1993-1994 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Doesn't Anyone Care About The Children?
Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Teacher: Barbara Petersen
1st Eve Ulmaniec 
2nd Sarah Erickson 3rd Jacqueline Jensen
"Parents need to be setting examples of responsibility. They can
do this by being involved in their children's lives. A good idea to spend more time
together is by making a schedule of family activities. Perhaps making a date to do
something, like go to a baseball game together, could assure that time is being spent
together. As long as parents and children make time to be together, the communication
between them will teach the child responsibility."
Nikki Rae Videen, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Not
only should parents be more involved but teachers should also. Teachers should learn to
deal with disruptive children and demonstrate equal treatment to all students while trying
to make every student feel special in any way they can. When children receive praise, they
feel better about themselves."
Jill Nichols, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Too
many teachers are not prepared with instructions on how to deal with disruptive students
and how to break up fights before they end in murder. School systems can help stop the
violence cycle by identifying fight-prone children when they are young and introduce them
to non-violent alternatives. Other ways schools can help are: offering peer mediation,
clear- cut standards, consistent discipline, ways to instill basic values of right and
wrong, and to teach young people to respect themselves and others. However, it is the
parent's responsibility to begin these lessons at home. Children absorb the behavior
accepted by their parents and also by the community to which the family belongs. If a
child grows up in a community where citizenship is taken seriously and people work
together to improve conditions, the children get the feeling of obligation to the
neighborhood as well as the family."
Lori Wicklund, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin