Principal Points - "Choices"

Past Principal Points

Choices, Choices, Choices

One of the difficulties faced by high school students is making choices. It was all so simple in elementary school. Art, music, drama, sports, etc. were all part of the regular curriculum. A student got them whether they wanted them or not. In junior and particularly senior high things change. Suddenly there are choices to be made regarding extra-curricular activities and about which subjects to take. There are sports teams as well as regular Phys. Ed. class. There are three credit courses and five credit courses. What about private music lessons? There are numerous new opportunities and challenges: King’s Kids, Worship Team, Mexico Mission, Volleyball, Basketball, etc. In addition to all this, there are church youth activities. No longer is church involvement simply mean attendance at Sunday worship and Sunday School. Now there are Friday nights and mid-week activities and retreats and special projects, etc.

All of these activities place demands on a teen’s time and clamor for their attention. In some cases, they place considerable demands on a family as well. Since there is only so much time in a week, not everything can be done which is attractive. So, it is important that parents and teachers help our teens work through the decision making process. It is especially important that they learn that every decision has a consequence, and that not making a decision does also. They must also learn to recognize that choosing to do one thing usually means choosing not to do something else.

For students at AKCS this can be especially difficult. In a very large school, the student body breaks down into smaller subgroups. Students generally get involved with the activities in which their friends are involved. They only know a small portion of the student body and don’t feel pulled as many ways. In a small school, students literally are friends with everybody. It therefore not only seems like all their friends are joining a group or team, but it may literally be true. With our small numbers, we often need every student involved in order to field a decent team.

In time, as the school grows there will be more programs offered. This will mean more choices to make, but perhaps the choices will become easier as the inevitable subgroups develop. While all of us probably welcome growth as a means of providing additional programs and specialist teachers, there will also be a loss. The time will come when we won’t need every student on a team. Some students who wish to play may not get the chance. While our teams may be better, some students will be left out. We will then need to have other programs that better meet their needs. We will also need to address the "inevitable subgroups." Will increased size mean a loss of unity or feeling of "family"?

As always, there is much to think and pray about.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School