30 minutes more "sleep" doesn't seem worth the monumental changes, scheduling and financial, that our community will endure
M
Millissa Gass
9 years ago
With the impending Barrington Schools having ORHS become a school or record in the near future, the start time change would be a huge issue for the families with other younger children still in the Barrington School District. Also the start time change would not be a benefit. It would just shift the end of the day for us and we would still be on our way at the same time in the morning.
J
Jen Croot
10 years ago
Featured
Is there a perceived problem or is it well documented that ORCSD has an issue with this? I recommend we keep the start time where it is - the negative repercussions could out weigh the positive (athletes, after school clubs, after school employment, childcare, transportation, etc.).
D
Donna james
10 years ago
Starting later is not going to make any difference in the kids, they even say the same thing. Always someone trying to change the system.
M
Madeline
10 years ago
I don't like the idea of starting school later because then it will end later. It would interfere with my after school activities. And with less time during the day, kids would only stay up even later doing homework. Changing up the times would only make things more confusing and younger kids need more sleep.
S
Susan Settele
10 years ago
I also disagree with a later start time. We could give students an extra 30 minutes if they took out advisory in the am and cut the day at the end so that the kids have that time for homework and afterschool activities. But starting later, and therefore getting out later, won't work for so many kids who are already short for time in the afternoon.
J
Jennifer Skoglund
10 years ago
My 6 year old son sleeps until 7:45a right now and I get him on the bus at 8:20a. If start times go later I will be forced to get him up earlier and put him in morning daycare where someone else gets him on the bus. My work won't let me come in that late and to drive him to a early daycare will require getting him up earlier. He won't be able to have after school playtime with his friends riding bikes and playing outside because it will be near dinnertime when he is out of school or with time changed too dark. Later start times for our school system will take sleep and activities away from children. I don't want this for him when he is 6 or 16-he will never be able to get an after school part time job ending school so late.
K
Kevan Carpenter
10 years ago
Let's teach good habits. Go to bed at a reasonable time and have time after school for work sports and homework.
W
William crotty
10 years ago
I also disagree with the start time change.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
Agree with keeping our start time the same and Rachelle's comments echo a number of my thoughts on the issue... http://www.ipetitions.com/user/rachelle-burnham/7673188
L
Lea Thompson
10 years ago
I am opposed to the later start time.
R
Rachelle Burnham
10 years ago
Below is my letter to the school board I sent in:
Dear ORCSD School Board,
I am writing you this letter as a recent newcomer to this district. My husband and I made the decision to move from Deerfield to Lee after 15 years in order to provide our children with the best education possible after Deerfield made the decision to extend a contract with Concord instead of entering in a contract with Oyster River. You see, we made the decision to buy in Deerfield 15 years ago because we had the foresight that are yet to be born children would have the opportunity to have school choice and because of this would have had the opportunity to attend some of the top schools in the state. Last year this was taken away from us. I am telling you this to show you that our children, their well being, and education are of utmost importance to us as I expect and hope that most parents feel this same way.
This is why I am struggling so much with the later start time issue. On one hand I see the studies, understand the studies,and have talked to our pediatrician about the studies (which she herself doesn't fully back). I believe there is some truth in the studies, but also realized that any "scientific" study can be easily manipulated to an end result. Yes, if we lived in a Utopia I would be all for flipping the start times of the elementary and the MS/HS.
But we don't live in a Utopia and I realize and am quickly learning that those who support this either don't realize or don't care that by making this change there are negative consequences whether intentional or not. It is my belief that many more families are going have these negative consequences than there are who are going to benefit.
What the supporters do not see is that later start time does not equate to additional sleep. In fact the only family situation that I could see where it could possibly equate to additional sleep is the rare family where a parent stays at home and they only have children in MS/H
M
Michelle Harriton
10 years ago
I do not support later start times for school. This just adds more fuel to the fire for this "entitled" generation. Although I know our kids would appreciate later start times this in no way prepares them for real life. As it stands there are days we don't see some or all of our kids until 9:30 pm or later. No thanks!!
M
Michael Hoffman
10 years ago
While I spoorted the investigation of changing school hour, with more exploration, I now am against the idea. My sense it that the mission of public schools is to prepare our young people for life by setting them up for success. A later start time would interfere with inter-scolastic athletics, which keep many kids on the straight and narrow. Inter-scholastic sports had a huge effect on my sons' attitude and behavior.
Additionally, kids who need to work would find themselves staying up late, sometimes with negative exposures, to either work enough hours or to finish homework. Early to bed early to rise is a better trait than stay out late.
K
Katie Fiermonti
10 years ago
I do not support changing the start times.
M
Monica Jurrissen
10 years ago
Featured
Both my boys play soccer year round and later start time will make practices and games more difficult, especially if no other schools in area change start tines.
K
Katie Jacques
10 years ago
I do not support a later start time as it's not best for our family.
L
Lynne Castonguay
10 years ago
Wow- What great and rapid response! Its great to read all the intelligent, respectful and concise comments! Please keep sharing, spread the word!
I have attempted multiple times to post, in these comments, our letter to the school board which will be included in tonights meeting but it is not working, I thought perhaps bc it is too long so I also attempted to post it in sections (which also didn't work.) I will keep at it but I wanted you to know we have brought this petition with your attached concerns to the attention of the SB and hope they will consider all perspective before proceeding in anyway.
R
Rad Nichols
10 years ago
I could not be more opposed to a later start time, regardless of what science is now trying to tells us. These are teachable moments, every single weekday morning.
30 minutes more "sleep" doesn't seem worth the monumental changes, scheduling and financial, that our community will endure
With the impending Barrington Schools having ORHS become a school or record in the near future, the start time change would be a huge issue for the families with other younger children still in the Barrington School District. Also the start time change would not be a benefit. It would just shift the end of the day for us and we would still be on our way at the same time in the morning.
Is there a perceived problem or is it well documented that ORCSD has an issue with this? I recommend we keep the start time where it is - the negative repercussions could out weigh the positive (athletes, after school clubs, after school employment, childcare, transportation, etc.).
Starting later is not going to make any difference in the kids, they even say the same thing. Always someone trying to change the system.
I don't like the idea of starting school later because then it will end later. It would interfere with my after school activities. And with less time during the day, kids would only stay up even later doing homework. Changing up the times would only make things more confusing and younger kids need more sleep.
I also disagree with a later start time. We could give students an extra 30 minutes if they took out advisory in the am and cut the day at the end so that the kids have that time for homework and afterschool activities. But starting later, and therefore getting out later, won't work for so many kids who are already short for time in the afternoon.
My 6 year old son sleeps until 7:45a right now and I get him on the bus at 8:20a. If start times go later I will be forced to get him up earlier and put him in morning daycare where someone else gets him on the bus. My work won't let me come in that late and to drive him to a early daycare will require getting him up earlier. He won't be able to have after school playtime with his friends riding bikes and playing outside because it will be near dinnertime when he is out of school or with time changed too dark. Later start times for our school system will take sleep and activities away from children. I don't want this for him when he is 6 or 16-he will never be able to get an after school part time job ending school so late.
Let's teach good habits. Go to bed at a reasonable time and have time after school for work sports and homework.
I also disagree with the start time change.
Agree with keeping our start time the same and Rachelle's comments echo a number of my thoughts on the issue... http://www.ipetitions.com/user/rachelle-burnham/7673188
I am opposed to the later start time.
Below is my letter to the school board I sent in: Dear ORCSD School Board, I am writing you this letter as a recent newcomer to this district. My husband and I made the decision to move from Deerfield to Lee after 15 years in order to provide our children with the best education possible after Deerfield made the decision to extend a contract with Concord instead of entering in a contract with Oyster River. You see, we made the decision to buy in Deerfield 15 years ago because we had the foresight that are yet to be born children would have the opportunity to have school choice and because of this would have had the opportunity to attend some of the top schools in the state. Last year this was taken away from us. I am telling you this to show you that our children, their well being, and education are of utmost importance to us as I expect and hope that most parents feel this same way. This is why I am struggling so much with the later start time issue. On one hand I see the studies, understand the studies,and have talked to our pediatrician about the studies (which she herself doesn't fully back). I believe there is some truth in the studies, but also realized that any "scientific" study can be easily manipulated to an end result. Yes, if we lived in a Utopia I would be all for flipping the start times of the elementary and the MS/HS. But we don't live in a Utopia and I realize and am quickly learning that those who support this either don't realize or don't care that by making this change there are negative consequences whether intentional or not. It is my belief that many more families are going have these negative consequences than there are who are going to benefit. What the supporters do not see is that later start time does not equate to additional sleep. In fact the only family situation that I could see where it could possibly equate to additional sleep is the rare family where a parent stays at home and they only have children in MS/H
I do not support later start times for school. This just adds more fuel to the fire for this "entitled" generation. Although I know our kids would appreciate later start times this in no way prepares them for real life. As it stands there are days we don't see some or all of our kids until 9:30 pm or later. No thanks!!
While I spoorted the investigation of changing school hour, with more exploration, I now am against the idea. My sense it that the mission of public schools is to prepare our young people for life by setting them up for success. A later start time would interfere with inter-scolastic athletics, which keep many kids on the straight and narrow. Inter-scholastic sports had a huge effect on my sons' attitude and behavior. Additionally, kids who need to work would find themselves staying up late, sometimes with negative exposures, to either work enough hours or to finish homework. Early to bed early to rise is a better trait than stay out late.
I do not support changing the start times.
Both my boys play soccer year round and later start time will make practices and games more difficult, especially if no other schools in area change start tines.
I do not support a later start time as it's not best for our family.
Wow- What great and rapid response! Its great to read all the intelligent, respectful and concise comments! Please keep sharing, spread the word! I have attempted multiple times to post, in these comments, our letter to the school board which will be included in tonights meeting but it is not working, I thought perhaps bc it is too long so I also attempted to post it in sections (which also didn't work.) I will keep at it but I wanted you to know we have brought this petition with your attached concerns to the attention of the SB and hope they will consider all perspective before proceeding in anyway.
I could not be more opposed to a later start time, regardless of what science is now trying to tells us. These are teachable moments, every single weekday morning.
Keep start times the same!