Student Hall of Fame
Challenging school policy is hard enough for adults. Students are at an even greater disadvantage. Not only do they risk alienating the very people who determine their futures, but they also risk alienating their peers, many of whom mistakenly believe that starting school any later (however late that may be) will mean too little time for homework, extracurriculars, and after-school jobs (as well as freedom that comes from 2 p.m. dismissals).
Despite these challenges, many students around the country are working for more reasonable school start times. Some have written blogs for their school or community newspapers, some have started Facebook pages promoting a later start time, some have even formed clubs at their schools to work for change.
We want to recognize some of these local heroes who are leading the charge to work for the education, safety, and health of their classmates.
Hannah Fobert, 12, of Salem, OR, who wrote a clear, well-argued, and well-researched letter-to-the-editor on the need to start school later.
Jilly Dos Santos, a sophomore at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, MO, who created and leads a group called "Students' Say" with both a Facebook and Twitter presence - and a petition - who successfully fought a plan to move the 7:50 a.m. high school start times up to 7:20 a.m. to save on bus costs.
Fatima Shareef, a senior at Edsel High School who wrote a well-referenced editorial discussing the sleep time needed for students aged 11-22 and presenting compelling arguments about why current start times at Dearborn's high schools undermine student success.
Andrew Joyce, a Plympton, MA high school senior who wrote a poignant and well-researched letter to a local paper asking that the school system review the sleep study committee whose work was rejected by the community years earlier.
Leonie Kroeger, a German exchange student at Kleins Collins High School in Spring, TX, who has written two well-researched and argued blogs on teen sleep deprivation and school start times the high school's online newspaper: Students Benefit from Later Start,
Zack Becker. When Zack’s high school moved its start time up from 8 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. so that middle schools could start later, Zack started a Facebook group to fight the change. He planned to take the issue to the school board, but only 15 students agreed to join him. He was recently profiled in the Maryland Heights (MO) Patch.
Jason Luque founded and leads a “Sleep Club” at California's Temecula Valley High School.
Jess Barlow. Citing research from sleep science, Jess created a petition in Amherst, NH to start both the local middle and high school at 8:30 a.m. for the sake of learning, safety, and health.
Matthew Swanson of Burlington, MA wrote a blog (Guest Post: The Necessity of a Later School Start
Time), as well as numerous well-researched and well-reasoned responses, in The Lounge: Student’s
Information Blog.
Katie Carlson, who wrote an Opinion piece (Later start time would improve student performance)
for her school newspaper.
Mary Siebert, an 8th grader in Stevens Point, WI, wrote an eloquent letter to the Stevens Point
Journal arguing that later school start time helps pupils.
Sienna Lee wrote an article for her school paper in New Hope, PA entitled “Why high school students need a later arrival time.”
Devin Neal wrote an article (More Sleep=Better Grades?) on the school start time controversy for The Defensor, the school paper for Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach, VA.
Victoria Bracher wrote a column (Start time unrealistic) for her school paper in Kent,
OH.
Jack Petrides, a high school freshman at Northampton High School in Northampton, MA, wrote a letter to the Daily Hampshire Gazette's editor explaining why an "early-to-bed" approach won't work for teens.
Britni Berg, a high school student and aspiring journalist from Northbrook, IL, wrote a column on the so-called "race to nowhere" for her local Patch paper. "When students start substituting energy drinks for their eight hours sleep," she writes, "is it time to say, enough is enough?"
Zach Speed, a staff writer for his school's online newspaper in Westport, CT, wrote an opinion piece called "The Wrong Side of the Bed" in which he argues that high school students can't possibly get even close to the amount of needed sleep given current school start times.
If you know other students who deserve recognition for their efforts to promote sane, humane
school start times, please tell us their stories.
--Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
Co-Director, StartSchoolLater.net
Despite these challenges, many students around the country are working for more reasonable school start times. Some have written blogs for their school or community newspapers, some have started Facebook pages promoting a later start time, some have even formed clubs at their schools to work for change.
We want to recognize some of these local heroes who are leading the charge to work for the education, safety, and health of their classmates.
Hannah Fobert, 12, of Salem, OR, who wrote a clear, well-argued, and well-researched letter-to-the-editor on the need to start school later.
Jilly Dos Santos, a sophomore at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, MO, who created and leads a group called "Students' Say" with both a Facebook and Twitter presence - and a petition - who successfully fought a plan to move the 7:50 a.m. high school start times up to 7:20 a.m. to save on bus costs.
Fatima Shareef, a senior at Edsel High School who wrote a well-referenced editorial discussing the sleep time needed for students aged 11-22 and presenting compelling arguments about why current start times at Dearborn's high schools undermine student success.
Andrew Joyce, a Plympton, MA high school senior who wrote a poignant and well-researched letter to a local paper asking that the school system review the sleep study committee whose work was rejected by the community years earlier.
Leonie Kroeger, a German exchange student at Kleins Collins High School in Spring, TX, who has written two well-researched and argued blogs on teen sleep deprivation and school start times the high school's online newspaper: Students Benefit from Later Start,
Zack Becker. When Zack’s high school moved its start time up from 8 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. so that middle schools could start later, Zack started a Facebook group to fight the change. He planned to take the issue to the school board, but only 15 students agreed to join him. He was recently profiled in the Maryland Heights (MO) Patch.
Jason Luque founded and leads a “Sleep Club” at California's Temecula Valley High School.
Jess Barlow. Citing research from sleep science, Jess created a petition in Amherst, NH to start both the local middle and high school at 8:30 a.m. for the sake of learning, safety, and health.
Matthew Swanson of Burlington, MA wrote a blog (Guest Post: The Necessity of a Later School Start
Time), as well as numerous well-researched and well-reasoned responses, in The Lounge: Student’s
Information Blog.
Katie Carlson, who wrote an Opinion piece (Later start time would improve student performance)
for her school newspaper.
Mary Siebert, an 8th grader in Stevens Point, WI, wrote an eloquent letter to the Stevens Point
Journal arguing that later school start time helps pupils.
Sienna Lee wrote an article for her school paper in New Hope, PA entitled “Why high school students need a later arrival time.”
Devin Neal wrote an article (More Sleep=Better Grades?) on the school start time controversy for The Defensor, the school paper for Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach, VA.
Victoria Bracher wrote a column (Start time unrealistic) for her school paper in Kent,
OH.
Jack Petrides, a high school freshman at Northampton High School in Northampton, MA, wrote a letter to the Daily Hampshire Gazette's editor explaining why an "early-to-bed" approach won't work for teens.
Britni Berg, a high school student and aspiring journalist from Northbrook, IL, wrote a column on the so-called "race to nowhere" for her local Patch paper. "When students start substituting energy drinks for their eight hours sleep," she writes, "is it time to say, enough is enough?"
Zach Speed, a staff writer for his school's online newspaper in Westport, CT, wrote an opinion piece called "The Wrong Side of the Bed" in which he argues that high school students can't possibly get even close to the amount of needed sleep given current school start times.
If you know other students who deserve recognition for their efforts to promote sane, humane
school start times, please tell us their stories.
--Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
Co-Director, StartSchoolLater.net
