ABSTRACT
At any given point in time during the year, our school calendar is likely to have on its schedule a variety of club meetings, activities, athletic events, performances, fund-raising drives, philanthropic endeavors, and field trips. Periodically, I worry that we may be taking our eye off the ball and not focusing on our primary business, which is academic achievement in the core areas of language arts, science, math, and social studies. Yet in observing our stu-dents—and our teachers—as they engage in and sponsor such activities, I know that these “extras” add to, rather than detract from, our ultimate goal of academic success for all.
