Members of the Green Valley School Board,

1 My name is Rick Smithfield. I am a sixth grader at Green Valley Middle School. I just moved to this
area last summer. Many people might still consider me to be “new.” I have made many adjustments this
past school year. I have seen how the teachers, staff, school board members, and the community work
together to provide the best education possible for students at this school. I have nearly finished one
school year here. I have had to get used to a more traditional approach to educating students. Today, I
would like to share an idea with you. I hope you might consider it as part of your plans for the future of
educating students like me in this community.

2 My idea involves moving away from a five-day school week and introducing a four-day week. We used
this system in the last school I attended. My parents and I have seen the benefits this unique schedule
provides. Additionally, the school district can continue to maintain the state educational standards.

3 By law, students are required to attend school 35 hours per week. Our current schedule divides this
time into 7 hours on each of five school days. To create a four-day week, we would need to divide 7 more
hours into these four days. This seems like a much longer school day. However, if we extended our school
day from 7:15 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., it would give us the required 35 hours a week of school. I think most
people would agree that this schedule still seems fairly traditional.

4 There are many advantages to having a four-day school week. Teachers would have an extra day to
grade papers or create lesson plans. Teachers could also attend training classes and meetings or even make
doctor appointments on this day. This would greatly reduce the need for teachers to miss class time. At
school, having more time in class could benefit teachers too. They would have more time to extend their
lessons or to work with students requiring extra help.

5 Students would benefit from this arrangement too. A longer school day would allow students to
complete lessons, such as science experiments, without interruption. Also, an extra day off would allow
students more time to work on projects or study for tests. Like teachers, students could also use this extra
day to attend doctor appointments. The extra day might also allow families to spend more time together.

6 A four-day week can benefit the school financially too. The school could save money on utilities, such
as lighting and heating on the days the school is closed.

7 Changing to a four-day week system may seem like an extreme idea at first. However, other school
districts thrive with this schedule. I am sure that once the community and parents are made aware of some
of the positive reasons for making this change, they will eagerly support a four-day school week. Please
take the time to consider this idea, because it would truly benefit both the school and our community.