Start Schools Later in the Morning to Help Students' Academic and Social Success!
Start Schools Later in the Morning to Help Students' Academic and Social Success!
The Issue
Right now my school starts at 8:00 a.m. That's the typical start time of many schools around Vermont. But every day I see teenagers come to school exhausted and not ready to learn. I have classmates who fall asleep in my classes all the time.
Every teenager needs around 8-10 hours of sleep and because of these early start times, few are getting the proper amount. Most parents try to solve this problem by getting their teenagers to bed early, but the teenage brain doesn't start to shut down for sleep until around 11:00 p.m. or even later, so that doesn't work. If schools started later in the day then students could get a good amount of sleep and also be able to focus in school.
With the proper amount of sleep:
- Teenagers can focus during their classes and keep their grades from dropping
- Teens will be able to absorb more information in school
- Teens will be able to remember what they learned more easily
- Students will have more energy to participate in classes
- Kids will have an easier time maintaining and making friendships/relationships
Sleep affects many things in a teenager’s life and getting the proper amount would help students’ education enormously. Not only would better sleep help adolescents’ school lives, it would also:
- Reduce teenagers’ caffeine intake
- Improve mental health
- Help maintain healthy eating habits
Early school start times would also benefit parents who have to get their kids to and from school. The average work day is around 7 to 8 hours. The average school day is 7 hours long as well, so why not sync the two schedules together to make it easier for parents?
I propose that schools all over Vermont should start at 9:00 a.m. and get out at 4:00 p.m. Sign this petition if you agree, and help many students get better sleep, focus better in school, and improve academic performance!
Sites/More information:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/school-and-sleep/later-school-start-times
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528821/
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/circadian-rhythms-brain-cognitive-peak/
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The Issue
Right now my school starts at 8:00 a.m. That's the typical start time of many schools around Vermont. But every day I see teenagers come to school exhausted and not ready to learn. I have classmates who fall asleep in my classes all the time.
Every teenager needs around 8-10 hours of sleep and because of these early start times, few are getting the proper amount. Most parents try to solve this problem by getting their teenagers to bed early, but the teenage brain doesn't start to shut down for sleep until around 11:00 p.m. or even later, so that doesn't work. If schools started later in the day then students could get a good amount of sleep and also be able to focus in school.
With the proper amount of sleep:
- Teenagers can focus during their classes and keep their grades from dropping
- Teens will be able to absorb more information in school
- Teens will be able to remember what they learned more easily
- Students will have more energy to participate in classes
- Kids will have an easier time maintaining and making friendships/relationships
Sleep affects many things in a teenager’s life and getting the proper amount would help students’ education enormously. Not only would better sleep help adolescents’ school lives, it would also:
- Reduce teenagers’ caffeine intake
- Improve mental health
- Help maintain healthy eating habits
Early school start times would also benefit parents who have to get their kids to and from school. The average work day is around 7 to 8 hours. The average school day is 7 hours long as well, so why not sync the two schedules together to make it easier for parents?
I propose that schools all over Vermont should start at 9:00 a.m. and get out at 4:00 p.m. Sign this petition if you agree, and help many students get better sleep, focus better in school, and improve academic performance!
Sites/More information:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/school-and-sleep/later-school-start-times
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528821/
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/circadian-rhythms-brain-cognitive-peak/
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Petition created on May 19, 2024