What time does your teenager wake up on summer mornings? Once August 27th rolls around, the first school bell will ring at 7:17 a.m. in Anne Arundel County high schools. Are you ready? From the Start School Later petition for a healther school schedule, here are a few choice comments from high school students in Maryland and Virginia with personal experience worth considering:
Kathleen, Millersville, MD
It's wrong that I never got enough sleep until high school ended. It's wrong that I could never stay awake during the day in school. It's wrong that I was NEVER NOT TIRED in high school.
Amanda, Annapolis, MD
I'm gonna go to high school next year and I really don't wanna get up early. I'm gonna be in an awful mood, then nobody will be happy. Really.
William, Millersville, MD
I hate being too tired to even sit. Who ever invented public school start times clearly never had to endure it.
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 car 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.
Read more student comments from around the country by clicking on the PDF at the top of the page.
To add your voice of support on this issue and if you'd like to see high school start times more in line with adolescent and teen sleep needs, here are some contacts:
Anne Arundel County School Board
Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Kevin Maxwell
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
Anne Arundel County Petition
National Petition
For more inspiration check out http://www.startschoollater.net/student-hall-of-fame.html, and for more information, www.startschoollater.net and visit the MD - Anne Arundel County chapter.
Still more drive themselves to school or hitch a ride with mom or dad so they can get a bit more sleep. What most people forget is that teens still need 9-11 hours of sleep (more than adults do) and the early school starts work against their body clocks. Oh, and another interesting secret, many seniors have completed enough credits that they get out of school at 10:35am!!!!!! We have become so used to filling up these extra afternoon hours with work, sports and everything else, that we presume that all that time is needed for those things. Not so!