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FCCPTA 2008 School Start Time Survey
"General" Comments Submitted for Question 13

Comments Submitted by Survey Takers Who Took
the Survey from June 5 to June19,  2008

01:27 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Any school that ended after 3pm for 13 and older students would destroy many extracurricular activities. swimming teams would be shut down...

01:28 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Thanks so much. Please make this happen. Unsupervised teenagers in the afternoons is not a good thing. Better test scores with more rest.

06:24 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

My high school student thinks that a later start time would preclude extra-curricular activities after school. He feels that he would not have the needed time to complete projects.

06:33 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I would love it if the high schools started later. It is brutal getting up that early after so little sleep.

06:46 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The reason my son does not participate in extracurricular activities or sports is because, ever since starting middle school, he has been too tired to do more than try to get his homework done. Prior to middle school, he participated in archery and soccer, but after trying for a couple of months in seventh grade, had to quit due to fatigue. He tried for years to get to sleep earlier than 9:30-10 :00, but after seeing a sleep specialist, we realized there was no point in him going to bed before 11:30, as he would just lie awake and worry fo the couple of hours it took him to go to sleep. Early start times for teens are barbaric at best and negligence at worst. Also, elementary students have naturally earlier biological clocks, so it's easy for them to get up earlier, and they're exhausted byt the time they get out of school on the current schedule. opt a schedule that makes sense for all of our students learning and physical, mental and emotional needs!!!

06:49 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

While my teen likes to sleep in, as did his older brother and sister, they also liked to have the time in the afternoon. I feel that later start times, will mea n later bed times and the same amount of sleep. Also, the middle school schedule proposed is terrible, as I feel middle schoolers still need some supervision to get off to school in time, and that would not work with many family work schedule (including mine at a FCPS elementary school.

07:05 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Thank you for looking into this. I do think our older students would benefit from a later start time.

07:23 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

if school starts later and gets out later it make the child getting home at 5:00 - 5:30. not much time to eat, homework & shower. Schools needs to starts earl y.

07:29 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

My children are in high school, but when they were in primary school, the start times were too late for me to stay with them and still get to work on time, so I had to hire a sitter. I strongly support both earlier start times for primary and later start times for HS.

07:33 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Our family strongly supports the change! I can't imagine getting my son to the bus stop at 6:15am!!! He'd be asleep!

07:59 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Thanks you for considering a later start time for the older kids. Finally someone gets a clue about normal sleeping habits/needs of that age group.

08:01 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

In Arizona, for example, elementary school students start school first, then mid dle school students, then high school students. This is great, as the youngest ones in the family tend to get up first, so it's easier for them to get on the b us, after having a healthy breakfast at home. The high schoolers go to bed late , like to get up late, and will do better if they start later, because they are more likely to get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and therefore be able to pay more attention in school...all leading to better grades and a healthier, hap pier lifestyle, including for us parents. Besides, if high schoolers stay in school an hour later, fewer kids at that age would get into all kinds of trouble i n the afternoons, when most are left unsupervised.

08:03 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think change in school start times are great need but must be done so not to disadvantage one group over another. Middle school and Highschool kids clearly ne ed later start times while elementry school kids re early risers any way. With more elementry schools, this is the challenge. Most school systems use a depot system for GT type pick ups. I know Fairfax County has had quite alot of feedback on it but I feel must move toward this in order to save costs and be more effective on timing to help make this system work more effective. ds to be sensitive the too late a start time. Anything past the 9 hour is movin g toward the absurd -- we have 9:15 today and kids are expected to be inschool before hand because they are typically elementry schools and buses are picking them up earlier. If this becomes older schools that becomes harder to inforce. I f 9:15 is the absolute latest -- the first bells need to be earlier and rules ne ed to be inplace saying that students are expected to be there earlier or there will be many trouble makers -- we are asking for disipfont-weight: normal; line issues.

08:07 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I appreciate you taking time on this issue. The middle/high school students ten d to stay up later studying and need the additional time for sleep. This affect s student athletes because when they are at school due to sports practices they can't use that time to study.

08:08 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It was hard to answer the weekend wake up times. My children generally have some type of sport/activity on the weekend which makes them wake up early. I used 9AM as an average. They are so tired, that they would sleep until noon if they could. Also, I do see that my sophomore is sleep deprived and I think it affect s his academic performance. Oakton had a collabaration Wednesday this year where school started and hour later. It was a wonderful break. I can't tell you ho w happy we were when we remembered on Tuesday night that it was collaberation Wednesday, that extra hour of sleep was wonderful. Actually it wasn't a full hour because traffic was heavier at the time so the kids got an extra 30+ minutes of sleep. To wake up after 6AM was bliss. School ended at the same time; it just started later. Maybe you could give everybody a catch up day like we had. Hav ing it on a Wednesday was the best.

08:13 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Changing the time so that the kids have more time to sleep, that way they feel m ore energized

08:19 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

High school students would do better at a later schedule. With activities and homework and socializing, it does not give kids enough time to sleep!

08:24 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

High schoolers need more sleep!! My son has finals this week so he is up very late every night. He is averaging 6 hours of sleep a night which is barely enough sleep to get by much less do well on tests.

08:43 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

perfect school hours for me would be 7:00am to 3:30 pm for elementary schools, than I would not need to pay for day care.

08:47 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think it is crazy to have students standing alone at bus stops at 6:00am in the dark. This MUST be changed. If you go to later schedules, students get home later and are more likely to stay out of trouble since parents will be home soon . I think what you are doing is great!

08:47 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Living in the DC area all my life, we always started school early. I think it prepared me for College and 8:00 am classes. It also gives me an early start for work every morning to beat rush hour traffic. Everyone in DC is early....

08:48 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

High schools starting later are really important and I whole-heartedly support t his change.

08:54 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It would be nice for HS to have before and after school options for extra-curricular activities.

08:56 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

my daughter is only 10 but already fully in puberty. she is sleeping later and later and i am certain later middle/high start times will be a BIG help. thanks .

08:57 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

With all the after school activities, I like the current schedule. I don't thin k there's any reason for change. Parents need to get their HS kids to bed at appropriate times and the parent/kids need to get up for school (it's part of the job).

09:08 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Adolescent experts repeatedly express that high school students shift their sleeping time to later in the evenings & mornings, yet Fairfax County continues to disregard those experts. I can not understand why Fairfax County places more importance on adult schedules than that of the students they are responsible for. The questions relating to high-school students providing day care responsibilities exhibits that the school district is placing adult convenience ahead of the students prime learning hours, with the second importance placed on Sports (non-l earning curriculum), and providing the best environment to promote learning coming in a weak third.

09:08 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I can tell my high schoolers are sleep-deprived. They are extremely groggly in the mornings and tell me they have a hard time functioning at school. Sometimes they fall asleep in their classes! It is a vicious cycle, because just as soon as they get home from their practices (sports, music, and other) after school, they run to their beds and take 2-3 hour naps because they are so sleepy. Then, their homework is postponed until they wake up, and they go to bed later than t hey should. Then the whole vicious cycle starts up again the next day!

09:33 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Our sophomore is the youngest of 3 children. Throughout his and all of his siblings middle and high school years, we encouraged them to be active in sports or activities after school, and to do well in school. They all have done so. However, they were and our youngest son is, sleep-deprived every single day. Starting Middle and High Schools later would be extremely beneficial to them; we believe that it would produce better students, teachers and grades.

12:52 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The early HS bus times (my son's is at 6:15) means the whole family is disrupted from a normal schedule by having a parent up at 5:30 and his younger brother (with whom he shares a room) up way too early too. Very stressful. This is especially hard in our 'hood because the Elem school is a late starter (9:10) so ther e is a big gap in the early morning that is useless for anything other than quiet/tv time. No school children should be up before 6 am, plain and simple. Second point: my HS son has been totally exhausted this year, as he's grown 5 inches and still had to drag himself out of bed for school. It's the elem schoolers who can do the morning thing. Three: And it would also help to have one less d ay care time slot to cover, only after school care, not before school for those elem schoolers, by making them the first busses/walkers.

01:04 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I would very much appreciate my starting high schooler starting later in the mornings. Studies have shown they need that early morning sleep and do better in school with the sleep. Going to bed earlier doesn't work for them. It's time the school system recognized this and actually made the changes! Younger kids gene rally have no problem getting up earlier; older kids do. Time for change!

01:18 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Please push the High & Junior High School start times back. Elementary schools should be the first to start. Those kids seem to need less sleep.

01:23 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It's easier to get kids to go to bed when they are in elementary school, so they should have the first start time. Also, working parents need to help them get ready and leave for school, while the older kids might be able to get themselves off to school after their parents leave for work, if necessary.

07:48 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I would really welcome a later start time for my high school student. After school sports take him past dinner time then homework the restof the night- he's could use the extra sleep. A little later start time would make the whole family' s morning a little less stressed and rushed.

09:34 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think as children reach puberty and older they tend to need more sleep and also prefer to stay up later. Starting school later I think would help them get mo re sleep along with keeping them occupied later in the day which could help with keeping them out of trouble while their parents are still at work.

09:34 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It is proven that people who are early risers are more productive. I feel that generally, children these days are given too many liberations and are not given the responsibility that they should have. The nation is raising the younger gen eration with lower expectations and I do not want the county adding to those low er expectations.

09:37 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

We appreciate that the FCCPTA is bringing this issue to the "plate", aand welcom e the proposed changes, if at all would prefer a later start for high school stu dents; even though my older child is not yet in high school, I responded to a fe w questions, since he will be attending high school this Fall.

09:40 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I'm not sure that the middle and high school proposed start times shouldn't be s witched in terms of natural body rhythms. However, because of high schoolers' j obs and after-school sports practices, it probably makes sense that high school start and end before middle school. Plus, it minimizes the time middle schooler s are likely to be home by themselves before parents get home -- which is a good thing, I think. Overall, I strongly approve of the proposed changes and hope t hey happen next year.

09:55 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Later start times for middle and high schools are appropriate, however it may be difficult for those who are involved in sports to get their practices and homew ork done by a decent hour at night.

09:56 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The early start time of high school has been incredibly difficult for our teenag er. She is regularly late for school. She never makes the bus. It has been a log istics problem for our family for two years now. We would be so happy to have th e change in time! I hope the school system will adopt it!

09:56 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Thank you for addressign this issue. I think the bus pickup times for the middl e and high school students are too early and am glad this will be changed before my children reach those ages.

10:01 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think the current elementary start times are fine but please get rid of half d ay Mondays!

10:03 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Being outside waiting for a bus at 6:00 a.m., when it is dark out, is abosolutel y unsafe. Younger children go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier. With after school activities, school work, high school children do get to bed later, due t o the activies and homework, so starting school later will beneit the high schoo l child.

10:03 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I taught middle school for several years in Coob County, GA, where they used the schedule with elementary schools starting first, then high schools, and then mi ddle schools. The middle school dismissed at 4:05. Many of the students did no t get home until after 5 p.m. This made it difficult for them to attend after s chool activities (sports practice, music lessons, academic tutoring) and complet e homework without having to stay up late which then impacted school performance during the school day because students were tired.

10:04 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I work in Loudoun where they have enacted these changes. All that occurs is tha t more activities get scheduled to occur before school which just negates the la ter start. The late ending to the high school day impacts student responsibilit ies at home, at work and extra curricular activities. All it does is make the da y extremely long for these students.

10:09 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

High School students need more sleep, and it would be better to start their scho ol day later.

10:15 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I feel that the current school start times give the best option for those studen ts with afterschool activities: job, sports, clubs, etc. Getting home at 4:30 i n the afternoon for my soon to be high schooler would make it very tough for him to complete all homework before heading out the door for hockey practice. When would they hold football practice? I truly feel that the late start time propos ed for the HS would make things very difficult for many parents and students. M aybe parents need to take a tighter rein on their children and see that they get to bed at a decent time rather than relying on the schools to set the rules!

10:18 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I was pretty successful getting my daughter, who is a senior, to bed at a reason able time through 11th grade. This year it just wasn't worth the fights and sh e, of course, is moving into adulthood anyway, so I could not enforce reasonable times anymore. However, a "reasonable" time would have been 10 p.m. for her to get enough sleep and she just wasn't going to understand that it was necessary for her to be in bed at that time. In fact, she ended up with significant healt h problems due to the lack of sleep. She has TMJ and started getting debilitati ng headaches, vertigo, and nausea and missed huge amounts of school time. Again , she should have been more mature and gotten to bed earlier but I could not con vince her of that. Many, many, many days she missed her first period class and she was much, much, much better when she could sleep in. One more comment . . . I have never had a job even in this crazy Northern Virginia area where I needed to start at 7:20 a.m. I know many people do or do so by choice to avoid terrib le commutes, but I don't think most teenagers can buy into the idea that they ne ed to go to bed so early.

10:30 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

While it is important to consider all stakeholders affected and the cost of impl ementation, school should be planned to meet the academic needs of students.

10:42 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Morning SACC needs to be available before 7:15am since most parents have to be a t work by 7:30am -- especially if you are a teacher for this county! As a HS tea cher, the less time my Ele or MS child spends at home alone after school, the be tter. Those are the most pressing factors in my family's daily routine. Athlet ic schedule comes after household budget (work), supervision (SACC/parent), slee p & nourishment. I say this after attending my son's championship Little League game and strings concert, both on the same night. So I do value these extra cur ricular activities.

10:46 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I love KPE's start time. It is perfect for afternoon activities. Please don't change it.

10:53 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think the ideal start time for high school is 8:00; for middle school is 8:30 and for elementary is 9:00.

10:55 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The start times for the middle and high schools are too early. I think moving th e start times would be benefit the children.

11:04 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Combine high school and middle school together. Save money on gas. Eliminate the idiotic half days on Mondays and extend the school days for elementary school t o lessen the financial burden on parents of young kids needing daycare. Later s tart times for high school will raise grades and cut down on after school crime and loitering....

11:09 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

With the amount of homework given and the early start times, it's hard for stude nts to get adequate rest and be good students. Believe HS should begin later. Encourage students to get the necessary rest.

11:21 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

adolescents having to get up between 5:30 AM & 6:00 AM after not going to bed u ntil 10:00 or 11:00 PM ----- We are doing an injustice to them.

11:25 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It is well known that teenagers experience a shift in their circadian rhythm whi ch makes it difficult for them to get to sleep early like younger children. We need later start times to ensure that we are not causing sleep deprevation in ou r teenagers. A later start time for older children just makes biological sense.

11:25 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Changing the ridiculous schedules to match science and commonsense is long overd ue!

11:39 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Every study I have read or heard about recommends 9 hours of sleep per night. T he studies also recommend scheduling be integrated better with normal teen bio o r natural sleep practices. The current schedule does not permit that to be done easily or at all. In addition, family time together is impacted by the current schedule. Finally, sleep deprivation affects not only students but parents who must also get up at 5:30 a.m. to get things ready for breakfast, departure for the school bus. Also, please note that your survey did not include non-sports a ctivities after school such as band.

11:53 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I strongly support the move to later start times for teens and will continue to do so even after my child graduates. This is a long-overdue change, supported by much scientific evidence. No more stalling, please!

11:59 AM Thursday, June 05, 2008

this is a multi-facet situtation. Bus routes need to be reviewed during this pro cess also, currenlty they are not very logical.

12:01 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

School start times that start later for the older kids WILL be a hardship. Howev er, I believe it is a necessary hardship for our whole family (more money for af terschool care for the younger kids) because our oldest child does not sleep at anearlier time and has difficulty rising earlier than she does now (7:30-8:00-sh e is 12 and will be 13 in the fall). We are not making it fiscally now. I will b e driving a Fairfax County School Bus this fall, if I pass all the tests require d this summer as I train. Thanks you for adding up all the stats. Our family of 6 (rising kindergartener also) is greatly affected by all you are doing. My husb and leaves for work around 8:45 and on some days must leave by 8 or 8:30 dependi ng on court schedule (self-emplyed lawyer eeking out a living) and I will be lea ving the house, depending on what YOU decide by 5? 5:30? 6? Mmm. Going to be a b it tough for me to be a Mom and the primary wage earner (unless my husbands busi ness improves). Thanks!!!

12:05 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I think the older kids should sleep in as they tend to be night owls. My son wi ll have hockey practices from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm (for his age group) and I am s ure it will be hard to get him to bed right when he gets home.

12:11 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

older children need to sleep in later - their clocks really are different - and young children need to be with their parents right before school if at all possi ble.

12:28 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I have 2 teenagers who attend Langley HS. They are always tired. They both pla y sports and are involved in extra curricular activites. One also has a job. T hey are always tired during school hours and aren't learning and absorbing the w ay they should be. They are at a disadvantage. My oldest teenage went to priva te school and his start time was 8:30. He did better in school and performed be tter on standardized tests.

12:49 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

the suggested middle school hours are too late. Students have school activities after school as well as need time to work with teachers. Students have after sch ool sports and other activities.

01:25 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

My son has struggled for 4 years to get up in time for school and more recently suffers sleepless nights. His concentration is affected and he's tired much of the time. I personally believe he might have gotten better grades if he hadn't had to begin his school day so early.

01:31 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Earlier Elementary school hours work better for us - the younger kids will go to sleep easier and don't have as much demands on their time. The older teens and pre-teens are in need of more and more sleep.

01:46 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Great decision to try the later start for high school students. They don't func tion well in the early hours and have a difficult time going to be early.

01:56 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

No school should end 4-4:30 pm. We're changing schools next year to get away fr om that. Get rid of the half day on Mondays so the school day can be shorter.

02:07 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Changing the start times for high school students would be a huge improvement! They would feel better and learn more. Requiring them to get up at 6:00 a.m. jus t isn't healthy for them physically or emotionally.

02:35 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Please change the start times for the older kids. When I went to High School, o ur homeroom began at 8:20 AM to 8:40 AM. That worked well. These teenage kids naturally become night owls, and they need a later start time in the mornings. It is just natural...Please make this change. I fully support this effort.

02:40 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

In my opinion most teenagers are not getting enough sleep and therefor their hea lth as well as academic ability are suffering. They don't like to go to bed earl ier to get enough sleep but almost all of them would sleep in longer in the morn ing if given the chance. Having high schools start later would be a great servic e to our teenagers.

02:43 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Having grown up in Fairfax County and having 4 kids in school, I definitely thin k high schoolers currently go to school too early

03:39 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Let high school students start later. Let elementary schools start earlier. An d work on getting more kids off the buses and walking to school! It would save the county money, it would improve the children's health, and it would improve t he environment-- what a win! My child currently takes a bus because all the kid s in the neighborhood do and he doesn't want to miss out. We live just over 1 m ile from the school, he has to cross a very busy street to get to school, and no t all the roads have sidewalks; however, this morning he asks to walk to school with a neighbor who is in 6th grade, and I joyfully let him do it. I would have him walk every day if he weren't walking alone.

04:17 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

As far as I'm aware, there is science to support later start times. The guideli nes established by science should inform public policy.

04:30 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It is extremely difficult to get my son up for school each morning, and I have come to dread that time of the day. Please help us improve the harmony in our h ome by pushing back high school start times so these kids can get the sleep they so desperately need.

04:32 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

With homework load and extracurricula activities HS students need the afternoon and evenings to get things done in those areas.

04:42 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

A later starting date for middle and hughschool students would be great and is l ong overdue.

04:59 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

If elementary school age children go to bed at a reasonable hour, earlier start times are shouldn't be a problem, but would be better for them.

05:05 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I am most concerned that later high school start times would lead to later high school evening activity times--such as later weeknight sports game schedules--th at would impact the younger children in my family and keep them from getting to sleep at a reasonable hour on weeknights. I am also concerned about how later s tart times will impact later sports practice times, particularly for sports with limited facility space which already makes for later or staggered practice time s than I would prefer. This is a particular concern for families like ours who are on the outer edge of their high school districts. A roundtrip to our curren t high school to drive or pickup from practice takes an hour. I would prefer ma intaining the current early schedule to pushing extracurricular activities back by an hour or more, making our weeknights very late ones and offsetting any gain s from the later start time.

05:07 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

There are other sporting activities and extracurricular activities that my child participtes in outside of school sports, so this is a bad question.

05:18 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

When I started back to work since both kids are in school, it took a ton of effo rt to arrange my current work schedule around their current school times. Any ch ange would greatly impact MY ability to keep the job I have (so I can be home bo th before and after school with my children).

05:23 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

There has got to be a way to work this out with the same bus resources. It would benefit parents also to be able to sleep later, not just the teens.

05:54 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Don't know how to do it without adding more bus drivers and cost, but high schoo l is too early (and possibly dangerous in the winter when it is dark) - the othe rs seem to be about right.

06:00 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The early high school start times are a travesty. Severe sleep deprivation in te ens doesn't just make them tired. It affects them in every which way, cognitive impairment not the least concern. It puts kids at higher risk for depression and anxiety, it makes their homework time later that day far less efficient, and ma kes them vulnerable to illness. Furthermore, a very tired cranky teen often exhi bits ADD-like symptoms marked by inattentiveness, diffculty concentrating, and h yper-activity. Many kids are incorrectly diagnosed with ADD when all they need i s consistent sleep. ing obesity epidemic in today's youngsters. A tired teen will watch more tv, exh ibit less discipfont-weight: normal; line when it comes to the internet lure of Facebook and the like , will be grumpy and difficult to live with and often too tired to excercise or engage in after school pursuits.

06:02 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I've had 2 teenagers go through Langley after moving here from out of state. We were shocked at the time that school started and it had been VERY difficult for them both to get up, especially playing sports after school and then having to d o homework late at night. I always hated waking them up at 5:45 to get to the bu s stop by 6:12! They slept through their first 2 periods! Look at the studies b eing done on teenagers and their sleep requirements. They could never even fall asleep before 11:30pm! Sleep is so important to their physical and mental develo pment. Half the kids in high school take some kind of prescription drugs, maybe if the pressure and demand wasn't so great, they could get some healthy sleep, and change to the 10 point grading scale, we could get these teenagers back on track! My college kids take all their classes in the afternoons and evenings! T hat's when their brains are working! The one thing we need to work out is safe t ransportation and compitent bus drivers. I support a later start for teenagers. They can still get their practices and games in, most fields have lights!

06:37 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Later start times would be better for middle and high schoolers but starting ele mentary schools later than currently scheduled would require additional child ca re to be found.

06:54 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I am absolutely convinced that the first period of the day at Madison High Schoo l is a total waste of time. My daughter simply isn't awake enough at that hour t o learn anything, no matter how gifted the teacher is.

07:07 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I absolutely hate the elementary early Mondays. I think it would be more econom ical and better for both parents and kids to eliminate that folly. It would be easier for bus schedules to follow the same schedule each day. I t would also s ave parents child care expenses, and give students more instructional time.

07:19 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Ending middle school...or any of the schools between 4 and 4:30 would make it im possible for most students involved in sports or after-school activities to comp lete any homework before practices. The time gained in the morning is "lost" ti me as the kids generally will sleep as long as you let them. Also, since I wor k, my oldest child would not be getting up and about when I am and there is a go od chance of being tardy!! Too late!!!

08:00 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Please oh please make the school day start later; even for an early bird like me , 7:30 is too early to start class and expect students to learn effectively.

08:20 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

My high school student notes that there is alot of sleeping going on in the firs t period of school each morning.

08:41 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I have a comment about the wording of this series of questions; band practice is as rigorous and lengthy as many sports practices (I also had athletes for child ren). These questions should be reworded to take that into account. You are miss ing a big segment of your respondents by not allowing them to indicate how many hours band practice is on school days.

08:44 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I like early school hours and I believe children do better with early hours. would like for the times of the school hours not to be changed.

08:49 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Expecting a child to be alert and focused at 7:10 a.m. is not practical. How ca n they perform at the levels we want them to without the proper amount of rest. When you play a sport, have homework, participate in other activities, it is no t realistic for a child to accomplish these tasks and be in bed by 9 p.m. to get the 8-9 hours of sleep needed.

09:10 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Again, I think 7:50 is too early for elementary school students, even though I f avor later start times for middle- and high-school students. I'd prefer no scho ol start before 8 a.m.

09:15 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I believe that it is critical that our high school students get more sleep. Lac k of enough sleep affects their concentration,focus,weight control, and moods. There is an enormous amount of stress on them to push for academic excellence an d rigorous courses. They Need MORE SLEEP to accomplish this!

09:20 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I am very pleased that the research on teenage sleep and brain chemistry is real ly being taken seriously. I hope that the school start times are changed and we can begin to see the benefits in our children as soon as possible! I support la ter school start times for teenagers 100%. Thank you for caring so much about o ur teens!

09:26 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

School start times need to balance the health and learning needs of students aga inst the realities of our community -- many 2 parent working families, long comm utes and the needs of many families to juggle care of pre-school aged children w ith school drop-off and pick-up times for school-aged children.

09:32 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

8:30 - 9:00 would be the best school start times for both elementary and mid and high school children.

09:32 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I am a middle school teacher that does not rely on after school childcare, eith er by SACC or other babysitter. If schhol started and ended earlier for them an d started and ended later for me my children (including the Kindergartner on fal l)would be left at home unsupervised for over an hour. I hope that it is not as sumed that my income will allow me to begin paying for childcare to accommodate middle and high schoolers getting more sleep. My personal feeling on delaying s tart times for that age group will only allow them to stay up later at night, no t get more sleep.

10:28 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Oakton high school starts too early and the kids arrive way before the start of school due to the bus schedule, (they hang out for 30 minutes waiting for the 1s t bell).

10:29 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

concerned that there still be time to meet with teachers after school before spo rts start. Please add before school time with teachers.

10:50 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Elementary school started too late. Little kids, for the most part, naturally g et up early and are ready to go

09:08 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I am VERY supportive of changing to later start times for both Middle and High S chool! It is very hard for me to get my Middle School son out of bed in the mor nings, especially when it's dark out. It's going to be very difficult for my yo unger son to adjust to leaving the house a full 2 hours earlier than he does now for Elementary School (LAES).

09:13 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Studies have shown that people in different age groups have different sleep habi ts. This is a matter of nature more than a matter of choice. In particular, te enagers naturally sleep on a later schedule than either adults or older children . I used to think this was a conditioned social choice, but it is not. This is a normal body rhythm for a teen. I would like to see the school system try to accommodate this natural rhythm rather than force teens to adjust for the conven ience of bus schedules. I am not complaining on behalf of my own teen, since sh e will graduate before any changes are likely. I am suggesting this because of the science involved and because of my personal experience in tutoring and worki ng with MANY teens. Many of them are sleep deprived and as a result learning is not optimized for them. Look at data from home schoolers to see how more learn ing (quantity and quality) can be packed into shorter days.

09:25 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I feel the elementary and middle schools should start and end at approximately t he same times.

09:27 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I know there is a shortage of drivers, but FCPS needs more buses. Move more kid s in a shorter period of time AND have buses available for field trips mid day. It is fiscally irresponsible to take 125 students on a one hour bus trip for a field trip (yes pay an admission fee) and stay for 90 minutes in order to get th e buses back on the road for the afternoon route.

09:46 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

i know it is difficult to change, but it is hard for most adults to be up and at work so early, yet we expect our kids who are still growing and developing to d o so. They are expected to not only be awake, but fully alert and paying attent ion at school. I am also concerned with the fact the kids are let out of school so early. Maybe the majority are involved in after school activities, but that is a lot of time for a lot of kids to be relatively unsupervised. I think it i s a great idea to let the kids get more sleep in the morning and get to school a fter they have had time to wake up.

09:56 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I prefer my middle school student to be on his way to school before I leave for work. Such a late start time as is proposed would be a hardship.

10:03 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

It will be great if this works out. The goal of improved academic performance w ith such time changes has been proven where it has been tried.

10:05 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Going early is fine for my daughter because she wakes up early anyhow. Then we have enough time in the afternoon for homework and activities.

10:31 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Bus schedules are ridiculous. Buses speed to stops, arrive late and there is ins ufficient after school bus schedules. Additionally, sports practice schedules an d JV players should not have to wait around for 1/2 of varsity games on game day . This takes valuable homework and studying time away from the kids. Games becom e 4 and 5 hour events. Ridiculous!

10:37 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Teenagers need to sleep later. It is an indisputable fact. Any arguments again st letting them sleep later are just rationalizations for some other motive.

10:45 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

What a great idea this is. I'm convinced my daughter would have better grades i f she could sleep even one hour longer in the morning.

10:50 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

The research shows that lack of sleep, for both students and their parents, is d rastically affecting performance, mood and even the weight of families. Keep tr ying to change this start schedule; change is good and even though there is a gr eat deal of effort involved the system can always return to the old way if it is found to be more effective than the new. I commend your efforts in this area; they represent FX school's commitment to its students and show an open mind at w ork. I believe that my children (2) have received the best education available in this country at their Fairfax County schools and I hope you will continue you r fine work.

11:02 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I am happy to see this problem being addressed. Studies have shown our high scho olers need more sleep in the morning. Again Fairfax County shows its progressive attitude in education.

11:03 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

I have a problem with your Question #7 -- why can't yo offer the elementary kids to start in between? i do not want my kids walking to school in the dark at 7am in teh winter nor can i have them home ALONE at 230 in teh afternoon. But going to shcool at 930am is not acceptalbe for parents who work. This is a NO WIN Sit uation for parents.

11:13 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

In addition to the extra activities, my child studies a lot. It is very hard fo r him to have enough sleep when he has to wake up 5:50am. Please change the st art time since teenager can lead more healthy and balanced life.

11:31 PM Thursday, June 05, 2008

Most elementary school kids are up early. They just watch TV until school time. Please make the change as soon as possible!

01:00 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Besides more sleep in the morning, later start times would give teen drivers a s afer drive on mornings with inclement weather. Roads would have time to melt, ma king it safer for inexperienced drivers. Also, there is less traffic at the late r time. I also see so many middle and high school students hanging around with n othing to do from 2:30/3:00p.m. until dinner time, giving them plenty of time wh ile parents are at work to get into trouble. If they are sleeping in the morning and getting home at dinner time, there is less unstructured time. I think most kids tend to stay home after dinner and start in on homework, so there would be less hours to hang out doing nothing productive. so I am all for sending them to school later and getting home later.

07:05 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I believe the proposed changes are better than the current system, even though I would not really like my elementary children to start school any later than 8.3 0. But it would work.

07:30 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

It would be excellent for middle and high school to start earlier for many reaso ns. The teenagers time clock and hormones affect their sleep patterns. Priorit y should be on education not sports. How is a child that's exhausted suppose to study at their best. Too much sports and priorities on sports is ludricous. Th e focus should always be on education. We should not, as a country, start school earlier so that kids have more time to work and play sports. Our focus should first be on academics. If a child is working or playing sports after school, hw en does he/she study? In addition, the children that are not working or in spor ts, they are getting home too early. Our nation should have healthy children wi th a normal exercise program but not build armies of sports fanatics and then th e rest of the world out does us in intellect!

07:40 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Fairfax County should follow Loudoun County and have the high schools be the las t ones to start. These teenagers are not getting enough sleep and they can not physically fall asleep early enough to get all the hours they need.

07:43 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

widely scattered start times make it harder to get children in multiple schools where they need to be

07:44 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Moving the schedule back would impact my work schedule. Parents should make thei r kids go to bed on time instead of letting the kid do whatever they want to.

08:07 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

My elementary school aged children have always started school at 7:50 so an earl y start for them is no big deal. As my oldest has gotten older the getting to s leep at a reasonable hour and getting up has become a bigger problem. Our MS and HS both start really early. I would totally support pushing back the clock for the older kids. My son will be an automaton at that hour but not learn a thing.

08:20 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

In my household, a late start time for younger kids would be a logistical nightm are. We welcome the 7:30am bus for my 9 and 6 year olds. They both do fine get ting up in the mornings w/ plenty of time to get ready each morning (including b reakfast).

08:27 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I think highschool definitely starts too early and ends with too many after scho ol activities, students are too tired and burnt out.

08:31 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

The goal of giving high school students more sleep is laudable; the proposal to change the bell schedule is flawed and irresponsible public policy. The study o f the school transportation system a year or two ago concluded that attempts to change the system could break the system and likely would significantly increase costs of operation. Even since that study, transportation costs have risen bec ause of successful recruitment of bus drivers and rising gas prices. Also in th at interim, the economic picture in the county has changed so that every $500,00 0 expense matters. Increased costs caused by implementing this change mean that money has to be taken away from something else: class size, teacher salaries an d benefits, foreign language programs, etc. Claims by the TTF that this will be cost neutral are not credible. Of course, the intent of the proposal is to giv e kids more sleep, and anyone who has been a parent of a teenager or has been a teenager him/herself knows they need more. But kids don't need an extra half ho ur or hour - they need 2 or 3 hours more. If we were truly designing a schedule around their circadian rhythms, we would start school at 11am or noon, and of c ourse, such a schedule is simply impossible. Maybe for a year or two, juniors a

08:32 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

In our home, younger children naturally awake earlier, and are ready for school earlier. Elementary start time of 7:50 a.m. is perfect for our family. chool students need more sleep in the morning, so an 8:30 a.m. start time for mi ddle school would be great for our family. . This also prepares them for the business world where core business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This would require more planning for meals on the part of the fa mily, especially if the student participates in sports. Sports practices should not be limited, and it is expected that practices could run into the 6 or 7 p.m. hour.

08:44 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I think the current bell schedule is better. Some parents rely on middle/high s chool students for child care, such as myself. It would be hard to reschedule m y childcare for the afternoons if I didn't have my oldest available afterschool. Additionally, many middle/high school students participate in activities after school (even those that are not at the school) and this would greatly impact my child being able to attend her after school activities; the start time for some of her activities would begin before she is dismissed from school if there is a change in bell schedule. Please keep the current schedule!

09:05 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Later school starting times would cause havoc as it would put more buses and car s on the road during busy rush hour times. The key for student success is to pi ck a reasonable bed time rather than making school start later.

09:07 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

The current school schedule is too harshy on our kids and should be modified. We just need to ask ourselves how many of us get up before or around 6 a.m. to get ready for work! I'd appreciate it if, at least, a program like the collaborati on days adopted by Oakton HS is considered. Thanks.

09:46 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I wish this had started sooner since my son is leaving middle school this year. The later start, and especially release, time for middle schoolers is a really fantastic idea. Also, with the early start times, I don't know how my son will sleep next year. He will play sports and I don't really want to limit practice times, but it is hard to fit academics, sports and sleep into the schedule.

09:53 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

How will aftershcool activities and late buses be handled under this system? Wi ll the students actually get more sleep or simply stay up later to finish their homework since they are leaving later?

09:55 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I am frustrated that this issue has not yet been resolved. When we moved here i n 1993 there was a HUGE effort to address this issue & it disappeared. Since th en, 3 of my children graduated HS & suffered with the ridiculously early start t imes. I know it is a big reason kids drive to school. I knew several families whose bus pick-up time (for HS) was about 6:00 AM. This meant 1 hour+ on the bu s before school. Not conducive for optimal cognitive performance, hence buying a parking pass as soon as possible.

10:01 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

my daughter does not get enough sleep, then she is grumpy and gets sick. just mo ve the times for high school to later in the day, ignore the complainers, people don't like change, and some people will complain about anything.

10:15 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I hope the school can reduce the transportation cost and let more students ride the same bus to cut cost. We understand that, If that requires kids to getup a l ittle early, it's OK, I believe no plan will be perfect for everybody, but we ar e OK with whatever school decide to do, Hope no more school boundary changes for Flories ES student, I am OK with whatever school start time changes, but not ha ppy with school boundary changes.

10:18 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Having high schools start after 8 may be better than after 9 so their afterschoo l activities can conclude at a reasonable time.

10:20 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Olde Creek ES already starts at the earliest time you've mentioned. My son (risi ng 2nd grader) currently has a hard time waking up ... which I know will be wors e in Middle and High school. I would rather fight him now and let him sleep in a little more later ... later start times for Middle/High Schools.

10:31 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

my High School kids simply do not have enough sleep in week days, they rely on t he weekends to make up the sleep. less sleeping affect them the concentration le vel in the class room. they have to spend more time to digest the class material at home :-(

10:46 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Very strongly support starting high school later. Makes no sense to me to have them sitting in classes when they are barely awake.

10:58 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

The current scheduling works. There is only 24 hours in a day no matter what yo u do. If high school students start school later, they will stay up later and g et the same amount of sleep anyway.

11:05 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

With both parents working in the household it is easier if the elementary school children do not arrive home until 4pm. This way one parent can get them on the bus in the morning and one parent can be home in the afternoon (and still manag e to work a full day). If the children come home too early that would require a fternoon care which is difficutl to find.

11:10 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

I think our children are suffering from not getting enough sleep. Kids should n ot be getting on buses when it's still dark before 7:10am. It's insane. They n eed their sleep. Especially the older kids

11:24 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

It is very hard for students of High School to awake at 6:00am to reach school. They feel sleepy in school in morning time. Its better if school start at 9:00am

11:35 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

Our current school hours (8:10am - 2:50pm) sounds perfect. survey results?

11:37 AM Friday, June 06, 2008

TJ already starts late. That would be great, except for needing to take 2 buses to reach school, thus she must leave house by 6:55 am the latest. We won't let h er drive, as she gets too little sleep, plus it would be too expensive.

12:02 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Both of my children are in a school that goes from 9:15-3:45. It could be earlie r..I am worried about the early start time in middle school next year as my olde st daughter has a terrible time getting up as it is and I don't know how we are going to manage.

12:06 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

From infancy my son had been a late morning/late night sleeper. I am VERY concer ned by how his switch to the early schedule is going to affect him next year. He is already very anxious about it since this has been a problem in the past. If I could have a later start time for him, I wouldn't hesitate for anything. Also, I went to Fairfax County schools, and I still remember how hard it was to stay up late doing homework after working a part-time job and have my first bell befo re I felt like I was even awake. My teachers often complained that students slep t through first period. I would love to see a change. I think older students wou ld do much better in school with later start times, and in my experience, younge r children tend to be up earlier in the morning anyway.

12:19 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Getting up for the early school start is my child's greatest struggle in school. It causes a great deal of stress for her and our familly. A later start would be GREATLY appreciated!!

12:28 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I am in agreement with the elementary schedule because younger kids can get up m uch easier & it also compliments most working parent's need to leave early morni ng. I am in agreement with the MS schedule because their growth and hormonal sta ge REQUIRES much needed rest as well as the need to keep them active later in th e day to allow most parents to get home from work without worrying where they ar e. I am in agreement with the HS schedule because they have a biological clock g eared towards a late evening hours which DEFINATELY conflicts with getting enoug h rest and being alert for the chalenges of the HS school curriculum/testing. It also allows the HS student to still work and be involved in extracurricular act ivities. I DO BELIEVE in reduced practice times during the school week or at lea st a combination of sports and homework help to cushion their need to not go hom e and do their homework due to effect the physical activity has on their adrenal ine system keeping them from calming down for many hours and leading to a lack o f required sleep time. Thank you for all you are doing!

12:30 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Next year I will have one in elementary, one in Middle and one in High School. M y Middle school student is in GT and I would hate it if whe got out at 4:30 as s he would have to get right to her homework. Having her out as it is now at Rocky Run at 2:45 would give her time for a break before beginning the homework. I th ink the same for High School let them have a break before beginning homewrok. If possible I would like a 3:00 release time and not as early a start as 7:00 but more like 7:45. I like the Rocky Run schedule for 2007-08 7:45-2:45 and the elem entary timing at Greenbriar West 8:55-3:35 is good for that age.

12:31 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I know it is difficult to get so many students to school in such a large school county, but I think it is important to recognize the changing bodies and habits of high school students. Studies show that they will be staying up later and the y will want to sleep in the morning. You really can't force them to go to bed at 9:00 - their bodies will not allow them to fall asleep. So, at this important l earning time in their lives, I would think it would be important to acknowledge their needs.

12:36 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Children of all ages should NOT have a bus pick-up before 7 am. Anything after S hould give them enough time for a good night's sleep.

12:45 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

My middle school child has suffered greatly this year in 7th grade. He catches the bus at 6:30 and is half alseep most days. He is much more irritable and tak es naps alot in the afternoon after school. This in turn cuts into homework tim e and keeps him up later at night which means less sleep. It's a vicious cycle for him. I'd love to see later start times for middle school kids.

12:57 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

The start of school is good because right now it works with my working hours. I wait for them to leave just in cause they miss the bus.

01:11 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I would like high school start more later. We live in loudoun couty, And our kid s attend TJ. They need more sleep!!!

01:23 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Smaller kids need more sleep to continue healthy development. As a teenager gro wing up, getting to the bus by 7am was the standard and it got us conditioned fo r the workforce and/or college. It's a nice thought to get teens more sleep but the cost to all the others it impacts is just too high to keep this fight up. Please stop this unnecessary issue study. It is a waste of volunteers and resou rces. Fight for something that really has a positive impact like homeless in Fa irfax or hunger in DC.

01:38 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

my children are in Oak Hill ES. The school starts at 8:10am. It's very hard for them each day, because my kids are used to sleep longer and wake up late. Each d ay, they are struggled to wake up and sometimes skip the breakfast which is not good. They needs long time to sleep.(on weekend, they usually make up all the sl eeping times) If Oak Hill ES can start after 8:30 or even later, that will be mu ch better. thanks.

01:53 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I think the current start times for middle school and high school are too early. Information indicates that teenagers natural cycle is on a slightly later time table than the current setup.

02:38 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

No doubt in my mind that my girls are sleep deprived--to their detriment. If a student wants to do sports/activities then it's an automatic late night, homewor k being what it is. Teachers do not consider overall homework workload and ofte n my two face three tests on the same day which cause them to stay up so late th ey get next to no sleep (then crash the next day). It may be too late for my ch ildren but if you could affect change; i.e., mandate a later start for MS and HS students it would be a wonderful thing!

02:42 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Each child needs different sleep amounts. 8 hours is the minimum. A later star t time would definitely help my children, particularly my daughter who has pract ice until 9:30 pm and needs about 11 hours optimally. She is constantly sleep d eprived.

02:49 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

This is our first year catching a 6:20am school bus, and it is brutal. This is too early for middle schoolers and high schoolers to be getting up, particularly given the sleep requirements of their changing bodies. I believe very strongly in later start times for middle and high school students. This change is long overdue.

03:09 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

The are perfect for me since I am able to make sure my kids are at school and th en I am able to make it to work by 8:00 am

03:55 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

having high school dismissal times in late afternoon would also decrease the amo unt of unsupervised time they have before parents get home from work

04:18 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I am concerned that a later start time would put more teens on the road at rush hour, especially those with activities. That is a concern because of driver risk and also because of an increase in rush hour traffic

04:21 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

It is inhumane to insist these kids operate on so little sleep. All the research I have seen indicates that teens are on a different biological clock than adult s or young children. Please Please cut them a break and give them the best oppor tunity to learn! Thank you very much!!!!

04:25 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I like it the way it is. I would rather have teens able to work in the afternoo n. Also, day care becomes a problem if younger kids get out too early. I canno t afford day care but I do have the flexibility to schedule around the current e lementary day. If the day starts too early, I will lose that because most offic es don't open until about 9 or so. I really don't want

05:06 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

The highschool start time is far too early, and causes all of our highschoolers to become chronically sleep deprived.

05:19 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I can't wait for later school start times for middle school and high school. Tha nk-you for doing this survey!

05:21 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

High School starts too early--would rather see a start time of 8 to 8:30AM. The re is usually a gap time of 30 - 45 minutes after school anyway before sports pr actices start. Why not close the gap by starting a little later in the morning and finishing a little later, then going straight to practices?

05:42 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

While I understand that there are biological clock issues for the older students that may make it difficult for some HS students to wake up early, I think that there are also younger children who would not function as well with an earlier s tart time. There is a variety of temperments and personalities at all ages that make this issue much more complex than just simply making the HS start time lat er. How will early dismissals for Elementary School students affect working par ent's schedules and child safety after school? What about students that DO need to work to help their families make ends meet? Not every parent has a flexible work schedule, or the means to pay for child care for longer hours for their yo unger students. It's a very difficult issue, with so many ramifications. Some of the late nights would be avoided by having more reasonable limitations on aft erschool and evening activities--students are students first, academics come fir st. Students should NOT be spending 4-5 hours a night on extracurricular activi ties, at the expense of academics and only starting homework at 10 or 11 o'clock at night. The whole system should not have to change because a few students/pa rents never say no to outside activities with the result of never getting enough

05:58 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I think the high schools should start between 8-8:30 a.m. Any later is too late . Middle schools should start between 8:30-9:00 a.m. Any later is too late.

06:13 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

thank you for considering these changes - it is definitely a good thing to let t he odler students start later

07:13 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

siNCE THERE IS NO AFTERSCHOOL (sacc) FOR mIDDLE SCHOOL, FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE WORKING PARENTS, RATHER OUR KIDS GO LATER THAT 6:00 A.AM. TO SCHOOL AND COME HOM E AFTER 4:00... ALSO, SENDING KIDS TO SCHOOL HALF SLEEP DOES NOT HELP THEIR EDUC ATION...

08:06 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

The present high school schedule has caused lots of stress for our family which has affected attendance, especially senior year.

09:03 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Start times are only part of the problem. Too much homework--especially for our 11th grader--frequently keeps our kids up past midnight and prevents them from getting sufficient sleep when they have to get up by 5:30 am.

09:07 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Please consider starting HS and MS later. I think it is important for our teens to get the sleep they need so that they can perform better academically.

09:16 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Later starts for middle and high school kids will help keep kids out of trouble after school. Now gangs of kids are hanging out at empty houses from 2pm to 6pm .

09:26 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

After 9:00 am is too late to start elementary school. Louise Archer starts at 9:15 and it gets the kids home too late by bus. Dismissed at 3:55 home by 4:15. Too late, cuts into homework time, family time, play time, early sports practi ces, etc

09:27 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

current start times are too early for my high school students. Their bodies are not in sync with the schedule. They naturally need to stay up later and get up l ater than adults and are chronically sleep deprived. Their focus is affected and homework is a challenge. Asking them to do chores on top of that feels like so much stress. It would be healthier for the family if they could start school a b it later.

09:41 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

My son just finished his freshman year at Wake Forest University and I just took a poll of 7 of his friends from McLean High School (all currently at very compe titive colleges) and they said that they only got an average 6-7 hours of sleep a night; thus they were all chronically tired and probably could have performed even better in high school if they hadn't been so sleep deprived. My daughter, who is in 10th grade, feels the same way.

09:47 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Thanks I believe 8 AM is a good time for students to get into school. They shoul d be able to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep to have total focus in school an d at home to do their homework. It makes for an easier day when you get up at 6- 6:30 instead of 5:15 every morning. The school work is stress enough and getting up early can make it worse. The students are on a go for at least a 9 to 10 hou r school day meaning in school and homework they have a full day. Should they be that stress out? Let's help the students who are our future make the world a be tter place. Instead of stressing them out and having them hate the world. Help t hem make the world a better place. Let's make some good changes for them from th eir school hours to their grade of the 10 points. You know an A = 100-90 points instead of what Fairfax is cheating our kids out of. Let's make some changes for them.

09:58 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I have 4 children - my younger (1st and 5th grade) wake up early naturally and c ould have a playdate before school it starts so late. My older children need mor e sleep. My highschool child has 1 hour between school and her sports (she is a 3 season athlete) I think 6am buses are too early and highschool kids need more sleep. also - critical is having sports start earlier so kids can ride the "late " bus home after sports practices. thanks

09:58 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

I have 4 children - my younger (1st and 5th grade) wake up early naturally and c ould have a playdate before school it starts so late. My older children need mor e sleep. My highschool child has 1 hour between school and her sports (she is a 3 season athlete) I think 6am buses are too early and highschool kids need more sleep. also - critical is having sports start earlier so kids can ride the "late " bus home after sports practices. thanks

10:01 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

Later start times for middle schoolers, which I understand would be necessary to make available buses for high school students, would have the added benefit of leaving latchkey kids home alone in the afternoon for a shorter period of time. I would rather have my middle schooler get himself to the bus in the morning th an spend so much time home along in the afternoon.

11:13 PM Friday, June 06, 2008

looking into the future, i think i would prefer my children have a later start t ime when they are in middle and high school. Right now I do like our 8:45 bus pi ck up time for ES, but if i have to choose, i would rather try get my young kids to bed early while their circadian rhythms allow it than to try to get my kids to bed early when they are teenagers and their bodies are not in that rhythm.

01:51 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Schools should start later, especially for Middle School and High School student s.

08:58 AM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I think the later start times are needed for the health and wellbeing of our chi ldren.

09:42 AM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I wish there were a way to have high school students start later without it impa cting the younger students. I know with the bus schedules, that is a problem. It does seem to me tho, that staggering it so that no students have to go out an d wait for a bus before 7 o'clock in the morning would be a much better situatio n. My high school sophomore NEVER gets enough sleep during the week because she is very involved in a lot of sports, so she basically goes non-stop from 6:30 a .m. until 5 p.m. It is only then, that homework gets started...which is why she sometimes stays up past 11:30, then gets up super early for the next day.

10:34 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

a little more time in the mnorning would make taffic better and the kids are muc h more alert when they drive to school.

10:38 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

As a former student, and older sibling, within the FCPS system, I know first han d that my single mother relied on me heavily to be home for my younger brother o n school days. She would not have been able to manage it, had I not been out of school and home first. As most families in Northern VA are dual income, this nee ds to be a strong consideration. While I agree that the time of morning my oldes t has to catch the bus borders on ridiculous, I consider it far more difficult t o try and create a new schedule to compensate for him getting home from school l ater than his younger brothers. If there was a way to shift the start times a li ttle later, while still keeping home arrival times following the oldest to young est principle, I am more likely to be on board...provided it doesn't go past din ner time, which I understand is different with almost every family. Taking into account sports along with the proposed schedule change I think really limits the time slots, otherwise kids wouldn't be getting home from sports practices until that much later in the day, causing a vicious cycle of them staying up later to finish homework and such because they don't have to be up as early in the morni ng.

07:14 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Don't forget that some schools have ridiculous bus routes that will be even wors e if they get stuck in evening rush hour due to later end times. For example, L angley and the Kilmer GT center bus kids from the Loudon County border all the w ay to eastern Fairfax. Any changes in start times should be done in conjunction with an overall redistricting that puts kids in schools near their homes instea d of the current gerrymandered boundaries. Reducing commuting distance would le t kids sleep later AND get home earlier, and would be cheaper for the school sys tem.

07:42 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Change will be difficult for many families at first. But I'd like to think that things (e.g., parents' work schedules) will sort themselves out before too long .

08:06 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

The extra hour that my high schoolers got this past school year on Wednesday mor nings was VERY beneficial. They had more energy, were in better moods, had more time to get organized for the day.

08:20 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

My high schooler has suffered academically, emotionally, and physically from ins uffecient sleep. He falls asleep in class, wants to take naps after school, suff ers depression,has poor grades, and poor focus, and had to drop out of sports.It is my opinion as well as his doctors opinion that he needs more sleep than he's able to geton a school night. Taking sleep aides to fall a sleep earlieronly ma kes him groggy during the day.The high school time change is the most important and should take priority over all others.

08:44 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Mu son is in private high school, but my other 2 sons will attend FCPS for High school, so I do think school should start later.

08:49 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Please make a change!!! It's one more thing to argue about trying to get your c hild to go to bed so they have enough sleep to do well in school when they are n ot tired at 9:30.

09:30 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Get home at 4:30, do homework till 5:15, eat dinner, bathe, bed. When do kids h ave time for fun, sports, etc?

09:57 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Delayed middle school start times can cause major problems in households with bo th parents working outside the home.

09:59 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

I fully support the time change suggested for high school starting time. That on e hour extra time to sleep in the morning would make a lot of difference to chil dren that age. I have observed that when my son gets extra time to sleep how hi s mood and attention/focus is favorably affected.

10:21 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

I know there are concerns about elementary students standing in the dark on wint er mornings. The elementary school in our neighborhood is already and early star t school. Students standing in the dark has never been a problem. There are usua lly older students there with younger ones and very often at least one parent is there.

11:10 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Studies indicate teenagers require circa 9 hours of sleep and their internal bod y clock is not calibrated for the school hours mandated by current Fairfax Count y practices. Because of homework and school obligations, our teenagers usually don't finish before 8 or 9 pm, leaving only a short time to get ready for the fo llowing day and relax.

11:23 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

While I think a slightly later start time for my high schooler would be nice, I think she would prefer having more time in the afternoon to do sports, homework and work. Getting out of school close to 4:00 would probably have a negative im pact on all these things.

11:25 AM Saturday, June 07, 2008

I have had three children go through high school with very early start times and it was very taxing on them physically. They each played sports and took advanc ed level classes, so a post school nap and late night studying was a regular hap pening in order to keep their grades up. The early start times and busy schedul es often led to sleep deprivation and tiredness,and weekends were often used as a time for catching up on sleep. I found out later that two of my kids fell asl eep often in their classes, which should have not been allowed or happening, but apparently it does on a regular basis. Even the teacher know that the students are tired and sleep deprived. I hope that a fair and workable solution can be found so that the kids are allowed more morning sleep time.

12:06 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

My oldest just received her license and will drive next year so that she can get more sleep. I think the start time is way to early. If I could drive she and my middle schooler I would have. But can't get last one out to bus if I drive. The older kids have to suffer.

12:11 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Thank you for being open to this. I've been very worried about how we'll cope ne xt year. It also would have been much better for us if the elementary school had started earlier when my daughter was in elemnatry school.

12:19 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

It is a fine font-weight: normal; line - start too early in the day and they are so tired they can't function well. Start too late and it is hard to do after-school activities and sports. I like the proposed schedule of all getting out from 3ish.

02:14 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Puleeeeeze change the high school start time!! It's completely out of sync with my son's natural sleep cycle, so it's like pulling teeth to get him to bed at a reasonable hour (and he often can't fall asleep so "early," anyway) and then to get him up in the morning. He'll sleep through 1st period next year. I'm conc erned about this affected his school performance (it's starting to, already).

04:09 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

This change should be a priority for the county. It makes sense to start high s chool later and so that teens finish school later in the day giving them fewer h ours alone in afternoon.

05:21 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

High schoolers have more homework and extratcurricular activities that which put s them at a sleep deficit, especially when the current schedule doesn't address circadian sleep cycles of teenagers. Elementary age children generally are earl y risers anyway and typically get to bed earlier, so sleep deficit would not be as much of an issue. Also, this would allow parents who work ability to either transport on way to work.

05:33 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

With two high schoolers this coming year, I like the current schedule. Ending t he school day late would push everything else much later into the evening - bad. Also my rising freshman swims year round; the current high school schedule fit s her swim schedule very well.

06:24 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

please see my above comments and note that my children are unusual. As a health Educator I know the importance of 10-12 hours of sleep per night. Mine go to bed by 17:30 and can function well all day until 2:30-3pm. if the school day lasts any longer than 3pm, there will be increased behavioral problems, not only for t he bus drivers with tired cranky kids, but for parents who need to help with hom ework and extracurricular activities. Kids need downtime and in northern VA, the y get very little, if any time to just be-that's a problem for our children's fu ture.

06:44 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

My children have always been early risers. It's a natural thing for humans. As t hey get older when the hormones start, their bodies need more rest. I do not let my teenager stay up late on the weekends, it is too hard to get back into the w eekly schedule. He will be in high school next year. I believe it is in everyone s best interest to change the schedule.

07:05 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

I think the school starting times are fine. Probably the bus schedules must be m ore flexible, with more options.

07:06 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

This is about my 4th child. I have tried everything to get him and the rest of m y children to sleep in. I have kept them up late. They exercise regularly and th en some. He consistantly wakes with or before the sun. 5:30 AM. Then he has a lo ng busy day at school, starts building up too much anxiety from being exhausted and then throws up. Every single day. So, I pick him up and drive him home in th e afternoon. It has gotten better since he is older than at the beginning of the year. I have decided to try it one more time next year, but I may have to have him transferred to a school with early hours because it is just too late and lon g of a day for him. I do believe alot of these children are feeling the same way and express it differently. Thank you so much for this survey!

07:38 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

1. I think this "concern" about High School start times is overblown. Are we co nstantly looking for ways to make things easier for them or are we supposed to b e preparing them for the "real world?" School will leave less time for academics after school. missal time will put all these teenage drivers right into full blown rush hour t raffic.

07:49 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

While I don't like the idea of school starting later than 9:00, I understand th e time span need. At my children have gotten older, the mornings have become in creasingly difficult for the two oldest, while the youngest continues to wake up on his own every morning. I see clearly the change is sleep habits as they get older, and sincerely appreciate your attempt to match the school schedule to sl eep patterns.

08:07 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

With the current school start time she has the flexibility of taking a nap as so on as she comes home or start working and finishing as early as she can and go t o bed by 9:30 and read for some time and sleep. So I think the current time is just right.

10:29 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Because of the long bus rides, my children have to get up very early in the morn ing. Anything that can be done to have later start times, especially for high s chool and middle school would be a BIG improvement.

10:52 PM Saturday, June 07, 2008

Starting elementary kids after 9:00 so that they are still in school at 3pm does n't make sense, especially for the younger children. Their prime learning hours are early in the day. For high school, starting before 9 am doesn't make sense ; all studies show that they prime learning hours are later in the day. The ear ly bus times for high school and middle school students have been shown scientif ically to be unhealthy. How can we put high school sports or after school jobs ahead of the health of our children?

12:10 AM Sunday, June 08, 2008

My elementary school children start school at 8:50 am. They go to bed at 9:00 p m. If they started school earlier, then they'd need to go to bed earlier, and w ouldn't get any time with their dad in the evenings. It's difficult enough to b alance home, school, and work life, without having to put the children to bed so early that they can't see their dad during the week. Also, if you have to put the kids to bed earlier, then they can't participate in Cub Scout meetings eithe r. One of the biggest problems I can see with changing elementary schools to st art earlier and high schools to start later is that high school kids can be home alone after school, but elementary school kids cannot. We don't need SACC or o ther after school care now, because I plan my day accordingly, but if the day en ded earlier, it could make working more difficult for me.

10:27 AM Sunday, June 08, 2008

no matter what time I make him go to bed, my son is wired not to be able to go t o sleep until late. Then he is impossible to wake up in the morning before 7AM. Any start time that would allow him to wake up at 7AM would be ideal. It take s him about a half hour to get ready.

11:50 AM Sunday, June 08, 2008

Thank you for taking this seriously and proposing a change in start times. It's important to think abour our students' safety and biological needs.

12:32 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

While the 7:50 start time is early for my elementary school child, I think it's better to have the little guys start early and give teenagers more sleep time. T oo many studies show that teens aren't alert in the morning hours and the curren t start times for Frost and Woodson are way too early!!!

12:36 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I don't like having the older kids home so early - they are a real discipfont-weight: normal; line pr oblem in our neighborhood! If the kids need time for sports - make them get up i n the dark and go, not my child. I resent having everything planned around sport s practices - my children's activities to not require a sacrifice by everyone el se and their's shouldn't either. unsupervised older students. We have too many latch-key kids who just wander the neighborhood and get into trouble. I actually plan my day to be home when they get out so they don't vandalize my home/yard/pets.

01:53 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

The early high school start time here has caused health problems for my high sch ool student. We moved from another Viriginia school district with start times of 8:40 for middle and high school and 7:50 for elementary...it was perfect!

02:09 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I think starting the day later will affect ability to work and participate in sp orts after school

02:10 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

While I agree High School and Middle School start times sould be later, that cha nge shouldn't happen unless there is a time limit to after school activities. If a studuent isn't done with sports for 3 hours after getting out of school at 3 or 3:30, they aren't left much time dinner, family, homework, etc. Also, the after school bus transportation is not adequate at the middle school level. Man y parents pick up their children because otherwise they would get home too late.

02:35 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I believe the HS start times should still be first to school... 1. I don't want my child in a car on the road in rush hour traffic at night. 2. After school wo rk is going to become a higher priority - starting a job later means starting ho mework later, meaning up later at night. Plus, part of her afterschool jobs are elementary age daycare - and if she's not home, she won't get the work, which m eans less pay, and harder to save for college.

02:45 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

We prefer the current start times. If the high school starts later, than the af ternoon/evening activities would have to start later and most kids would just st ay up even later.

03:42 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

Sports are a big problem here. Game nights take a lot longer than just the norm al two hour practice. Sports that take three or more hours practice a day are d etrimental to homework.

04:22 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

SACC is an awesome after school program! Our Kids need to spend more time learn ing and less teacher subs and work days

05:57 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I am very happy to learn that school start times are being reevaluated. As a par ent of middle and high school students, I have been most concerned about the ear ly start time, which requires morning bus pickup @ 6:25AM. My sons are standing in the dark w/ morning commuters buzzing by and are also subjected to crossing and walking a couple blocks and at times standing alone and quite vulnerable. I watch from home and have purchased cell phones for both of my sons for emergenc y purposes due to the circumstances above. As a parent, I have had many, if not all mornings an unsettling and uneasy feeling about having my children walk alo ne in the dark, fortunately we have had no incidents or crime reports in our nei ghborhoods, but it could be a problem, so why put any of our children in harms w ay with walking along roads in the dark? When my children were younger I would walk or watch from a close distance, but as children enter into Middle and High school age, they certainly don't want Mom watching over their shoulders so to sp eak causing embarrassment. Please consider my concern about child/student safet y with respect to school start times. Thank you in advance for your considerati on.

07:23 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I would love to see the change in effect by the start of new school year this Se ptember. I prefer the proposed HS and MS schedule to be the exactly opposite, bu t I also understand that with the number of bus/students etc. the proposed sched ule is more workable. Thanks for trying, and please implement the new schedule by this September!

07:53 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

It is a scientific fact that teenagers' body clocks dictate that they go to bed later and get up later. They also need more sleep. These should be the criteri a for setting the schools' schedule. We've actually had to start giving our son Mountain Dew in the morning so that he won't sleep through his first period cla ss. It's a struggle every night to get him to sleep early. Young children natur ally go to sleep and wake up earlier. They should be in school earlier. This i s nuts!

08:21 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

My oldest attends TJ. Their school day already ends at 3:50. How would this affe ct their day. Also if a child participates in a sport and they get out of school later, they would start homework later and in turn go to bed later. They would probally get the same amt of sleep. I am opposed to this change. I do not see an y benefits. I see them staying up later than normal.

08:33 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

If the high school can start 30 minutes later that would be so much better for t he dark early bus stops, bad weather, after school sports and homework

08:39 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

It is ironic that as the brains of developing teenagers need more sleep, we star t school earlier than necessary. Even though we only have an elementary school-a ged student, we fully support a later start and finish to the school day for mid dle and high schoolers.

08:50 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

As a parent of three future high schoolers, we would very much appreciate later morning start times for both middle and high schools. Preteens and teenagers de sperately need that extra time for sleep in the morning. Thank you for conducti ng this survey.

08:59 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

It is ridiculous to make teens get up so early for school - many of them are fal ling asleep in their first block classes on a regular basis. The school systems that have changed start times have seen great results. Let's do it!

08:59 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

Unfortunately the distance of schools from many students and the traffic in NoVA make this a very difficult task. It would be an interesting problem to give a graduate transportation/Civil Eng class. I know this has been done by other sch ool systems who were able to costs and optimize their schedule.

09:08 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I think with a later start time, my daughter would sleep an hour later, and mayb e also eat some breakfast in the morning. Not to mention perform better in scho ol. Thank you for considering this change.

09:23 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

Thank you for considering these changes. It's better for middle and high school kids to sleep in a bit later and also to arrive home later so they aren't at ho me with little supervision for half the afternoon.

09:39 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I believe that the early start times for middle and high schools have greatly im pacted the health of my children. My ninth grader has had more illnesses this ye ar than any other. I think the lack of rest weakens their bodies and makes it ha rder to fight off infection. By the end of each week both my high-schoolers are completely exhausted and usually go to sleep as soon as they get home.

09:41 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

I would like to see a system where all the kids could start later. I could live with an 8:30 am start for elementary school but start times before 8am for eithe r elementary or high school kids are just a hardship for all concerned. I also d o not support the planned cutbacks to teacher assistants, specials and full-day kindergarten. The school system should be able to find savings elsewhere, such a s through eliminating the preschool or administrative costs. We also would be wi lling to pay extra for full-day kindergarten.

10:16 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

My 11th grader currently gets off the bus at 2:40 in the afternoon and goes imme diately to sleep, because he is so tired he can't function. He then gets up at a bout 5:30 pm, has dinner and does homework until about midnight when he goes bac k to sleep until 5:30 in the morning. So he sleeps in 2 shifts, which our docto r has told him is really bad for him. But it's the only way he can make it work because he has to be on the bus at 6:15 am.

10:19 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

It will be great if the children can go to the school later in the morning to co rrespond better to children’s sleep cycles

10:40 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

It is so important that the oldest kids get home before the younger ones, the ch ange will lead to many more young latch key kids. In this economy, even alot of the stay home moms are returning to the workforce. High schoolers being home t o meet the younger ones in essential the the family at this time of raising pric es (cost of daycare is an added burden when folks are having a hard time adjusti ng to raising food and gas costs).

10:45 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

There are no perfect answers just the best option(s) to support the middle/high school kids to receive more sleep. Getting up everyday at 5:30 am and going to bed after 10:30 pm everynight is challenging for any adult. At this time, we ar e asking this of our children who are undergoing physical, mental/emotional deve lopments while mastering their academics.

11:10 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

My children are about to start High School. Please change the start times to lat er!! Thank you so much for undertaking this effort!!

11:38 PM Sunday, June 08, 2008

My elementary school aged children catch the bus at 8:18, which is 57 minutes be fore their start time of 9:15am. If our school was changed to a 7:50 bell & the y would be getting on the bus at 6:53am. It would be very difficult for them to have a significantly earlier bell schedule. First, they would be scared to get on the bus in the dark, which would be the case during the late fall through ear ly spring. If you are going to push the bell schedule earlier, you must ensure that the bus commute is much shorter for elementary school students. 57 minutes before the bell is not going to work on an earlier schedule. I will be forced to drive the kids to school, although in bumper to bumper traffic on Rt. 7 east, that will only save them 20 minutes. At a minimum, you should consider that sc hools in high rush-hour traffic areas have later bell times. One other concern that I have as my kids get older is that I already find it difficult to balance activities and homework time with my kids getting off the bus at 4:20pm when the y are still young, but as they get into MS & HS I expect they'll need even more time for homework and activities, so getting out of school later in the day may be a bigger challenge my kids as they get older.

06:17 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

i find my little ones come home at 4:30 and have not time for playdates. we eat dinner around 5. do homework/take a bath and its almost bedtime. this is the t ime they should be having supervised playdates to promote social skills and gain confidence in making friends.Having an earlier return from school would greatly benefit elelmentary age kids.

07:54 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

We see a direct correlation between how tired our middle school/high school son is and his grades. We live 10 minutes from the school and his bus comes 50 minut es before start time. He waits in the cafeteria for school to start from 6:45-7 :20! At the same time, our younger son is awake for at least 2 hours before his bus comes at 8:45. We have had to use AM SACC for our younger son on days when both parents work. There is more than two hours between the high school and th e elementary school pick up! We support the later middle and high school start times even if our younger son would have to go in later. We are putting an unec essary and unhealthy burden on our middle and high school students with the earl y start times. We can do better than this!

08:04 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Suggest that high school students start and end the latest (9:20/9:40 to 4/4:30) . In fact, an even later start time could be implemented to lessen impact on Mi ddle schoolers, such as 10 am. In addition to more sleep, a benefit is that the y are not home alone as long in the afternoons before parents come home. Middle school is short-term, so the least effects on those students to change times.

08:23 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I do not wish to see the times change. I am a fcps employee and need to be at m y school by 7:00 if you change the high school times no one will be there to mak e sure my middle school and high school children get up and get out on time. My children go to bed at a reasonable time because my husband and I make sure they do not have computers, cell phones, gaming systems etc... in their rooms. My c hildren also play sports-outside the school system. Changing the hours will int erfere with this. My son does not have a job yet because he is in 9th grade but I am sure that he will want a part time job soon, later start times will preven t this. Please consider the impact of this decision on all of the parties conce rned. We have adjusted to the current schedule, please don't change the times b ecause some parents cannot get their children off to school in the morning.

08:26 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Middle and high school should definitely start after elementary schools but a si gnificant change would definitely impact the ability to do extracurricular activ ities and complete homework in a timely fashion.

08:29 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

The bus routes for our kids have been outrageous. Last year it took them an hou r to get home from Cooper (normally a 15-20 minute drive) because of the way the y routed the kids. This isn't fair to them with the early start times! The Lan gley route isn't much better and I haven't gotten any support from the transport ation staff other than to blame it on budget cuts. When you take a good look at the routes, some just don't make sense and apparently someone did because the r oute changed this year for the Cooper run. With the work loads that Langley req uires, it is extremely hard on these kids to get them up early when they have be en up late studying. They are having to study like we did in college and there are many mornings that I go in to find that they have fallen asleep with their l ights on. I would very much support a change!

08:35 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I would welcome an earlier start to the day. Most young children's natural sleep schedule have them waking up early in the morning. Also, to have elementary sch ool aged children ending their day around 4 is too late for such young people. T hank you for looking into this and searching for a balanced solution...Great Job !

08:39 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think it is about time we stop mollycoddling these teenagers and prepare them for the real world. Getting out earlier from school allows more time to complet e homework so they can take part time jobs, earlier in the day, which also prepa res them for the real world and helps them save for college and teaches responsi bility.

08:45 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think all the schools should start at 0800 or earlier. The later start encour ages students to stay up later at night because they aren't tired. Also, with t he early start, working parents can drive students to school enroute to work - a wonderful bonding opportunity that will be lost.

08:45 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think all the schools should start at 0800 or earlier. The later start encour ages students to stay up later at night because they aren't tired. Also, with t he early start, working parents can drive students to school enroute to work - a wonderful bonding opportunity that will be lost.

08:50 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I like the idea of a later high school end time. Many studies have shown that th e unsupervised hours right after school are when adolescents engage in risky beh aviors. Staying in school until 3:30 or so will limit the amount of alone time m any of these students will have and hopefully reduce the amount of "mischief" th ey might get themselves into.

09:14 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

We greatly support the idea of starting schools later for older students. All th e scientific evidence points to better learning later in the day.

09:19 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think the proposed changes to school start times are an excellent idea. I bel ieve it is much too dangerous to have our children at the bus stop in the dark i n the morning. Hope this goes into effect!

09:34 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Loudoun County was able to solve this problem Fairfax county should certainly be able to.

09:36 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Arlington County made this change a few years ago - was well received. One thin g you didn't ask: have I made changes to my personal/work schedule to accomodat e my child's schedule? YES - I will go to work later so that she can sleep long er and have me drive her to school. It's ridiculous to ask her to get up at 5:3 0 in the morning to take the bus to school.

09:38 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

middle and high school age kids' have a natural tendancy for their bodies to wan t to go to sleep later and get up later. Elementary age children naturally are able to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Thus, I support the proposed chan ge.

09:44 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I would absolutely support having hs students start later, no matter how much la ter.

09:44 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Since elementary students still need after school care, having them get out earl ier can make it harder to make arrangements for them. As long as SACC/Tae Kwon D o schools, etc. can support the change, then it might not be as bad. Middle Scho ol and High School students need more sleep in the morning... but they can be le ft alone after school.

09:50 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Elementary schools should start earliest. Kids are up and parents need to get t o work.

10:00 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

It would make a HUGE difference in high school kids and what they could better a cheive

10:07 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I appreciate the school board's looking at this issue. I do agree that middle s chool start times are too early, given how early some kids have to get on the bu s. I hope you can work this out. Thank you!

10:20 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

In general, it makes more sense for elementary schools to start earlier, as youn ger children are typically used to being up earlier. I can't comment on high sc hool students and any impact later start times would have on athletic practices and/or employment -- but I do know teenagers just stay up later and need to slee p more.

10:27 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

My 11-year-old son has consistently been up early in the morning, and we felt th at his elementary school started too late. Just recently he started sleeping in a little longer in the morning and going to bed later at night, and we are afra id that when middle school comes, that's when he'll realy need more sleep in the morning. Thank you for looking into this issue.

10:51 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

Currently my 7th grader is up at 5:30am, which is too early for her (and us), bu t my 4th grader doesn't need to be up until 7:30 (really 7:45 would be fine), bu t is usually up by 7am. It would be much easier to let my 7th grader get hersel f to the bus alone later, but can't do that with an elementary age child. Since elementary kids bus rides are shorter than older kids (daughter's is over 1 hou r), an earlier start time, would have less impact on his (or our sleep) than the early start time of the middle school. Please start middle school and high sch ool later!!

10:53 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

While it would be nice to let high school kids "sleep in," it would really inter fere with after-school sports like Crew, where kids have to travel 30-45 minutes to the water after school, unload their boats, practice, put away their boats a nd return home... all before dark. What would help more is to CUT DOWN ON EXCES SIVE HOMEWORK!!! My older girls all found that Freshman year in college was a b reeze compared to being an upper-classman at Madison. My kids are up late every night because of an overload of homework.

11:06 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think the older students should start school later in the day. If school star ted at 10, students who wanted to do sports or other extra curricular activities could do them at 8:00, students who wanted to sleep could sleep.

11:10 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I count on my HS age child to care for my ES children after school. Any plan th at would release ES students before HS would create a serious problem for me and probably many others.

11:15 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

The hardest part of school for our family is the morning schedule. By the time the kids reach high school they have more evening activities (sports, work, etc. ) and more homework, all of which make it impossible to be in a bed in time to g et enough sleep before they have to get up and start all over again. The early hours just make it a chaotic and unhealthy routine.

11:29 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

It would be very helpful to me if my elementary school child were getting on the bus earlier so I could leave for work earlier. Currently, we don't use the bus because he is too young to be alone. Also, he will be at Sunrise Valley next y ear, and I understand they usually start EVEN LATER than Terraset. What a pain for me and my job! I would strongly support an earlier start time for ES studen ts.

11:36 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think a later start time for high school students is essential. It will help them to be more attentive in class throughout the day increasing their overall l earning capability.

11:58 AM Monday, June 09, 2008

For our children a later start of middle and high school would be immeasurably g ood. As it is, they simply don't get enough sleep, as they can't fall asleep ea rlier, than they do now.

12:26 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

it is better to leave a high school student alone in the morning to get to schoo l on time rather than a middle school student if the parents need to leave early to get to work.

12:35 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think start time between 7:30am to 8:30am would be great for middle/high schoo l students. And around 8:30am is good for elementary students. to balance beccause of limited school buses.

12:51 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

A change to a more reasonable start time for middle and h9igh school aged childr en is long overdue.

01:42 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Great idea to give them more time and lessen the time in school activities. With sports, honors and AP classes there is little down time. I'ts absurd to have c hildren kept so busy. I don't see the benefit to thier lives. Moderation and ba lance

02:32 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Later starts and later exits are best. Please do not start Terraset earlier tha n 8:30am. We prefer later like 9:30am, but staying at 9:00am is the best. Thank s!

02:37 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

The later, the better. These kids need to sleep, every bit of research over the last 30 years proves that physiologically they do not perform well in the early start setting.

02:38 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think consistent times for all three (HS,MS,ES)would be the most appropriate. I grew up going to schools which started at 9:00am and ended at 3:30pm everyday from elementary through high school. The schedule was consistent and my parent s could juggle all five of their children with predictability, especially once w e were in the "dangerous" period of 12 years to 18 years old. We all had free a fternoon care at the school until 5:15pm (supervised homework time, then arts an d crafts). With all of the taxes we pay in Fairfax County and the State Lottery system that supplements the schools, why can't that be the case here? Both of us work, so we alternate who will drop the kids off on our way out. If the chil dren get out too early there is NOBODY to watch them until after 5:00pm. Most p arents work traditional hours and must commute a long time. Why doesn't the sch ool system keep that in mind? Turning our kids out onto the streets too early i n the day just begs for bad choices while unsupervised.

03:03 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

While I understand the need to perhaps move the start times, not all students ar e affected. Some students perfer to get up early and start their days with an e arlier bed time.

03:08 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Early school times are hard on kids though..... it is also a problem if no paren ts are home to send kids off. Is that why the change is wanted? Who will be at h ome later? Most parents aren't home til 6pm. Afterschool care abounds a child wo uld be there for almost 4 hours after school? Does not seem right.

03:16 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Good idea on start times. However it seems the reality is the kid(s) stay up unt il the last possible second -- once they're past 13 or 14 it's difficult to "sen d them to bed." And they will adjust similarly to the later wakeup time -- by go ing to be even later, using their twisted teen logic.

03:39 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I also believe keeping our teenagers in school later during the day gives them l ess opportunity to get in to trouble after school and less hours unsupervised.

03:43 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

The hours my elementary school children have now is perfect,due to my work sched ule,it would be a true hardship for them to start earlier or later.

05:00 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I am very lucky that my middle schooler will still go to bed at an early hour. I expect that will change soon. Even though she is usually asleep by 9, she onl y gets 9 hours of sleep a night and I can tell by how hard it is for her to wake up in the morning that it isn't enough. It is very jarring to jump out of bed at 6AM, throw back some breakfast and then get on the bus...all by 6:45.

05:06 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Need to start middle school and high school later. I LIKE your suggestion for t ransportation task force as per question #5!!

05:13 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I like our schools' current start times and do not want them to change. They wo rk well for my children's sleep habits. If the high schools go later and kids s tay after for after school activities then they get home later in the evenings. I would not want that to happen.

05:25 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

A start time of 8:30am at Frost and Woodson would give the busses plenty of time to get the kids to Mantua by 9:30. The MS and HS children are simply being ask ed to do something parents themselves would be unwilling to do and it is robbing them of precious sleep and of their childhoods. Haven't there been examples of school systems that have switched to later start times with fantastic results? There's nothing fantastic about rising at dawn to sit on a bus and in a classro om. We parents put a premium on our children's education, that's why we moved t o Fairfax County, but catching the bus at 6:40am is ridiculous. Thank you so muc h for trying to fix this problem.

05:49 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Ideally, no one should have to start school before 8 or 8:30 am. However, if it is necessary to stagger school start times to accomodate bus runs, I would rath er my older child wait at a bus stop in the dark than my younger ones. Also, if the younger kids start and finish earlier, I will have to pay much more for chi ld care, a VERY negative impact on my family. While I sympathize with the older kids for being sleep deprived, sleep deprived younger kids are even worse. In all, I think the proposed change would be a disaster.

05:56 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

My kids tell me all the time about all the students sleeping on their desks duri ng classes and in hallways. My daughter has even fallen asleep in class, even th ough she is an excellent student.

08:45 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I believe that sports and extra-curricular activities are driving the early open ing of HS. This is inappropriate and not necessary. Clubs,Rehersals and some s ports can take place the hour before school starts. Hours of homework and exces sive "projects" take up most of my daughters late night hours. Studies show tha t this may make teachers feel good but has relatively little value in terms of a ctual learning. If you care about teenager's academic and mental health - ditch the excessive demands of extra-curriculars and the excessive homework load and don't plan academic schedules around extra-curriculars.

08:52 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I believe that the current start times for high school best accomodate sports an d work schedules as well as other school activities. I do not support a change.

08:54 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

If a later start time for high school would pose a problem for some families per haps an optional before school study hall in their library or cafeteria, with a parent volunteer for a monitor would allow the time to be used wisely.

08:57 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I do support a later start time for high schools -- 8:00 to 8:15 instead of 7:20 .

08:58 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The current middle and high school start times are too early - students need to be out of the house by 6:15 am to catch a bus. It's totally counter to teenager s sleep cycle. My daughter gets ready in 15 minutes in the morning to get a few more minutes sleep. She does not participate in activities that require before school practice/gathering due the time. A later start time would greatly impro ve my family's quality of life!

09:10 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thank you for your hard work on this important issue. Starting Middle School chi ldren latest is best, the later the better for middle and high schoolers. They w ill be awake in class, not home alone in afternoons, and no teenager will set an alarm to get up early and cause trouble. Everyone wins. Elementary school child ren are up early anyway. I have seen a NOTICABLE CHANGE in my son over the past year. He used to be asleep by 8:30. Now he CAN'T, though he tries. He goes to be d on time (8:30) but can't get to sleep and barely gets up in the morning. He us ed to pop right out of bed. Now he can't get the sleep he needs, even though our family schedule supports it. My daughter has always had more trouble falling as leep at night, so I'm not looking forward to the hormonal shift in her schedule!

09:10 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

If you are going to start elementary school earlier, then you need to provide mo re openings for SACC to accomidate our family work schedule with our employers.

08:00 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Please, please, please delay start times for the mental and physical health of o ur teenagers in this hectic and stressful world where they must compete so stead fastly with each other and the rest of the world. Let's not drag them out of bed at o:oo dark thirty!!

08:14 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A later high school start time is what the evidence calls for. We need to put t he children first and details will fall in font-weight: normal; line after our priorities are set and determined.

06:01 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

My teen is one of those who tries but simply cannot go to bed before 11. His HS school start time of 7:20 is too early. We strongly support a later start time for high school. Middle school start of 7:20 didn't seem to be as much of an i ssue but we'll support a later middle school start time to achieve a later high school start time.

06:24 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think the Middle and High School start times should be later with elementary g oing a bit earlier. I don't want MS/HS to be so late that sports/extra activiti es are taking up even more family time in the evening. It's hard for atheletes to be home for dinner, so the adjustment should be moderate and not one that wil l have atheletes / after school activists missing out on dinner/family time/home work/etc.

06:43 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

See above - we need more buses and more drivers so we can have more reasonable s tart times for all schools.

07:03 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Some teenagers get in trouble if they are free in the afternoons, but not in the morning before school. It would be fine with me if high school started late an d ended near 5 p.m.

07:39 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

This is an important issue; thank you for looking at it. I urge you to change th e schedule soon. Younger kids get up early, so it makes a lot of sense to have them be the ones to start the earliest. And teens definitely need more sleep!

08:12 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I was in the British school system and I started school at 9.00 am - had an hour for lunch which meant longer for recess and distressing and finished at 4.00 pm . I think FCPS should take a look at some of the European systems.

08:29 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Please interview a Dr about how much sleep a teenager needs and how the brain wo rks. This should factor into the decsion. The current schedule is horrible for a middle school and teenager right when they need their sleep.

08:36 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

According to sleep survey information that I have read, high school students (mo st teenagers) are predisposed towards sleeping later in the morning and staying up later in the evenings. If this is, in fact, factual, I think it would suppor t having at least the high schools starting later. Obviously, this could interf ere with the after-school activities of some students, but if it's in keeping wi th their natural tendancies, I think it's worth looking into.

08:40 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Between the demands of activities, school work, and the learning to organize, I feel my student is not getting enough sleep. in order to get to make the bus, s he has to get up by at least by 6:00 am or sooner. This prevents her from getti ng a full nights sleep in order to prepared for the next day. I would fully sup port a later start time.

08:47 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Starting elementary school early and thus having an earlier release time would b e good so that the students could have more play time after school.

08:56 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

My high school boy is really suffering from lack of sleep, I send him to bed at 9;30 but he can not fall sleep until 11:00 and it is a torture for him to get up at 5:30.

09:33 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I strongly support the effort of this sleep initiative. The stress and emotiona l drain of being a teenager is hard enough without compounding the issues with s leep deprivation. This is to me, first and foremost a HEALTH issue. Teenagers simply won't and aren't wired to go to sleep at 10:00 which is what they would n eed to do to get the 8 hours minimum sleep requirement they need and still get u p at 6:00 for the bus. Thank you for providing a way for us to provide feedback .

09:38 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

I think start times between 8and 8:30 are better for all grades, giving students more time in the morning and not getting home so late in the afternoon.

09:39 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

My children usually sleep to a decent time in the morning. It helps particularl y when they go to bed a little late at night due to afterschool activities. I s upport later start times for middle and high schools.

09:54 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

Please make a thorough study of the change before full implementation. Do not im plement drastically because it might yield more problems than the projected good result.

09:57 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

High School students are SLEEP DEPRIVED!!!!! Early start times, homework three hours plus, long bus rides, school sports, etc do not allow students any "downti me" to be kids...Too bad. Later start times for hs and ms students would greatl y improve their stress levels, sleep patterns, and overall disposition.

10:41 PM Monday, June 09, 2008

The later start is better particularly for middle school students for whom there are limited school-sponsored after school activities and who often spend a numb er of unsupervised hours at home. Unsupervised afternoon time is when kids are most likely to get in trouble with alcohol and sex and otehr kinds of risky beh aviors.

06:04 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I hope these changes are made sooner than later. I will strongly support a late r start time for my child who is entering High School and is brother will be in Middle School in another year.

06:59 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I agree with the data that high school students are not awake enough for the cur rent start times. This biological effect should be adjusted for with later star t times. Even if they DO stay up later, waking later will be more effective.

07:18 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

there is simply not enough time for other activities and family time if you star t high school later....

07:47 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My senior is graduating this week, but I would welcome a later start time for wh en my rising third grader starts his time at a FCPS high school, as I've seen th e toll the early start time has taken on my eldest.

08:04 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It makes the most sense to start Elementary schools earlier, Middle schools late r, and High schools latest. The older the children become, the later their bedt imes, but they still need their sleep. Also, for working parents, it is easier to get the younger ones to school and the older ones can take the bus by themsel ves if necessary in the morning, alleviating the needs for morning childcare.

08:25 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I would like to see high school start a little later, but am concerned that by s tarting later, sports practices would run later, students would get home later a nd then be forced to stay up later to complete homework. Not sure there is a go od answer.

08:26 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I prefer the present start time. It allows me to ensure that my daughter meets the bus before I leave for work and provides enough afternoon time for sports ac tivities and homework.

08:29 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My High Schooler is always tired in the early morning. She has trouble staying a wake in her classes. An Earlier bedtime is not possible due to sports practices and amount of homework. It the time changed and the sports practices were earlie r in the morning and limited to a certain number per week, then with the exercis e she would probably be more awake for her classes and ready to get to bed earli er. Because her practices are in the late afternoon/evening she gets home with l ots of energy and not ready to get to bed at an early hour.

08:34 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Both my sons were very early risers in elementary school and an earlier start wo uld have been fine. As teens, however, they have had difficulty with the earlie r start and staying focused in their first period classes. Driving them or walk ing gives them an extra 45 minutes in the morning over taking the bus. Although an earlier start for elementary kids means darker mornings for them in the wint er, parents should not allow elem. kids to wait alone for the bus even when it i s full daylight. Parents would (should) be there with them in a.m. until bus pi cks up.

08:37 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Ideal situation--more buses so all schools start same time ons regarding the impact on parents' work schedule. I want my middle school and high school kids off to school before I go to work. Work schedules have been e stablished to accommodate the current school schedule. This change would ccreat e havoc

08:40 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I like the proposal. It is a good thing to have the kids stay in school later du ring the difficult middle school years. Later in the day for high school student s is even better. I like that my son wants to participate in before school and after school activities. Sleep deprivation in high school seems to be the norm t hese days for so many students a later start time would be very helpful.

09:15 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

High School students need as much sleep as they did as two year olds. They use t heir first period to nap. Teachers let the students do it because they can see h ow exhausted they are. Most all of them are addicted to caffeine because without it they cannot function.

09:17 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Prefer to keep the start times the way that they are for high school. We have o nly two more years to go.

09:27 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It is my belief that if school started later there would be fewer kids falling a sleep in thier 1st period classes

09:28 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I am a little on the fence about the changes because while it would be better fo r the children to get more rest in the morning it would also be very late gettin g them home to get homework, dinner, baths etc. done before bedtime. Also for t he parents that work, some employers may not be flexable with working times.

09:30 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Changing school start time impacts my ability to get to my job. With traffic as bad as it is, it's a tough problem. Moving the kids to a later start time puts m e at risk for keeping my job due to commute times

09:38 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My daughter is a middle schooler, but because she is at a secondary school, she starts very early, just like the high school students. It is way too early. Sh e has to stay up late often to do school work and therefore doesn't get enough s leep. She does fall asleep in school on occasion.

10:05 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I really think it is critical for children to get as much sleep as possible. My child stays up late to get her homework finished and needs the extra sleep to b e alert in the morning.

10:29 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Later start times are needed immediately! Should begin fall 2008. It will help academics, early teen drivers, and general mood and attitude will be better and happier.

10:50 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The times being presented are in font-weight: normal; line with my son's school (Newington Forest). H owever, were school to start later, I would have to drastically adjust my child care arrangements, esp. if I were to keep him in SACC next year. SACC closes at 6; if school begins at 9:20, for example, I would have to either do morning SACC and afternoon SACC (increased cost) or work 10-6 (not possible, b/c SACC closes at 6:15). It's not an easy question.

10:50 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Middle school start time is crazy. My 13 year old is physically incapable of fa lling asleep early enough to get sufficient sleep before his 6:15 am wake up tim e. Afternoons are a waste, since he is so tired. I'm fine with moving elementa ry school start times early (8:00 am) so that middle and high school can start a t a more reasonable time -- even an 8:00 am start time would be better, with 8:3 0 to 9:00 being ideal.

10:53 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It is my opinion that if you start school later for the high school and middle s chool students they are just going to stay up later. Extracurricular activities and sports will start later keeping them out later as well. The middle school students will be getting home at or just before their after school activites lea ving little time for homework. The elementary students usually have the least a mount of homework, so if they get out just before their activites it has a small er impact. Since many of the fields and facilities the schools use for activiti es, the outside community also uses, your limiting the already limited space for all the activities currently conducted in the county. This change will have no effect on the high schol student. When they get to college they are stuck with the 8AM classes anyway.

11:03 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Changing the current high school hours will likely limit the time avail for high school sports participation and make it more difficult to find study time when students participate in sports outside of high school. Changing the times would also cause conflicts with rush hour in the morning and afternoon.

11:29 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

For one of the wealthiest systems in the country, employing & serving some of th e most educated in the country, Fairfax County certainly falls short and needs m iles of improvement. I've lived in Fairfax my entire life, schooled here myself, raised children through this system, and taught for Fairfax as well. It's certa inly not worth bragging about.

11:36 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Fairfax County is behind other counties, such as Loudoun County, in meeting the health needs of its high school students by starting classes later.

11:41 AM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It's hard for parents who work. I know the current schedule is way too early fo r middle school kids to wake up, but the later option doesn't work with both par ents working. I guess the middle ground (start time between the current and prop osed times) would work best.

12:00 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My family would REALLY benefit from a later High School start time. During the week, my daughter is so sleep-deprived that she sometimes spends the whole after noon sleeping and then stays up late getting homework done, so it becomes a very unhealthy cycle. A later start time would allow her more rest, we would also h ave less stressful mornings and she would be more likely to eat breakfast.

12:09 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

strongly support late bell schedule. All kids from elementary to high school sho uld start school no earlier than 8:30am. Enough sleep and physical health is the bottom font-weight: normal; line of any academic and/or athletic activities.

12:18 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Again, Louise Archer starts far too late. And it is 4:30 by the time the kids ge t off the bus. By then they are tired, hungry, can't focus on homework or sport s. It is incredibly hard on working parents, and yes, there are many families i n Vienna with both parents working. The elementary schools should start earlier .

12:20 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Elementary children are ready to learn much earlier in the day. High school stu dents have jobs and homework to get cracking on... so in addition to the heighte ned need for middle school students to sleep due to all of the growth they susta in during those two years, putting middle school as the last starting group of s tudents makes sense.

12:20 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

TOO EARLY -- the number of students sleeping through high school classes is affe cting morale and performance. Too expensive to educate sleeping teens.

12:27 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thank you for pushing later start times!!!What's galling now is that the buses g et my daughters to school between 20 and 30 minutes BEFORE school even starts, s o that adds insult to injury. My girls usually nibble breakfast on the bus... kn ow they aren't supposed to but there's no time before they leave the house.

12:31 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I would woelcome the late start time for my High Schooler. It will greatly benef it her performance and attention span in school.

12:36 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

High School 9;30am they normally sleep late and hard to wake up in the morning Middle School 8:30am ping time and waking up time compared to teenagers, this is based on my personal experience.

12:37 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

high school starts far too early -- teenagers are put under enormous stress as a result. Sleep deprivation combined with academic demands create an unhealthy an d stressful lifestyle that compromises physical and mental well-being. My son re ports that most students in his first period class are usually sleeping or comat ose. This is not acceptable. Young kids naturally get up earlier -- there's ever y reason why elementary schools should start earlier and high schools start late r.

12:37 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Current schedule is unhealthy -they do not get enough sleep- and may compromise academic achievement of many students.

12:52 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think this is a great idea but wonder about the reality of getting students to Langley High with traffic. I support the idea totally. I also think that there needs to be recommendations about the length of sports practices. Currently my c hildren get up at about 5:45, have a full day of school until 2:10 then change f or sports practices and are done with sports at about 5:45..just in time for rus h hour traffic. They arrive home about 6:30-7 and then need to start homework. W e would not expect an adult to handle this schedule (and a very demanding academ ic workload) each and every week yet we think it is fine for our teens. One othe r note: is it really necessary and sensible to have fall sports start the first week in August when it is so very hot? If all schools in the county were not all owed to start until a week before school it would still be an even playing field yet the students could have the month of August. In the past years the date see ms to creep closer and closer to July! Thank you for putting thought into changi ng the times of the schools as well as sports.

12:55 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think that a later start for High Schools would impact after school activities and they would not be able to participate because they would get home too late to study.

12:55 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I know both of my kids are not getting enough sleep, but they cannot get to bed most nights before 11:00. (They are not watching tv; they have extracurriculars and are very conscientious students)

12:57 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

please change this timing my daughter never gets enough sleep. she is in honors and AP classes and gets an average of 4 hours of sleep on a school night. pleas e change the entering time.

01:00 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Later start times would allow for more sleep which may improve overall performan ce. It also would be beneficial to the kids who are driving. Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.

01:14 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My 3rd grade daughter's bus ride is 45 minutes. There is no way I am putting her on the bus at 7am. I am not about to make her get up at 6am every day when she doesn't fall asleep usually until 10.30pm. If this change happens she will just have to be late for school every day, end of story!!!

01:42 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The current system is ridiculous. A teenager should not be getting on a bus at 6:05 a.m.!

02:05 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It makes more sense for younger kids who are up early in anycase to go to school early and for the older kids who generally have a hard time going to bed early and go to bed late...go to school later. Also, there is no SACC for middle scho ol, so for working parents it is better for kids to be in school until later rat her than getting home by 2:30 which is the case now in my neighborhood. There i s no supervision in most cases and kids have to fend for themselves until a pare nt gets home. I truly hope fairfax county will reconsider changing the timing o f middle and high schools soon. Thank you.

02:12 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Please make changes. Teenagers need sleep to be healthy and are walking zombies very sleep deprived due to early buses and school.Thanks.

02:19 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My #2 child misses her first period class in high school at least once every 2 w eeks due to sleeplessness or inability to get out of bed. Adjusting start times to a later time would thus avoid family confrontations and she would get more o ut of school.

02:21 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

This is one of the best efforts I have ever seen in FFX Co. My first son, now 2 2, had to be pulled out of McLean HS and go to private school as the early start times severely affected his well-being, both physical and mental.

02:22 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A later start-time for highschool I believe would greatly improve my child's ove rall health by having an extra hour of sleep in the mornings. The bed time woul d remain the same in my household.

02:27 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tell them welcome to the real world you don't always get what you want. Go to b ed at a decent time.

02:29 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I feel that the new start time would be wonderful the more sleep a teen can get the better. They need time to study, enjoy sports, and have some down time. 5am it to early to get up every day, and 9pm is to early to go to bed when you are p ressed with homework sports activitys and then trying to find time to relax. Thi s new time schedule sounds great to me. Thank you to everyone that has worked so hard on it.

02:56 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The middle school and high school start times are way too early. This is a prob lem for student health.

02:57 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

THE ONLY WAY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN GET MORE REST IS TO DECREASE THE DEMANDS O F HIGH SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES OR THE AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK/PROJECTS. OUR UN DERSTANDING IS CHILDREN STAY UP TO MIDNIGHT DOING HOMEWORK WITH THE CURRENT STAR T TIMES, THE ONLY CHANGE THE START TIME WILL HAVE IS THAT CHILDREN WILL BE UP UN TIL 2 AM! MERELY MAKING START TIMES LATER IS CHANGE FOR CHANGE SAKE.

03:27 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

There should not be limits on school sports, because they can be a crucial part of a child's routine and a breather from schoolwork.

03:28 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Middle and High School start times are too early. My 7th grader does not get en ough sleep. Between homework, activities and his internal clock he cannot go to bed early enought to accomodate a 6:30 AM bus pick up!

03:44 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It is not possible to make everything right for everyone and there are pros and cons in both situations. Any child going through a growth spurt is going to hav e problems getting enough sleeep. Since this is more prevalent in middle schooo l / high school it can make a huge difference in student performance to start at a somewhat later time. Middle school is an age where the options for controlle d after school care vanish, so having children of working parents get out later (not all will avail themselves of after school activities even if the parents wi sh it so) will decrease the amount of time available for them to potentially get in trouble. Flip side is that those who take part in after school activities w ill be getting out quite late. It would personally make life easier for me if m y child started school around 8:30, but I prefer a later start as opposed to ear lier as it will cause fewer health and learning issues.

03:51 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think that my middle school daughter would enjoy school much more if she did n ot have to get up so early.

03:51 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

We would welcome the later start time for high schools. Most likely the student s that drive would as well because they currently drive in the height of rush ho ur in our community

03:51 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think they should start later but I don't want to see it go to the other extre me. My son used to be in an elementary school that didn't get him home until aft er 4 pm and it made getting homework done difficult and limited his afterchool a ctivities.

03:54 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I am thrilled that FCPS is considering changing start times to support the healt h and well being of their students. The amount of homework that is assigned req uires them to work late into the evening with no free time left to relax due to the need to get to bed at a reasonable hour in order to catch the bus at 6:30 th e next morning. We have a rising 9th grader interested in sports and I think lim iting sports practices to 2 hours on weekdays would provide balance so that scho olwork would not suffer.

04:17 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think a later start time for High School Students would conflict with study ime, sports practices, jobs and other activities. I don't think the students wou ld get more sleep this would just push their activities to later in the day. You still have to fit the same things into the same 24 hours a day. My youngest wil l go to Cooper this coming year and I will be so happy to have him home at 3. At Forestville he didn't get home until close to 4:30 which made it hard to schedu le any appointments afterschool. Most doctors and dentists don't have appointmen ts that late.

04:26 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My kids sleep in class every week. I think limiting homework is as important as start times.

04:37 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

When my children were in elementary school, I appreciated that the high school n eighbor was home to watch them when they got home. My boys would like to start the day later, but with sports and homework, it is good they are through early i n the day. I like it the way it is.

04:39 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Would appreciate change in high school start times. Teenagers are almost nonfun ctioning early in the morning and research backs it up. Later start times may b e beneficial.

04:42 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I agree that the current schedule is too early. I would like to continue with t he current schedule only because the children get out of school earlier. It is very difficult for them to get to doctor's appointments, sports practices, etc. and to have time to do their homework already. It they don't get out of school until 4:00 or 4:30, it will be impossible. And, I'm guessing that some sports w ill have early morning practices which will defeat the purpose of this anyway. I have talked about the schedule with my two children and, although, they don't like getting up so early, they agree that it is better than the alternative.

04:48 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Elementary schools start too late. I would not need before school care if they s tarted earlier.

04:50 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

This is a difficult issue. Thank you for working so hard to address it. there is definitely a need to change the start times but I worry about kids having eno ugh time in the afternoon/evening to do sports and homework.

04:50 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Most kids in HS are over-tired and mean. My son has trouble getting to sleep at night.

04:52 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

THANK YOU for finally looking at this. My son is in 7th grade and getting up so early is just awful for him.

05:37 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Other school systems have made the change successfully. All of the research sup ports a later start time for teenagers.

05:51 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thank you very much for this undertaking. I think it's smart and will benefit th e children. I prefer a later ending time (and therefore a later start time) for the elementary children since I work - it is better for me personally to work 9i sh to 4ish than to work 8ish to 2:30ish. I do think having highschool students s tart later is very, very important, so I'll live with an earlier start time for elementary school if I have to. Just sharing my views!

05:52 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Strongly believe sports practice times are not compatible with the scholastic go als of FCPS--3-4 hour football practice is highly inapprobriate. At LHS practic es start about 3:30 and often the boys are not done until 7:00pm plus. Unaccept able.

06:19 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Our son has an extremely difficult time getting up in the morning. I have breakf ast at home but on the go for him and he is still tardy way too often. Teens nee d sleep. Any additional time he would have in the morning would be healthy. Wedn esdays late start have been a gift to our family. The extra hour makes a world o f difference to him.

06:39 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Football practices are drawn out too late for the kids to get home to complete h omework.

06:43 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It's crazy for my high school daughter to get up at 5:20 in order to get to scho ol.

06:45 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

When my children were in elementary school they woke up much earlier and went to bed much earlier so an earlier start time would make much more sense for younge r children. Now they are teenagers and they are not getting enough sleep.

06:46 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think it is a difficult decison to change the times due to parent's work sched ules but it would be nice for the older kids to get more sleep. I think they ad just no matter but sports would be impacted too.

07:26 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I feel very strongly that the middle and high school start times are too early a nd need to be changed to be later.

07:27 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Teenage bodies do not fall asleep early in the evening. We have one child that can handle the loss of sleep--one child that can't--it is very difficult to make up the loss. Both of our kids were very early risers in elem school a 6:15 am start would have been perfect then. . .but is not perfect for teenagers. Growin g bodies and brains need sleep.

07:52 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The pick up time in our neighborhood the Langley HS bus is currently 6:15 AM. T his is utterly ridiculous. It puts more cars on the road driving students who w ould benefit from an extra half hour of sleep. If he were to get the minimum am t of sleep - 8 hours - he would have to fall asleep by 10 PM, which never happen s. Later start times have been proven to be beneficial for studnets, their fami lies, and the school in terms of kids more ready and able to learn, resulting in higher grades.

07:57 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I am thrilled that later start times are being reviewed!I felt like Fairfax coun ty forgot how to continue to stay on the cutting edge of grerat ideas/research.

08:23 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Teenagers needs more hours to sleep than then children in elementary school. does not matter if they go to sleep at 10:00 p.m. they need more than 8 hours o f sleep before going school.

08:30 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Essential for teens to have later start time b/c body is not ready for sleep ear ly enough to account for getting up early. Need to "sleep in" to get enough sle ep.

08:44 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

As students get older extra curricular activities become very important and time consuming. My concern is that a later start time means a later ending time and it would not allow enough time for homework and extra curricular. I like the e arlier time in elementary school for them same reason, because it leaves more ti me for homework. Since bus schedules would not allow that change only, i would prefer the schedule remains the same.

09:00 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Start times desperately need to be later. It affects their sleeping habits (I t hink my middle-schooler misses an entire phase of sleep), eating habits and gene ral well-being.

09:02 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A later start time would be beneficial for most high school students, but must b e made in conjunction with a limited after school schedule of activities as they conflict with homework!

09:02 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Even if teenagers do go to bed at a reasonable time, for the most part they stil l do not operate well in the early morning. My teenager also gets on the bus at 6:10 and arrives at school 30 minutes before the start time. This should not be necessary.

09:18 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

If elementary schools start later than 9 am, it will not work for most working p arents. More kids will be placed in morning SACC and there will not be enough o penings at most of the SACC center to accommodate the need.

09:23 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think change can sometimes be hard, but we need to look at the bigger picture. the kids affected acedemically, but I sometimes worry about sports injuries due to lack of sleep, and just being tired all the time. Families will adjust to ne w start times. How many people when they move into a neighborhood consider the start times of their children's schools in their decision process ? They adjust to the times. Families will adapt. Academics will improve, and our kids will be better rested.

09:33 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thank you for considering the changes - my middle schooler has been existing on very little sleep for two years, and it affects our family life.

09:37 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think changing the start times for elementary and secondary students is way ov erdue. Elementary school students need time in the afternoon for play and other activities, while HS students need more sleep in the morning hours, and need th eir afternoon hours occupied with activities (school) other than coming home at 2:30 in the afternoon.

09:40 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

High school and Middle school start times should be the same. High school and Mi ddle school schedules should take priority over elementary schools. High school and middle school workloads and extracurricular activities require that extra ho ur of sleep each day so the kids aren't fighting to complete the whole day witho ut energy drinks. Better start times will probably contribute to safer driving h abits because kids will be more alert.

09:46 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Start times are much too early for HS and this is causing a lot of stress on stu dents, lack of concentration, poor grades because of sleep depravation

09:53 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I hope FCPS take immediate action and don't wait to change the high school start time. Elementary children have a tendency to be awake very early in the mornin g and it makes more sense to have the elementary start earlier than high school and middle school. First priority should be the high school start time.

10:02 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

9:00am is too late for elementary school to start. Younger children get up earl y and watch tv waiting for school to start that late.

10:03 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

There has been talk for years about changing the start times for schools. I thin k it is an issue that should be addressed. I approve of the later start times fo r high school students. They are in desperate need of sleep.

10:28 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I believe the health benefits to teenagers with a later school start time would be enormous, and that they would actually LEARN more, due to feeling more refres hed from proper sleep. PLEASE change the middle/high school start times to late r!

10:40 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I think it's a tough situation, which is created by the bus schedules as well as the number of available buses. Clearly, all kids need sufficient sleep, but I think it's an outdated notion to think that younger kids wake up earlier in the morning than older kids. This may be true in families where both parents aren't working and a mother, more than likely, serves dinner earlier and puts the kids to bed earlier, but the reality is that parents in our community both work; kid s are involved in many activities and the dinner hour and homework is pushed lat er and later into the evening. Additionally, if you start elementary schools la ter than 9:10 am you will place a burden on working parents who can't leave for work until their child is on the bus. In fact, because we don't have sufficient transportation available to meet our student's needs, we place children on the bus for long rides (two of my GT center children ride the bus for more than 35 m inutes and one child is the first on the bus and the last off at night, which ma kes for an extremely long day).

12:40 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Current middle and high school start times are too early! earlier start times for elementary schools, and later start times for middle and high schools.

12:43 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

We most definitely support later start times for high schools and middle schools .

12:48 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

It makes good sense to have elementary kids start their day sooner; the older te ens just do not get the sleep they should and they pay for it with drowsiness an d lack of focus while in school.

06:43 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

School, especially high school starts far too early. Our son is dragging day af ter day and we know it has impacted his grades. He participates in sports and t hat's part of the problem as well. The job of our school system is NOT to produ ce Olympic athletes. He leaves for school at 6 a.m., and gets home at 6:30 p.m. , it's nonsense! Later p/u times and limits on weekday practices are a must! W e very much applaud your looking at this!!

06:54 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wake at 5:30 leave at 6:00, school end 2:10 hangs around for practice to start a t 4:30 got home at 7:15 and he takes honors and APs

07:21 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I would wholeheartedly wish for the students next year and students after that a change to allow the older kids some more time to sleep in the morning and to al low the teachers to be able to drop their children at day care and get to school without having to wake up at the crack of dawn. My eldest child went to boardin g school and they got up at 7:30-7:40 had a healthy breakfast and then started c lasses at 9 am. He was healthier and happier and didn't look as drawn as his bro ther does at this time of his life. PLEASE start the high school later.

07:42 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My bigest concern is that the long haul bus routes are generally HS students and are off peak traffic times. Shifting the morning runs will increase the amount of time on the bus ie, From our house in Colvin's Glenn, just off Rt 7, it takes 25 minutes to drive to McLean IF YOU LEAVE BEFORE 7 AM. iIf you leave after 7:3 0, it can take an hour as the road fills with traffic to a point that our inters ection is blocked. What is already 40 minute bus trip at 6:15 will be closer to 1 hour + with the later start times.

08:28 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I would prefer teenagers to drive to school when there is the least amount of tr affic which would be the 7:20 start and 2:10 release

08:59 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I like the later start since the kids can get more sleep and still maintain some balance of study, sports and family life.

09:03 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I am very thankful that you are dong this survey as it is long overdue. If the children are up at 5:30, and we have been doing this since 2002 as he has a sist er who went through Langley, with another child in fourth grade so another six y ears to follow. It hurts the parents health too as we have work to do but have to set the alarm for 5:30 to make sure the chidlren are up or we are driving the m to school. This takes a toll on our health as we are not getting out sleep eit her. The children are sleep deprived and irratable. These are our best and bri ghtest chiildren and this last year our son has literally fallen asleep over his books many nights. This is unreal and unnecessary. For most of the year from October until about April, they are stood at the bus stop in the dark. I cannot see why we need to give information about income or race as this is simply a mat ter about helping all the chidlrne of Fairfax County. Perhaps that is the infor amtion you are really seeking by this survey and the sleep issue is simply the b ait to get us to respond?

09:07 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Lack of sleep affects teenagers physical and mental health in addition to their academic performance and behavior. A change must be made ASAP.

06:48 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Any start time after 9:00 is way too late for a family in which both parents wor k unless there would be an automatic morning SACC slot for those families. This is particularly problematic for middle school students who still need supervisi on and for whom there is no SACC. I really do not like this part of the plan at all. Middle school years are particularly difficult for working parents but the afternoons seem easier to deal with than getting that late a start in the morni ng. The rest of the plan seems reasonable.

07:31 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I'm amazed that this is being discussed. Do we really wonder whether or not tee ns body clocks change---stay up later, sleep later. It's true...and they really do need to sleep...Disappointing that this county is worried about the money (I hear that the reason it hasn't been changed yet is because it's too expensive?! ) and not the students.

08:07 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

High Schools start too early. The students have to be on the bus before 6:30 fo r a 7:20 start time for a school that is less than 10 minutes away to allow the bus to be reused. This is a terrible idea for the High School students.

08:41 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My work and childcare arrangements are based on our school's start time of 9:05, so a change in this schedule would be difficult. However, I believe that the c urrent start times for teenagers are counter to their sleep and educational need s. So, I support change for the middle and high school students, but, if possibl e, would prefer that our school still begin at about 9:00.

09:19 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I think bus pickups before 6AM are crazy. But then I think it's better for the older kids to start earlier than the younger ones. Though I may be biased becau se I only have an elementary aged child.

04:44 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I firmly believe that middle and high school times need to be changed and think the above proposed schedule would work well. However I think that when changing the elementary bell schedule, the new time should be as close to the old time a s possible.

04:45 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Teens need more sleep which they can't get especially if they are in sports and AP or Honor classes as the work load is just too much.

09:28 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

PUSH HIGH SCHOOL START TIME HALF AN HOUR TO ALLOW KIDS AN EXTRA HALF AN HOUR OF SLEEP AND TO BE DRIVING/WAITING FOR THE BUS WHEN IT'S NOT PITCH BLACK.

09:29 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My son spent his 7yrs of elementary school @ Olde Creek (7:50am-2:20pm);this was fine because he was typically in bed by 8:30pm and woke @ 6:30am.(He does best on 10+hrs sleep). Now that he's at Frost (7:20am-2:20pm) he gets up 30min earlie r @ 6am. This has created huge problems because physically he's not falling asle ep until 9:30-10pm, which means he wakes up tired (only getting 8hrs of sleep). Adolescents are going through major growth/development/changes (comparable to a baby's first yr of life) and sleep is essential to allow their bodies & minds to develop properly. I strongly support later start times. Our 7yrs at Olde Creek prove that early start times for elementary students are completely do-able. Mos t elementary students are/should be in bed anywhere from 7:30-8:30pm and they ar e able to fall asleep quickly. I'll be glad to discuss my experiences with early elementary start times with anyone. Lynn Mulvey-McFerron (703)323-9019; mulvey_ mcferron@verizon.net

09:31 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I would love to see the elementary students start early - they are up earlier. M iddle & high school students naturally go to bed later and should be able to sle ep later since that's their natural body rythm. Start school later for middle an d high schoolers please. Thank you!

09:50 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Not only do children learn more with more sleep, there is less disciplinary issu es in a well rested child. For some of us parents that work the 9 to 5 time shif t, this later schedule works better.

10:12 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I was a juvenile probation officer prior to becoming a parent and a lot of issue s involving my clients were affected by school hours. The need to get up so earl y in the morning exacerbated truancy issues and so much unsupervised free time i n the afernoon left too many opportunities to get into mischief. As a substitut e teacher and a test proctor during AP/SOL season, it is clear to me that MS and HS students are not getting the sleep they need when they nap during class and testing -- some of them are really hard to wake up. I have a hard time function ing at that hour! As a mom, I try very hard to get my chilren to bed at a reaso nable hour but even if they are in bed by say 10:00, they just lay there staring at the ceiling. Their bodies are just not ready to fall alseep at that time. I'm also very concerned about students driving while they are so tired. There h ave been quite a few accidents at Woodson and I wonder if that rate could be red uced if the students were more awake. I think starting MS and HS later is a nec essary thing for the health of our children.

10:13 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A good night's sleep is the best improvement that can be made on academic, as we ll as sports/music/etc., performance (apparently more important than additional practice or study).

10:20 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My children catch the bus at 6:15. They sleep during school, and often after sc hool. Later start times would MOST DEFINITELY help my children.

10:21 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Although I would need to change my work schedule, I think my son would get a lot more education by starting school later. He basically sleeps through his first class and I've hired a tutor in that subject. I can't get him to sleep earlier .

10:39 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The elementary school kids should go to school the earliest and high school late r. My children were naturally early risers until teens. They are sleep deprived during high school and fall asleep in class. Sport practices are not immediate ly after school so most days she leave the house at 6am, sits at school trying t o do homework until practice or game, and does not return home until 8 or 9 at n ight. She has no time to eat dinner. She is exhausted. I sometimes drive her j ust to let her get an extra half hour sleep or take a day off it she gets too ru n down. She is an A student, an athlete, and SLEEP DEPRIVED!

10:47 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Middle schoolers and high schoolers need more sleep to function effectively, and for their health.

10:49 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I don't think we'd have this problem with so many kids dependent on buses for tr ansportation if we just had more sidewalks so kids could walk to school. Fairfa x Co. is particularly pedestrian-unfriendly and it kills me to see so many buses guzzling gasofont-weight: normal; line and fouling the environment by transporting children who shou ld be able to walk to school but for the lack of sidewalks and safe street cross ings.

11:14 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My son will often fall asleep while he is trying to complete homework.... I rea lly support the later bus schedule for high schoolers since they tend to be able to stay up later anyway.

12:39 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

HS start is too early - PLEASE change this in the best interest of the student a nd it is documentaed in research-

01:04 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My oldest daughter sufferes from depression. The early start time made her depre ssion worse.

01:10 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I am very much against moving the high school and Junior High schedules later. ( And I don't believe your survey asks all the questions that are necessary to get an accurate picture of the needs of the children.) I have had 3 children go th rough High school and I believe a later time would be a big mistake. I do not b elieve a later start time would give teenagers any more sleep than they have now --and it would really mess up any family time that we would like to have togethe r. If they get up later, they will just go to sleep later. As it is, my 10th g rader is up some nights until 2:00 am doing homework (and often I am up with him )--not because he has wasted time, but because he has so much homework and other responsibilities (some, but not all are school related) that it is not possible to finish until then. If school gets out 2 hours later, he will just be up unt il 4am--which would be worse. A late start time will not change anything, it wi ll just make everything later--he will still have the same amount of things to d o, and he will go to bed later and get the same amount of sleep. would go crazy getting out of school so late. He can't sleep past 7am any day of the week. He has ADHD and, to him, the only compensation for all the homewor

01:38 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Loudoun County High Schools, where I have substituted, have started later and 'o ne' can tell that the students are much more rested and focused on the tasks of the day

01:48 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I strongly support changes in the start times for both elementary and middle/hig h school students to adjust to their sleep times.

01:58 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Because it starts so early and we live far away, the pick up time is ridiculousl y early. I get up (willingly) so that I know they get breakfast b/c they have a long day.

03:54 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I can tell that the very early bus arrival (6:10 am) adversely affects my childr en. They are tired all the time.

04:29 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Please, please, please do this thing. My Tessa would have a full grade point av erage higher if she could operate on her own schedule.

04:30 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Elementary school should keep the same schedule. the bus come to pick him p by 8:45. That gives him enough time rest.

04:33 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Older school age children definitely need more sleep. If they have to get up be fore 6am for school, they will need to be in bed before 10pm. That's a ridiculo us expectation for a teenage child. LATER START TIMES!!!

04:36 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

my teens have trouble falling asleep early, and I favor a later start time for h ealth and safety reasons - my son will be driving to and from school next year a s a senior involved in after=school activities, and i do not want him driving sl eep-deprived, it;s dangerous for both himn and the others on the road.

04:40 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I know my kids suffer through their first class because they are so tired and ha ve a skimpy breakfast in the car while waiting for the bus. With the increase in homework and at least one extracurricular activity it's difficult to get to bed prior to 10:00. I moved here from Wilton, CT where they made the late time sug gestion one month and implemented it the next without all these issues. The you nger children get up early so it makes sense to flip the schedules. Perhaps som eone should reference the wilton board of ed for suggestions.

06:40 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I think the middle and high school students start too early and support the work being done to start them later. I think anything 8 am or later for elementary school kids is healthy. And for middle school and high school students, I think 9 am is ideal but even 8:30 am is still better than 7:20!

09:56 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

When I was in middle school in Virgina Beach, we started after nine and got out around 4. It worked perfectly EVEN with afternoon sports (I did track and field) . I believe it is certainly worth the effort to consider it!

10:39 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Loudoun County high schools start much later than Fairfax County. I prefer Loud oun County's schedules--our children are exhausted.

12:24 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please tell the Transportation Task Force that A GT CENTER IS NOT EQUIVALENT TO LOCAL LEVEL IV SERVICES AT A BASE SCHOOL!!!!!!! Their assumption is downright W RONG and they need to be educated to the realities of the differences in the pee r groups!

07:04 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Later starts and dissimals would mean being in heavytraffic on Route 7. I am no t in favor of changing school times.

07:06 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

my son can't fall asleep before midnight. he gets about 4 hours of sleep at nig ht and comes home to sleep on days he doesn't work. it's a horrible schedule on his body. I worry about him, and teens like him, driving in the morning on suc h little sleep. before he was driving I had to drive him, bus came too early, s o he could sleep an extra 1/2 hour, which affected my own schedule for getting o ther kids up and work, etc. my youngest is up and bored, let her go to school. she gets home at 4 and it's too late to play outside in the winter! adopt a sc hedule similar to loudon county please.

07:39 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I am hopeful for this change! My son would reap the benifits of extra sleep in h is last two years of high school.

07:46 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Question asks about school sports but our son is in school 6-10 hrs before or af ter school with fine arts - and at times as much as 15 hours when plays are bein g rehearsed. Question is not asked correctly.

07:48 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

We believe a later start time for the high school is very important. Having liv ed elsewhere where the start times are later, it DEFINITELY works much better wi th their body schedules and thus allows them to get the rest that is required at that age. We believe they would be much less stressed and that this would be r eflected in their academic performance.

08:42 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Early mornings for our high school sophomore are stressful for him and the whole family. He is always tired and frequently misses his bus. Excellent health and education are the first priority over sports and part time work schedules for o ur teenagers. Sleep deprevation has a negative impact on students and adversely affects health, behavior and performance of our teenagers. Our high school envi ronment, four curcial years of learning for our students should emphasize the im portance of an optimum time schedule for learning providing the best possible sc enario for student success and limiting unecessary stress.

08:49 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I strongly support changing start times - my teenager definitely needs more slee p, but can't fall asleep earlier in the evenings. Please make this change!

09:26 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

It would be wonderful if we could get the high school and middle school start ti mes later. They definitely need more rest.

09:26 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please make them later - this year was rough. I want my middle schooler to have time for breakfast.

09:54 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I don't like the late middle school. Middle schoolers need time to play or do a ctivities before it gets dark in the winter.

09:58 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Right now, my kindergartener doesn't get home from school until 4:15pm. This is so late that we barely have time to do anything before dinner. We would defini tely welcome as early start time to get kids home earlier.

10:25 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

This current schedule is so damaging to my son at Langley, that he sleeps throug h most of his first period class - which is an AP. They schedule grueling class es first thing in the morning when kids have been up since before 6:00 a.m. The work load also keeps them up very late if they wish to do well. It is horrible for me as a parent, to get up at 5:30 to get my kid ready for the bus - my daug hter is still in 6th grade, and I have to wait from 5:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. to get her off. It does not make sense - we lose so much of our day, our time and our healthy and good mood!

10:42 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

We live in Oak Hill near the Navy Elementary School. Our area was just redistri cted from Chantilly to Oakton. Our school bus will now come at 6:10am. It is t oo early for these students. They will and are sleep deprived. That is why man y older students wind up driving so that they can sleep an extra 30 minutes. Wa ples Mill, Oakton Road, Route 66, it does not matter what street they take, thes e roads are dangerous, particularly for young drivers. If school started later I believe more students would take the bus.

10:46 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

High school starts way too early. This MUST change. It does not make sense to go against teen age biology and their need for sleep.

11:58 AM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please make the start times later for Middle and High School students. My 9th g rader is exhausted from staying up late to study and do homework, then getting u p so early to catch a 6:30 a.m. bus.

12:21 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Elementary school children get up early & should get home earlier. High schoole rs should start later!

12:46 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

current school start times are too early. kids should not be at bus stops in th e dark, nor at 6am. I personally think we should strive to get all school start times at reasonable hours, like common work hours, around 8-9am.

01:08 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

There must be 300 student drivers on Route 193 for langley high school. Much saf er to have them on road before rush hour traffic.

01:08 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

A goodly number of High School students fall asleep during class. The mixture o f lack of sleep and Block Scheduling (denoting 90 minute classes)serves to be co nducive to inattentiveness and falling asleep.

01:10 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Note that SPORTS are not the only activities requiring PRACTICES. The performin g arts are also affected by after-school practices, as are ACADEMIC TEAMS, etc. Your question #9 should be more general.

01:19 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please start later -- my child is a zombie in the morning and has difficulty get ting to sleep at the hour she should to get the number of hours she needs. definite problem for her. "real world" clock which is what we should be orienting them to anyway.

01:55 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Lots of school assignments involve busy work like art projects outside of art cl asses. Limit the busy work, which has no educational value and will not contribu te to higher SATs or college admissions, and the kids will have a lot more time to sleep.

02:12 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

The start time is way too early. More kids would ride the bus if it came later, but they want to sleep as long as possible. My kids physically cannot go to sl eep any earlier which means they are always tired during the school days.

04:24 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

The proposed change makes the most sense developmentally for all students...glad you are pursuing it!

04:38 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Another factor not listed in this survey is heavy homework loads. It is typical that an A student can spend 3-4 hours a night on homework. This, after a full school day and an after sports practice leads to late nights sleeping. Teachers and administrators should have a policy about the amount of homeowork they can load on students in a given day / week. Most of the problems happen when teache rs assign homework or projects in a vacuum - not understanding what other teache rs have assigned or expect during the same period. There should be a technology solution that would enable teachers and administrators to monitor the workloads of students.

04:39 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Younger children should start school earlier than pre-teens or teens since they naturally go to bed earlier and rise earlier. My 5th grade boy wakes up on his o wn at 6:30 everyday because he falls asleep at 8pm. My 13 year old has to be wok en up every morning and sleeps on the bus all the way to school [god bless our d river] he's too tired to eat breakfast so he eats "lunch" at 10:30 which becomes his breakfast anbd then eats again when he gets home at 2:30. It really would b e great to reverse the schedules. I have 20 somethings and they went to school i n another state and it was much better than Farifax, Va. Start time for High Sch ool was 9.

05:02 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

It would greatly help if the times were changed because teens require more sleep . My son especially would benefit from a later start time.

05:27 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Students should develop habit to get up early in the morning and that's why I su pport the current schedule better. Changing the time schedule is not going to re duce the working hour for students because starting the date late would also mea n everything will shift further (late) by the same hours unless school homework or other activities are reduced!!! Changing the time schedule is a ridiculous id ea without changing the workload to achieve the desired results of helping sleep less students.

05:28 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I believe that middle schools and high schools start entirely too early and need to start later. However, if elementary schools start this late and get out ear lier than the higher grade levels, it will make things more difficult for famili es that don't have a parent at home during the day.

05:51 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I am in favor of the later start times. However, this comes with a drawback. Ha ving a child who plays sports if school is let out later the sports programs run later and we are pretty much back in the same boat with them going to bed late and tired. I think there should be a balance and perhaps practice times should be shorter. After all, academics should be our priority.

10:04 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I know this has taken a long time and been a lot of work for a few dedicated fol ks. Thank you so much. My kids start getting regular headaches by the 3rd quar ter from the cumulative fatigue effect.

10:11 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Can someone confirm that middle schoolers who attend Robinson or Lake Braddock w ill follow a high school schedule? I assume that those schools will not have t wo arrival times and two departure times.

10:16 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I like the schedule the way it is. I really don't like the idea of my middle sc hooler getting home between 4:00 - 4:30. It would be straight to the homework a nd no time to socialize. For my child there will be band concert ect....doesn't leave to much time to do homework and unwind before they have to be back to sch ool. My child gets up at 6:00 anyway and having to wait for school to start, it would just upset his schedule. I schedule appointments for after school hours. If school started later, that would interfere with my child's education, cause I would have to pull him out earlier or he would sign into school late cause of an a.m appointment. Please leave the times they way they are.

05:55 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

The early start time for Elementary school means earlier ending time which is a problem for those that work. The later time allows for work schedule without af ter school care. However, the earlier time may require more after school care, especially since the younger kids can't stay home alone. I do believe very stro ngly that the High and Middle school days are too early but the earier start tim e for Elementary school is also a problem. I understand the bus scheduling prob lem.

09:23 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Would organizing bus routes by neighborhood help? In other words, bus runs woul d serve multiple schools (e.g., Cooper MS AND Churchill Road ES).

09:36 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Sounds like a transportation nightmare for the buses. And I can just imagine the High School arriving just as Hayfield ES has completed arrival. Have the teache rs and the VEA been asked about this?

10:02 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I think this is a great initiative and would respond to the natural rythms of hi gh school students.

10:24 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

Thank you for studying this very important issue. I hope the early start times can soon be resolved. They were very detrimental to my son's learning, and our entire family's schedule. (He is now in college.) Why can't middle and high sc hoolers ride the same buses - wouldn't that solve some of the problem?

10:51 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

High schools could start between 7:50 and 8:55, middle schools could start betwe en 8:35 and 8:55, and elementary schools could start between 9:20 and 9:40. Mid dle and especially High schools students need less sleep and have more after sch ool activities. Middle school students need more help getting ready and off to school, therefore should start second. Elementary students need 10 - 12 hours o f sleep, need the most help getting ready and off to school, and have fewer afte r school activities, therefore should start latest.

10:52 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

If high school students come home early like now in the afternoon without any ac tivities to go to, they have a lot of time to kill (may do some unwanted activit ies). If schools start later, they get more sleep, less time to kill in the aft ernoon, and it is beneficial for their health.

11:09 PM Thursday, June 12, 2008

I have an unusally late-starter/late sleeper for elementary school, so I already have trouble getting him to school on time. I totally support switching bus sc hedules to let the high school students get more sleep in the morning!

01:05 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

Later start times for middle school and high school students are absolutely nece ssary for their health and success in school. The current start times are far t oo early.

02:36 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

I have my last of 4 children in high school now. My experience is that they all were up earlier and ready to start their days when they were younger (waiting t o go to school) and found the transition to the early schedules in middle school and high school physically draining because they were always tired in the morni ng. I support a 'switch' in the times.

06:28 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

Recent studies continue to prove that inadequate sleep is linked to health and l earning issues. Moreover, the circadian rhythm of most teenagers makes early st art times counterproductive.

07:07 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

My daughter was a competitive swimmer, getting up at 3:50 am to be in the pool b y 4:30. She doesn't complain, but I can tell when she is physically run-down. Some nights if she has a ton of homework (she has all honors classes) she has th at same run-down look. At some point, these kids need rest and they are overloa ded with school, sports and extracurricular things that they "need" to be compet itive for getting into a good college. As a freshman cheerleader, her prqactice s didn't even start until 5:15. She would stay in the library working on homewo rk until it closed at 4:00 and work in the hallways until practice. If school s tarted later or practice started earlier, she would have had more time at home f or studying and less wasted time trying to work in noisey hallways. Even though school got out early, we didn't see her until 7:30 most nights.

07:42 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

School age children should not have to get up before 7 am to get in the school b us. And policy should be determined by rational, efficient use of resources, not a vote of the few who care. Locate centers near the students they serve (i.e., don't put GT middle school in a marginally performing school like Kilmer, put it closest to the locus of the participants residences, at Cooper) and you'll redu ce the stress on the bus fleet. Start treating the school budget like its money coming out of your own pocket, not money you're not accountable for or dependent upon personally.

07:56 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

The proposed change is fantastic and the start times are the most appropriate I' ve seen as a former FCPS student in the 1980's and a former FCPS high school tea cher. Please implement immediately!

09:11 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

If we lived closer to the school and didn't have to leave at such an early hour to get to school (either by bus or car). I would keep the current times.

09:56 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

High schools should start later! Teens get into trouble in the early afternoon to evening (2:10- 5:00) before parents come home from work. Given theri need fo r sleep and tendency to stay up late, it makes sense to start and end high schoo l at later times.

10:06 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

To me (and many that have children in daycare) it does not really matter when sc hool would start, my child would still need to wake up early so that I can get t o work on time. That is not going to change whether school starts at 8 or 9.

10:25 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

I very happy that this is being looked into. It is very important that kids get enough rest to succeed scholastics. I also appreciate that logistics regarding bus schedules and other factors in school start times are very complex. Thank you for looking into this!

10:51 AM Friday, June 13, 2008

Thank you for looking into this. It would be so good to have have the teens more in sync with their physical sleep needs - but hate to see it at the expense of after school time for activities such as sports and clubs...a tough issue!

12:26 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

As I stated earlier the later school starts for all the school age children the better. It is safer to have the children that wait for the bus in the morning t o be outside after the sun has risen. Also with a lot of families that have bot h parents working, it is not good to have older children unsupervised for long p eriods of time before their parents get home from work.

01:25 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I think the current schedule for high schools are working fine as there are many afternoon activities that benefit them as well. I would not change the hours fo r high schools in particular.

02:26 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I think it is fantastic that the school system would consider later start times. Grades are very dependent on the amount of sleep children get. I am not looking forward to next school year (7th grade), because of the early start time. I hop e it will not affect her grades, but I fear that it will. awn person myself and cannot imagine what these kids absorb at 7:20 in the morni ng? I hope this idea can take root and be actualized.

02:49 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I think a starting time of 7:20 is far too early for high school students. Start ing times of 8 or 8:30 are more appropriate, given their physiological needs (i. e., they don't even start to get tired until about 11 at night). I know from my high school student that it is hard to concentrate at 7:30 in the morning--that first period can be a waste of time.

03:57 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

The system is absolutely barbaric -- both for students and parents. No pre-teen s and teens should have to get up at 5:45 in the morning. They have a lot of ho mework and activities, and aren't tired at 8:30 at night -- therefore, they can' t get to bed early enough on any night to get the required amount of sleep. Thi s is our first year in middle school and both my daughter and I have spent the y ear in a semi-zombie state. I personally believe it is bad for their health -- both physically, mentally and emotionally.

04:58 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I like the current schedule which allows my older children to meet my elementary child at the bus stop if I cannot be there after school. I also like after sch ool activities, sports & work in the afternoon. It's okay with me that my high school kids are tired & need to go to sleep by midnight on weekends. Nothing go od happens after midnight.

05:51 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I think younger children should start the earliest they go to sleep earlier and are up earlier

06:01 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

It is counterproductive for kids' health as well as classroom learning efficienc y for kids to be at school so early, especially middle and high school. Please m ove start times later as much as is reasonably possible. Families will make chan ges to accommodate this.

10:57 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

I'd really, really like for the start times to be later so that my children can be well rested to learn.

10:58 PM Friday, June 13, 2008

My daughter, who will begin kindergarten in the fall and is not applicable on th is survey, does not usually get up before 8am so an earlier elementary start tim e would be hard for us but I would rather that, then see these poor kids heading to school so early. I vividly remember being so tired when I was in highschool in FCPS and being miserable!

08:10 AM Saturday, June 14, 2008

I am much more concerned about the unfair grading system than I am about the sta rt times for high schools. I like my son up and out of the house by 7am. It te aches him about real life. I wake up at 5:30 every day....these whiny parents n eed to get over it!!!!

09:55 AM Saturday, June 14, 2008

My daughter is the only one at her bus stop (pick up at 6:35 a.m.) and in the wi nter it is completely dark at that time. A later pickup time (when it's lighter outside) would be safer. She is involved with theater, music and sports and wh en there are late games across the county, she often doesn't do homework until 9 or 10 o'clock which means bed time is not until 12 and then she gets up at 5:30 so that she can eat and get on the bus in time. Most weekends, she's completel y exhausted and sleeps for 12 hours at night. I would love to see a later start time for many reasons (and also have sports practice times limited a little mor e).

11:09 AM Saturday, June 14, 2008

Current schedule is disastrously early for children in their pre-teens and teens , who need more sleep. My seventh grader this year had Honors Math starting at 7:30. There is no question that the early start time adversely affected her gen eral level of performance in a subject in which she had previously received stra ight A's throughout elementary school. My 1st and 4th graders wake up easily an d naturally on an early schedule, and there is no reason they could not attend e lementary school earlier than 8:30.

11:44 AM Saturday, June 14, 2008

later start times for middle & high school students would help students be more altert in class, making their experience all the more beneficial

10:01 PM Monday, June 16, 2008

As a child matures their sleep patterns change. The elementary age children are typically in an early to bed, early to rise mode. This is not the case for teen s. Let us give our students the tools to succeed - sleep being a major tool!

09:27 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My kids have noted that on days with a snow/weather delay they perform much bett er in school. I fully support a later start time for high school students.

09:30 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Our third and last child will be a senior next year. We have all be exhausted si nce the oldest entered middle school 10 years ago. If this later start time can go into effect for even one year for our family, we will be thrilled.

09:31 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I have been waiting for this! I think it would be WONDERFUL for the teenage stu dents - I look forward to the implementation (hopefully!!!)

09:31 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

We have had 3 kids go through Fairfax County schools from elementary through hig h school. We have long believed the start time for high school and even middle school is too early. Any improvements in this, even if it means a sacrafice to school sports practice opportunities, is long overdue.

09:32 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I have had kids at Robinson Secondary School for 8 straight years now and all of them have usually had the worst grade in the first morning class - regardless o f what the class was. We have changed our work schedule so we can drive our kids to school to give them an extra 15 min in the morning so they can get their "br ain in gear" in the morning or eat a quick snack in the car on the way. NO ONE i n our house is a morning person and this has had an impact on our hours at work/ job and entire family structure. I honestly don't think my kids have gotten muc h out of their early morning class ever. We have documented more illness when ou r kids hit 7th grade (since we go to Robinson we get 6 years of the early start time for everyone). This is the best suggestion for improving life for our stude nts that I have since EVER for our kids and I have lived in Fairfax for 20 years .

09:37 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I'm very happy to see later start times for teenagers is being considered. My d aughter goes to bed early enough but is still very very tired in first period of High School.

09:37 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

The economic impact on the mother and father needs to be accounted for also. Wi th the current elementary start time, the youngest child can be put on a bus in the morning with the parent arriving at work at a reasonable time. A later elem entary start time will not allow that. Moreover, at the end of day, that workin g parent, who used to depart work in time to meet the child at home, will now le ave later, further adding to the traffic problems as they become part of the mas sess. It is important to note that being late to work because of traffic proble ms has a lesser potential to result in harm to your young child than being caugh t in the afternoon mess with you child already home, unsupervised.

09:40 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I like the current schedule because it gives my daughter plenty of time after sc hool to complete homework before doing evening activities.

09:41 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

This new schedule should not be applied. I believe waking up early to go to scho ol is the same for me waking up early to go to work. These students need to comp rehend this experience early on in life.

09:41 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

High School need to focus on teaching attentive students. An early start time wi th block scheduling leads to many students sleeping or groggy in class

09:45 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

if there were more trailers at the crowded schools then more kids could attend t heir local school instead of being bused miles away - so they wouldn't have to g et up so early for that looong bus ride (and it would save gas)

09:49 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My two very bright boys are suffering greatly because they are so tired in class that they can't focus, and even fall asleep and miss assignments and explanatio ns. I have shelled out many extra dollars for tutors and Sylvan Learning Center to try to catch them back up. This is not only devastating to their GPA's and my pockets, but has undermined their self-esteem, which is so crucial at this age. The HS start time is so ILLOGICAL to nature and I am dumbfounded that this has gone on for so long. Younger children naturally get up earlier and fall asleep e arlier. Growing pubescents need more rest, but their biorhythms don't allow them to fall asleep early enough to get enough sleep before they have to wake for sc hool in the hours that exist now. If you would make this adjustment, it could be life changing for not only my children but countless others in Fairfax County.

09:49 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Changing the elementary start time to later is very difficult for working parent s. I can put my younger boys on the bus at 7:50 and be at work by 8:20. I couldn 't wait for an 8:30 bus - young children can't get themselves on a bus

09:49 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

The younger ones (elementary school) seem to do better in the early morning and lose focus in the afternoon. The teens gravitate toward a later schedule - left to their own devices, they sleep past noon on the weekends. It seems like a no- brainer to switch the school starting times. Families/daycares will adjust.

09:50 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My middle school student is always very tired at the end of the day. She is in all honor classes, has lots of homework, does not get to bed early enough and ha s to wake up too early for school the next day. It definitely impacts her learn ing negatively.

09:50 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Question 9 should also refer to Drama activities and Band/orchestra/music as the se school activities also have practive after school

09:55 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Absolutely need later times for high schools, attendance is a huge issue for mor ning classes, these kids can't function that early. this has been a problem for years, and all parents complain.

09:57 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CHANGE THE START TIME TO A LATER TIME. IT IS CRAZY THAT THESE KIDS ARE GETTING UP BEFORE 6:00 AM TO START SCHOOL. SOMETHING MUST CHANGE !!!!

10:17 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Later start time for teens would definitely translate to reduction of mood disor ders: depression, ANXIETY, and general malaise. Seems so obvious, so respectful of teens who are struggling with so many issues at this time in their lives in which they/we dont have much control. Isn't it about time we make this one chan ge where we DO have some control?!!!

10:17 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

As noted above, I think the proposed middle school start/end times are too late for students to participate in after school activities and sports. Middle schoo ls should have the earliest start times. The number of bus stops might need to be increased, to limit the distance middle school students need to walk in the d ark during winter months.

10:21 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I think it would be a huge mistake to change. I don't appreciate the fact that our children who manage their time well have to change because some children can 't manage their time and can't plan for proper sleep. I have two children in sp orts and they do well in those and academics AND get enough sleep -- why do we h ave to be punished by having to start later and essentially have to start practi ces later. I think those wishing to start later I simply selfish or irresponsib le.

10:22 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I have looked forward to this change since moving here in 1995. I have always c onsidered the start times for Robinson too early. I applaud this change and con gratulate SLEEP on their diligence and hard work!!

10:23 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Please make these long-overdue changes and show some humanity toward our sufferi ng students. There is no down side to making start times later for MS and HS stu dents and only across-the-board improvements to be had. This cannot happen too s oon!

10:27 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I do not think elementary schools should start befoe 8:30 and get out before 3:0 0. Elementary kids have sports and homework also and it is hard to get them to b ed before 9:00 on many nights.

10:27 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Our family welcomes these schedule changes, and I believe the later start time w ill significantly and positively impact our daughter's school experience. The l ack of sleep due to such an early start time causes unnecessary physical and emo tional issues and detracts from her overall academic and social experience. Add itionally, I would like to say that I understand that some parents are resistant to the time changes as they rely on older children to provide care for younger children in their family. While I can appreciate their needs differ from ours, I feel it would be wrong to penalize the quality of the learning experience for ALL of our teenagers to accommodate care responsibilities which are duties of pa rents to fulfill, not a primary role for young people. is later start time be implemented as soon as possible, and, other county agenci es impacted by such changes should work collaboratively with schools to accommod ate the broader needs of the community. , and I hope we'll see a compilation of results.

10:27 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

High school start times should be later. With demanding homework assignments and the sports and extra curricular activities needed to get into Virginia colleges these days, there is not enough time for the kids to do all that and get enough sleep also.

10:29 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

It would be extremely detrimental to students if start times were altered. Most high school students would continue to participate in after school activities, they are a very important part of the experience. Students would still have the same amount of classwork and activities, but they would JUST BE PUSHED BACK AN HOUR.. THIS IS PROPOSAL IS A WASTE OF RESOURCES, in times of severe budget cons traints. Students SHOULD not rely on the school board to set bedtimes for them, this is a family responsibility. Pressure to implement this "program" from spe cial intrests using psuedo science should be ignored, it will not provide more s leep just even later bedtimes--students will start the day later BUT FINISH LATE R as well. I don't want my student starting later and staying up later to fini sh the extensive homework she has in the IB program. SAVE OUR TAX MONEY for tex tbooks, instructional supplies, teacher salaries and building rennovations! Ple ase do not adjust the start time for high schools! Generations of students have started the day early to accomplish goals -- turn off the TV, phones and compute rs and GO TO BED EARLIER IF YOU REALLY NEED THE EXTRA SLEEP. PARENTS SHOULD DO THIS NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD!!!!!!!!

10:32 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thank You for considering a change in time schedules. The block scheduling make s a big difference in homework schedules and outside activities.

10:32 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I support changes that will let teenagers sleep later in the morning. When my ki ds were in Elementary school they woke up early and had a few hours to play befo re school. Now, I can barely drag them out of bed and get them there.

10:39 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

This change would be wonderful. Environmentally it would be better because she c ould bus both ways. Do adults really like getting up at 530? Adolescents are not mini adults. They are rapidly changing and need more sleep. Before school swimm ing is at 5:45. Is this lifestyle really worth it?

10:39 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

It makes sense for little ones to go to school early since they rely on their pa rents to get them ready and to provide transportation before going to work. It' s also good for middle schoolers to stay in school late so they don't get in tro uble while alone at home. High schoolers are known to sleep in class. In order to maximize their academic potential, we need to give them the sleep they need and a later start time. It has been proven to work in neighboring jurisdictions without jeopardizing sports. Thank you.

10:42 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Families should be able to do things in the evenings and nights without having t o get to bed ridiculously early to wake up ridiculously early. Schools should n ot start prior to 8:30 a.m. to allow everyone to get an appropriate, natural res t in conjunction with daylight patterns. A refreshed mind learns better. Addit ionally, teenagers are naturally incfont-weight: normal; lined to sleep later. Nature should be resp ected.

10:54 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My high schoolers say that they usually sleep on the bus on the way to school an d then it takes quite a while before they can be awake enough to function proper ly for their first class. Year after year, we have seen this reflect negatively in their grades. The 8:30 starting time for Union Mill is perfect. It would be a struggle for my child to get to school on time if this time was made any earl ier. I also would not like to see school start any later because this would dec rease the amount of time she has in the afternoon and she already takes much of the afternoon to complete her homework and reading assignments.

10:55 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Real life means meeting obligations and if they go to school later, they will si mply stay up later. Most manage to meet the committments they want and a boss wi ll make it mandatory.

10:59 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My concern is that if you start the high schoolers later, coaches will simply mo ve practices to before school. Also, I'm concerned that the later start times w ill cut into the time that some families need their students to work to help sup port the family. I work in one of our high schools, and many of my students HAV E to work, thus this later schedule would literally be taking money out of the f amilies hands - money that is relied upon.

11:02 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

Most people think kids should be able to "just got to bed earlier" in order to g et up early. But that just doesn't happen - for all sorts of reasons. Teens go to bed the same time as pretty much everyone else. Getting up at 5:30 is too e arly for that bed time. My daughters often come home and have to nap before att empting sports, activities, or homework. This makes homework get pushed later a nd later - or it doesn't get done. I think, if the school start time were pushe d back, they would still go to bed at the same time, but not be as tired during the day.

11:19 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

While I would like a later start time, my oldest child would not be affected bec ause he would still have to get up at 4:00 AM for swim practice before school. I f the times were to change, he would get out later from school and have less tim e to do homework because of going to bed so early.

11:24 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I think a later start time will reduce the number of kids falling asleep in clas s and improve their work performance.

11:28 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NEED MORE SLEEP THAN THEY ARE ABLE TO GET WITH THE CURRENT STARTING TIME

11:32 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

My son has ADD. It is difficult with the current 7:20 start time to get his medi cation in him in time for it to be working during his first class because I cann ot make him get up any earlier. We have always seen his lowest grades and had re ports of lower classroom participation in his first class. Younger children ofte n go to bed and wake up earlier so this may not be as much of an issue as it is with teens. ADD/ADHD accounts for a large enough population that perhaps this sh ould be taken into consideration.

11:39 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

This is completely wrong, to have high school students wake up before 8 a.m. to get to school on time. Many drive, and their driving is made worse by this earl y start time.

11:48 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

I agree that teenagers should start school later. They need a lot more sleep th an they are able to get due to the early start time. Younger children wake earl ier naturally so could start early and end earlier.

11:51 PM Thursday, June 19, 2008

A concerted effort needs to be made to reduce the amount of homework. No more th an a half an hour per class.