is too many? A simple way to gauge for how much is too much is for families to ask, "Can you still do your homework? Can you still get 8+ hours of sleep each night? Can you still be a part of our family? Can you still hang out with your friends?” If the answer is 'no' to one or more of these, then it's too much.
Finding the Right Fit:
With internal and external ASA's running for a couple of months now, hopefully students have settled into a nice rhythm that balances home learning, extracurricular activities and evening routines. Whether kids are participating in a team or individual sport, performing or visual art club, leadership, academic and non-academic clubs, extracurricular activities help students connect with like-minded peers while developing new skills, interests and talents. Often times it is not easy to strike a balance between the amounts of time spent on after school activities and time spent on home learning responsibilities, quality family time and proper rest. So, how many activities should students commit to and which ones are the best ones to consider?
Finding the Balance:
How many is too many? A simple way to gauge for how much is too much is for families to ask, "Can you still do your homework? Can you still get 8+ hours of sleep each night? Can you still be a part of our family? Can you still hang out with your friends?” If the answer is 'no' to one or more of these, then it's too much.
Finding the Right Fit:
- Know your child: Kids are born with different predispositions, and the best activity depends on the individual child. When it comes to scheduling, different kids respond better to different kinds of structure. One kid who is highly scheduled might do very well but another might need to have more unstructured downtime.
- Consider all types of activities: We shouldn’t forget that children can also benefit from independently directed activities. Self-directed activities that allow kids the time to think for themselves, be creative and access their own internal resources are as equally important as organized activities.
- Step back: Most children will find the right level of engagement and interests if they are encouraged and given the opportunity to explore different options.
The counselors are available to help students become responsible learners who are able to make positive choices in their lives. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s extracurricular activities, please contact your grade level counselor. We always look forward to supporting you.