According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the ideal start time for schools is 8:30 a.m. or later. That way, elementary school kids can get their recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep. A later time change for all schools, due to a bus shortage, was an attempt to help younger kids get a ride to school.
After-school programs are struggling to get help. Now that elementary school starts and ends before high school, few can work at these programs. When reviewing the school schedule from previous years, it appears that everyone started on the 24th, 25th, or 26th. Although it started as early as August 20th, this year we actually started on August 19th.
It is inconvenient that elementary schools start and finish at earlier times. The school day lasts from 7:50 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. This could negatively impact the children, their teachers, and their guardians. Bismarck Life After School Time (B.L.A.S.T.) employs a majority of high school students to take care of the elementary kids whose parents can not get them after school. Having high school out later than elementary does not make sense.
School keeps starting earlier and earlier. Why does school keep getting pushed up so early? Because of the new calendar, high school students do not end the first semester before Christmas break; instead, the first semester ends two days after returning from Christmas break.
Having fewer breaks during the school year causes more anxiety among students and teachers. People are burning out faster over the day. Having week after week of school in the second semester is exhausting to even just think about.
The change in the school’s yearly schedule and daily class times is leading to difficulty in adjustment, which can lead to problems with students’ academic performance, an increase in health risks, and even behavioral issues. Their focus and ability to regulate their emotions can be disrupted and harder to manage by our administrators.
High school starts at almost the same time as it did last year. The time change was pushed up by 10 minutes. Even though it’s not that big of a difference, it’s leaving students not knowing their schedules. It’s hard to go from the schedule that most have had and have been used to for years to an entirely new schedule. Students are starting the year off blind, with almost no clue of when class starts and ends.
Starting on Tuesday made the first week of school feel miserable. It would have been bearable if we had started closer to the end of the week. If we had started on a Wednesday or Thursday, it would have given students a taste of school, so we were more prepared for the weeks to come. Starting with almost a full week of school, students started on a bad note.
Having new times mixed with no phones is a difficult adjustment for many, but hopefully, our teachers and administration will give grace to the returning students and teachers.