Southwest High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota is planning on adding 30 minutes to the beginning of the day for the 2015-2016 school year (8:00 instead of 8:30). Adding extra time to the school day is unnecessary to the education of Southwest High School students.  Students already stay up very late studying and doing homework and waking up 30 minutes earlier to add approximately 2 minutes to each class is pointless.  At this age adolescents require at least 9-10 hours of sleep to properly learn and create memories. Over 58 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds regularly sleep fewer than seven hours each night and chronic sleep loss contributes to higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, and obesity. It's not fair to expect students to get proper sleep when you add an extra 30 minutes of school to their already hectic schedule.  At a school that has a reputation of ambitious students with good work habits, and an already fully functioning 7-period day, it seems redundant that students have less time to work and sleep.  This change also calls into question how students who rely on the city bus system will get to school on time.  Our school does not have a school bus system and some students this year spend up to an hour on the city bus to get to school.  Also, the extra time will make students less inclined to participate in extracurriculars and zero-hours such as choir, theory of knowledge, National Honors Society, etc. which will affect the colorful culture that makes Southwest special. 

Please (anyone!) take the time to sign this petition if you believe that school should not jeopardize students' sleep, extracurricular participation, and mental health just to add 2-3 minutes to each class.