New school start times survey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes me angry. Getting everyone excited for change or worked up and nothing is going to be done again. We were originally promised changes for this school year and they already punted. Now they are punting again. Reid and the school board are total losers.

Nobody was excited except a small handful of parents who, if I had to guess, had kids who had nothing to do after school every day except come home and do homework. The rest of us have kids with a work/life balance who would actually like to be home from school before 530/6 in order to enjoy things like sports, clubs, scouts, religious education, time with family and friend, etc. Until they can figure out how to get middle school to start at a reasonable time like 8/830, then no one's schedule should be changing.

[Anonymous]

Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself.

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

This solves 9/10 of the problem. Don’t over schedule your kids and take away the phones overnight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

This solves 9/10 of the problem. Don’t over schedule your kids and take away the phones overnight.

If only this could work.
there are more things than phones. There are other distractions and extended bathroom time, and lingering talking to older siblings, or older siblings making noise. Not every family can get immediately quiet at 9pm and not every kid has their own room or a quiet part of the house and not every parent can police and follow the kids who need to go to bed. A LOT of kids are sleep deprived and have to make do with less than 8 or even 7 hours of sleep. Some parents work late shifts too, I used to not be available to supervise bedtime and my spouse is useless in this. That's reality for more people you can imagine.

We all know that this early school start in middle school is for easier drop off logistics for parents with multiple school kids and traffic relief. And MS is only 2 years, so is chosen to bear this grind. There is no easy way around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

This solves 9/10 of the problem. Don’t over schedule your kids and take away the phones overnight.

If only this could work.
there are more things than phones. There are other distractions and extended bathroom time, and lingering talking to older siblings, or older siblings making noise. Not every family can get immediately quiet at 9pm and not every kid has their own room or a quiet part of the house and not every parent can police and follow the kids who need to go to bed. A LOT of kids are sleep deprived and have to make do with less than 8 or even 7 hours of sleep. Some parents work late shifts too, I used to not be available to supervise bedtime and my spouse is useless in this. That's reality for more people you can imagine.

We all know that this early school start in middle school is for easier drop off logistics for parents with multiple school kids and traffic relief. And MS is only 2 years, so is chosen to bear this grind. There is no easy way around it.

+1 my 7th grader doesn’t have a phone, so phones are not the issue for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

Actually, the CDC recommends 6-12 year olds get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and 13-18 year olds should get 8-10. So really, the later start times for the elementary kids are ideal. Shifting middle school no later than 8/830 am would get the middle schoolers 8 hours if they're in bed by 11, even more if they're in bed earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

Actually, the CDC recommends 6-12 year olds get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and 13-18 year olds should get 8-10. So really, the later start times for the elementary kids are ideal. Shifting middle school no later than 8/830 am would get the middle schoolers 8 hours if they're in bed by 11, even more if they're in bed earlier.

Why don't you listen to the teachers? Speaking from experience, teaching young kids in the afternoon is quite different from the energy level earlier in the day.

What time do you think elementary kids go to bed? Mine were in bed by 9 most nights. Younger elementary, by 8:30 lights out.

[Anonymous]

Is there a vote on this or is it done for now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

Actually, the CDC recommends 6-12 year olds get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and 13-18 year olds should get 8-10. So really, the later start times for the elementary kids are ideal. Shifting middle school no later than 8/830 am would get the middle schoolers 8 hours if they're in bed by 11, even more if they're in bed earlier.

DP, it's not just about amount of sleep, but also when. Many ES kids are in bed by 8p or sooner and it's no problem for them to get to sleep then and/or adjust earlier. MS/HS kids bodies are changing / have changed and a bedtime of 10pm is more normal, and trying to force sleep earlier is far more challenging for them.

Are there some kids who are exceptions at any/all ages? Sure. But we shouldn't have a policy of trying to force kids to sleep on schedules that aren't natural or appropriate for the vast majority of them.

[Anonymous]

I hope this isnt revisited until FCPS can have enough busses to make middle schools independent from elementary schools. Till then this issue should be tabled.

[Anonymous]

I have a child in middle school right now. She comes home at 2:45 and does at least 2 hours of homework every night and then a couple nights a week she has sports practice or Girl Scouts. It would be HORRIBLE if school ended at 4:30 or 4:45. She wouldn't have time to do all of her homework plus her activities. And no, she's not going to do homework in the morning. People keep suggesting that and maybe it's fine for your elementary schooler, but it doesn't work for 7th+. I am NOT okay with Option A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

Actually, the CDC recommends 6-12 year olds get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and 13-18 year olds should get 8-10. So really, the later start times for the elementary kids are ideal. Shifting middle school no later than 8/830 am would get the middle schoolers 8 hours if they're in bed by 11, even more if they're in bed earlier.

DP, it's not just about amount of sleep, but also when. Many ES kids are in bed by 8p or sooner and it's no problem for them to get to sleep then and/or adjust earlier. MS/HS kids bodies are changing / have changed and a bedtime of 10pm is more normal, and trying to force sleep earlier is far more challenging for them.

Are there some kids who are exceptions at any/all ages? Sure. But we shouldn't have a policy of trying to force kids to sleep on schedules that aren't natural or appropriate for the vast majority of them.

Nope, this is not the thing that you think it in. Kids aren't going to sleep late because of their changing bodies, LOL! They're going to sleep late because they have a lot to do/a lot that they want to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an idea that will cost the school system nothing. FCPS should adopt a liberal tardy policy for middle schoolers. Your kids can roll in after they got their 8 hours of sleep, at the next class start time. The benefits of more sleep can only help them academically and it won't interrupt the students that are already there. It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself. :)

And while we're at it, kick the boundary change can down the road instead. No one seems on board with those changes.

Or, take away your middle schoolwrs phone by 9PM so they can fall asleep, and wake them up on time.

#BasicParentingSkills

Actually they need 9-12 hours of sleep, it varies per child, and there is a natural tendency to stay up later. A 9 PM bedtime would mean some kids would still need to sleep until 7-9 a.m., so they would still be sleep deprived with the same start times. If the school really cares about sleep, and it's a health problem, it should be treated like any other illness or health condition--up to the parents' discretion.

There are very few 7th and 8th graders that need 12 hours of sleep. PLEASE. My 7th grader is asleep at 9:00 and wakes up at 6:00. She's fine. She's definitely not sleep deprived.