아래에 남긴 글 에서 언급한 교육감에게 보낸 메일 원본.
훗날의 기록을 위해서 메일을 여기게 남겨둔다. 시간이 지나면서, 메일박스의 용량이 너무 커져서 비울 때 자칫 실수로 메일을 지웠던 일이 잦아서, 홈페이지 남겨 두면 좋을 것 같아서다.
2023년 2월 15일에 보낸 메일.
“Dear Dr. _______
We are reaching out to inquire about the policy regarding sports activities for middle and high school students in 몽고메리 공립하교.
As parents, we greatly appreciate the emphasis placed on providing our children with a well-rounded education that encompasses not only academics but also extracurricular pursuits such as art, music, sports and many other activities.
However, we would like to address a concern regarding the current policy enforced by most sports team coaches, which mandates full participation five days a week. While we wholeheartedly support the development of athletic skills and the commitment required to excel in sports, we find that this rigid requirement poses challenges for students who wish to explore other interests, such as music, art, or other club activities.
It is our belief that every child should have the opportunity to explore and develop their talents across various disciplines, without feeling restricted by overly stringent sports participation policies. By allowing flexibility in scheduling, students would be better equipped to pursue a well-rounded education that nurtures their diverse interests and potentials.
We appreciate the dedication of coaches in maintaining and fostering young athletes within the teams. However, we respectfully suggest that there be provisions within the sports program to accommodate students’ participation in other activities. Allowing for at least one full or half practice session per week dedicated to other interests would not only promote a balanced approach to student development but also mitigate the risk of burnout and exhaustion among participants.
Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that our children have the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and creatively, without feeling constrained by rigid schedules or expectations. As such, we kindly request your thoughtful consideration of revising the current five-times-a-week sports participation rule to better accommodate the diverse needs and aspirations of our students.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights on this important issue.
Best Regards,
우리 부부 서명 “
두번째 메일. 2024년 2월 22일에 보냄.
” Dear Dr. _____________,
I am writing to follow up on the inquiry regarding the policy regarding sports activities for middle and high school students in MCPS, which we previously sent last week on February 15th, Thursday (see below if you hadn’t received it). Unfortunately, we did not receive a response, and I wanted to ensure that our email reached you.
I understand that some athletes aspire to pursue a sport in college or want to focus on a particular sport while in high school. If this is their goal, they should be encouraged to dedicate themselves to that field. However, for other students with a wide range of interests and talents, they should be allowed to participate in other activities (arts, music, band, and clubs such as DECA, SCA, etc) as long as this absence would not significantly interfere with the sports activity.
We have observed that certain sports require up to 6 meetings per week (just practice alone), with two days involving exercise sessions lasting more than 3 hours each. If we include two match days during the week, then students need to spend 4 long days per week. When students engage in exercises this many hours, they often lack sufficient time to follow up on their school work and homework effectively, resulting in sleep deprivation.
We strongly suggest that 몽고메리 공립하교는 consider students’ balance in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities by avoiding long-hour practices (except for matches or games) and by allowing athletes to participate in other activities at least once every week or two, as long as they don’t miss scheduled matches or games.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we eagerly await your response and insights on this important issue.
Best Regards,
우리 부부 서명”
