Committee Debates Current School Schedule

By Larissa Lytwyn

The School Start Time Committee met recently to discuss the pros and cons of the current school schedule, citing benefits including fewer absences at Newtown Middle School and detriments such as fatigued first graders returning home as late as 4:30 pm after a nearly eight-hour school day.

The 14-member committee was divided into three subgroups to elicit three points they agreed were true from medical data presented during the committee’s previous meeting. The committee largely agreed that REM sleep is vital to memory and learning, adolescents are generally less attentive in the morning, especially if they lack sleep, and that optimal sleep for adolescents is approximately 9.2 hours.

Next, Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff asked Newtown High School Athletic Director Gregg Simon and Transportation Director Mary Kelly to discuss with the subgroups the current school schedule’s advantages and drawbacks.

The early high school and middle school schedule allows students to accommodate work schedules and after-school sports and activities, committee members noted.

Older students could also “baby-sit” younger siblings after school, some committee members agreed.

Newtown Middle School Principal Diane Sherlock is heading an informal field study comparing the number of tardies, excused, and unexcused absences between this fall and last.

Newtown Middle School now runs parallel to the high school schedule, operating from 7:30 am to 1:52 pm.

“Although we’ve had more tardies,” Ms Sherlock said, “we have had fewer absences.” She continued, “Based on observation, parents are dropping off students more in the morning and less in the afternoon.” The opposite happened last year.

“The tardies can be due to parents running late [in the morning] when they drop their kids off,” suggested committee member Peggy Baiad.

Other pros stated was that high school and middle school parents can leave at the same time as their children.

“This can give parents peace of mind,” said committee member Lisa Schwartz, a high school parent and also a school board member. “They know where their children are.”

Working parents of elementary-aged students at Head O’ Meadow, Middle Gate and Sandy Hook schools, however, may have to rely on potentially costly before and after-school programs. The school day runs 9:10 am to 3:22 pm this year, more than an hour later than last year’s 8 am start time.

Ms Kelly said that some elementary-aged students return home as late as 4:30 pm.

“These children are exhausted when they come home,” said committee member Wendy Leon-Gambetta, a Head O’ Meadow parent.

The fatigue could be so severe, said Ms Schwartz, that it could be difficult for students to do homework.

Medical research explaining the unique sleep patterns of adolescents, who generally release the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin later at night, results in daytime sleepiness.

Committee member Candi Dietter, a high school teacher, said that “for the first” time she’s noticed a difference in the behavior of a senior class she teaches during first period some days and afternoons during others. “They are definitely not totally there [in the morning],” she said.

Last year, she taught freshmen at varying times and noticed no difference.

Ms Leon-Gambetta and Committee member Debra Pollack-Wollman, a sleep physician, said that this could be because of the age difference between the two groups.

Ms Dietter expressed concern that emphasis on “sleepiness” could deter the group from seeing the “overall system” and suggested that Mr Simon conduct a presentation examining the effect of different school time scenarios on student athletes.

The committee also concurred that high school achievement is generally very high.

Ms Leon-Gambetta said emphasis on academic performance has not been deeply studied in relation to sleep patterns. She continued that her concern about school start times was rooted in the “health” and “quality of life” of children. “I don’t believe we’ve discussed substance abuse, among other issues, tonight,” she said.

She provided committee members with a state Board of Education statement supporting later start times for students. The National Institute of Health, among other organizations, she continued, widely support later schedules.

The next meeting is Monday, November 17, at 7 pm in Canaan House. A Wilton school system representative is expected to be in attendance. Wilton implemented later high school start times for the first time this year.