Health & Fitness
Students Speak Out for Healthier School Start Times
Students tell it like it is: 5 hours of sleep a night, catching the bus in the dark, calculus at dawn?
What time does your teenager wake up on summer mornings?
On Monday, Aug. 27, the first school bell in Montgomery County will ring at 7:20 a.m. Are you ready? Our school start times are among the earliest in the country despite the science that shows school schedules are dangerously out of sync with normal adolescent sleep patterns.
From the Start School Later petition for a healthier school schedule, here are a few choice comments from high school students around Maryland and Virginia with personal experience worth considering:
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Amandaa, Annapolis, MD
im gonna go to high school next year. and i really dont wanna get up early. im gonna be in an awful mood, then nobody will be happy. really.
Find out what's happening in Potomacwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Fred, Severna Park, MD
Please let this happen. I don't want kids of later generations to go through what I've gone through.
Ashley, Arnold, MD
As an AP and Jumpstart student, I am used to getting 5 hours of sleep--on a GOOD night. I am constantly under a lot of pressure to do well in my studies, and having to start school this early has made it much more difficult for me to do well in school and has negatively impacted my health. I miss more days of school because my immune system weakens and I become ill.
Nicholas, Deale, MD
I work until late at night to pay bills for my cars and phone and insurance and they expect me to be up and at school by 630 a.m. sorry sleep deprivation sucks
Jessie, Severna Park, MD
Generally, I'm asleep during the first two periods of school. Not cool.
Dana, Vienna, VA
I am a very negative person. I honestly believe that if I were less tired and DID NOT have to wake up at 5 40 am to catch a 6 30 bus, I would be a happier person. I'm pretty sure that lack of sleep is shortening my life span.
Forrest, Brunswick,MD
Pass this, for my grades.
William, Millersville, MD
i hate being too tired to even sit. who ever invented public school start times clearly never had to endure it.
Check out more student voices from around the country here.
Want to get involved? Here's some contact information to send your position to officials and lawmakers.
Students working for change at http://www.startschoollater.net/student-hall-of-fame.html
Montgomery County Petition for later school start times
Montgomery County School Board at boe@mcpsmd.org
Maryland Superintendent of schools c/o JBrown@MSDE.state.md.us
Maryland State Board of Ed at StateBoard@MSDE.state.md.us
To encourage the MD State PTA to weigh in on this issue: office@mdpta.org
Contact www.startschoollater.net to support the students and join our effort for change.
