Imagine waking up five minutes before school starts, all because you missed your alarm. The night before, you had been up until midnight doing your math homework. You have to jump out of bed, sprint to the bathroom, and quickly brush your teeth. By the time you are ready to leave your house, the doors of the school have already been closed.
Currently, Edison Intermediate School’s start time is 8:15 A.M., but many students wish for that to change. Seventh grade student Alex Cahill claims, “I think it should start at 9:30.”
A majority of students agreed, saying that it should start any time after nine. The article entitled “Schools shift as evidence mounts that later start times improve teens’ learning and well-being” from the American Psychological Association states, “Research from psychologists and others indicates that later school times correlate with more sleep, better academic performance, and myriad mental and physical health benefits” (Weir).
In addition, many middle schoolers spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning. Eighth grade student Nina Seideman says, “I spend 40 minutes getting ready.” No matter how late students wake up, they may still be tired from the night before. This could lead to less focus during classes. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia states, “Insufficient sleep impacts every aspect of functioning and well-being, including mood, behavior, learning, attention, risk taking and weight status. One of the most significant factors contributing to insufficient adolescent sleep is early school start times” (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). This proves that with a lack of sleep, a child’s school day can be compromised. If one doesn’t listen to their educators and peers, they may not understand the material, which may cause issues later on.
Also, students said that they did not have enough time in the morning to eat breakfast before school. Eighth grader, James Sletteland, states, “Yes, it should start later so that I can get more sleep and eat breakfast.” Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. The Better Health Channel claims, “When you wake up from your overnight sleep, you may not have eaten for up to 12 hours. Breakfast replenishes the stores of energy and nutrients in your body” (Better Health Channel).
On the contrary, teachers seem to think that the start time should remain the same. When asked if a later start time would benefit students, science teacher Christopher Wiley claimed, “No. Because you want to sleep in late? That’s what the weekends are for.”
Technology and design teacher, Sean Bonasera, says, “Well, it depends. They should start later so that students will be more awake. However, longer school will affect sports.” Many students do extracurricular activities after school. If school was to start later, it would also have to end later, resulting in limited time between dismissal and bedtime. In this short period of time, children would need to be able to fit these activities into their schedules, along with all of their homework and meals.
