Post by kondracki on Mar 1, 2009 17:00:39 GMT -5
It is Ten-Thirty at night and you are tossing and turning trying to go to sleep so you can be awake for your test first period tomorrow. You take a look at the clock and it is now eleven o’clock and you finally find a way to go to sleep. Then that morning at six o’clock your alarm goes off but, you’re so tired you turn it off and go back to sleep. Then you finally realize that you fell asleep and now it is six-thirty so you jump out of bed scarf your breakfast down and just barely catch the bus. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Study shows that there is a cycle that is late-to-bed late-to-rise in the teen body. I think that school should start somewhere between eight and eight-thirty.
The first reason school should start later is that most kids don’t pay attention during the first two periods of class anyway. The teen body biologically is set to go to sleep at eleven and sleep till eight o’clock. So if first period starts at seven-thirty it is no wonder kids are still asleep for the first two periods of school because the brain is still in sleep mode. So when teachers are constantly yelling at kids to stay awake it just makes teens even more tired. So then being sleepy for the day can cause so more problems as well.
That leads me to my next point which is grades. If your brain is sleeping how could you possibility pay attention and learn. Not paying attention in class will often lead to bad notes and therefore bad test and quiz grades. At Edina high school in Minneapolis they change their start time from seven-twenty to eight-thirty. Studies showed that there was a reduction in school drop-outs and a significant increase in grades. At the beginning of the study at Edina high school many parents were concerned that it would affect busing, athletics, and childcare.
This leads me to my last reason for changing the time school starts is it is what is best for teens. If you get more sleep you will be more alert and pay more attention in school. Though many say it would interfere with sports, jobs, and bus schedules it really doesn’t. People also say it affects the everyday routine that most people are in now. After one year at Edina ninety-two percent of parents said they preferred the later school time. A poll says sixty percent of teens complain they are tired during the day. Teens are twice as likely to complain they are tired so if the middle and elementary school started earlier then high school could start a little later.
So in conclusion school should start somewhere between eight and eight-thirty. This is because kids don’t pay attention the first two periods, it increases grades, and it is what is best for teens, So I strongly encourage the school district to make the first bell ring later.
The first reason school should start later is that most kids don’t pay attention during the first two periods of class anyway. The teen body biologically is set to go to sleep at eleven and sleep till eight o’clock. So if first period starts at seven-thirty it is no wonder kids are still asleep for the first two periods of school because the brain is still in sleep mode. So when teachers are constantly yelling at kids to stay awake it just makes teens even more tired. So then being sleepy for the day can cause so more problems as well.
That leads me to my next point which is grades. If your brain is sleeping how could you possibility pay attention and learn. Not paying attention in class will often lead to bad notes and therefore bad test and quiz grades. At Edina high school in Minneapolis they change their start time from seven-twenty to eight-thirty. Studies showed that there was a reduction in school drop-outs and a significant increase in grades. At the beginning of the study at Edina high school many parents were concerned that it would affect busing, athletics, and childcare.
This leads me to my last reason for changing the time school starts is it is what is best for teens. If you get more sleep you will be more alert and pay more attention in school. Though many say it would interfere with sports, jobs, and bus schedules it really doesn’t. People also say it affects the everyday routine that most people are in now. After one year at Edina ninety-two percent of parents said they preferred the later school time. A poll says sixty percent of teens complain they are tired during the day. Teens are twice as likely to complain they are tired so if the middle and elementary school started earlier then high school could start a little later.
So in conclusion school should start somewhere between eight and eight-thirty. This is because kids don’t pay attention the first two periods, it increases grades, and it is what is best for teens, So I strongly encourage the school district to make the first bell ring later.
