Letter To The Editor: On Bell Schedule For Fairfax Middle Schools

This letter to the editor was submitted by Patch reader Samantha Mulvaney. If you wish to submit a letter to the editor on a local topic, email Emily.Leayman@patch.com.

Times are tough, the school year ahead is not going to be easy, but that does not mean that we can’t rise above and seek new opportunities for success especially for our children. With that in mind, one opportunity that is supported by many parents and students alike, is to start the FCPS middle school virtual day at 8:10 a.m., on the same schedule as secondary and high schools. I do not ask for this adjustment lightly. Our middle school students deserve the chance to RISE and SHINE. Having a later start to the virtual school day is a simple way to ensure student success. The current FCPS Bell Schedule calls for middle school to start at 7:30 a.m. That schedule was set due to bus transportation requirements, however FCPS no longer needs buses for school transportation due to the virtual setting! Therefore, they no longer need to start so early, it's just that simple.

While FCPS Superintendent Dr. Brabrand has expressed the desire to ensure the school day is as
normal as possible, FCPS must concede that no part of this situation is "normal." Without the
limiting factor of the bus schedule, each student's morning has the potential for a robust and alert start beginning at 8:10 a.m. We all want our children and students to be able to start the school year strong so that they can learn, grow, achieve, and excel in order to do their best and ensure their brightest future.

Not surprisingly, science agrees. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends at least 9-12 hours of sleep for children aged 6-12, and 8-10 hours of sleep for children aged 13-18. In addition, more than 2 out of 3 high school-aged adolescents are not getting enough sleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also found a similar trend among middle school-aged children and warns that insufficient sleep can increase the risk for a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, and injury. Lastly, the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Study, conducted by the CDC, suggested one way schools can support students and reduce the risks associated with short sleep duration is through "delayed school start times," a change recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Thankfully, Dr. Brabrand has stated that FCPS can be flexible in a virtual environment as
clarified in his Return to School Update August 3, 2020: "We are able to follow these [adjusted] schedules in a virtual environment because transportation arrangements are not needed."

As parents and caregivers, we could not agree more. In fact, we are begging for flexibility on this issue. During recent FCPS Town Hall meetings, Dr. Brabrand has been keen to acknowledge a multitude of requests from parents and caregivers for a later start to the middle school day. However, he has voiced some concern that a switch back to a 7:30 a.m. start, once in-person classes resume, may be difficult for students and families. While change is never easy, I believe we are making change successful in our daily lives, every single day. It would not be difficult to understand that in-person classes must begin at 7:30 due to bus scheduling constraints while virtual classes can begin at 8:10. Additionally, if the county, school district officials, or even Governor Northam were to dictate that it is safest to not return to in-person schooling at all, the benefit could be a full year of students able to attend their first class of the day alert and engaged, rested, and ready to learn. Realistically, we just do not know what lies ahead, so allowing for this small but deeply effective change could make a big difference in the quality of the school day for all involved!

These past few months, much of the Fairfax County community has worked tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of its residents is a top priority. Schools have shut down, businesses have closed, and life has been turned upside down all in the interest of community health and safety. We have all made adjustments, been flexible, and made changes to our daily lives. As summer break comes to a close and we begin to consider which aspects are most important in the coming school year, we hope that FCPS will provide the opportunity to prioritize the needs of our middle school students. These are changing times! We can adjust, we have proven it already!

We know there is much that goes into the multitude of decisions which will affect our FCPS students, teachers, staff and the school year ahead. The decisions are not easy, nothing about this time is "easy." The parent perspective is just one piece of the pie, yet I hope the potential for success and overall health and well-being of the thousands of middle school students in Fairfax County weighs heavily in the consideration of these circumstances.

Adjusting the middle school start time to 8:10 a.m. is a reasonable request that is well within the means of FCPS to accommodate and one that will certainly benefit FCPS students and staff. The benefits exceed the costs and our middle school students are worth the effort!

Samantha Mulvaney is the mother of two middle school children and lives in Wilton Woods, Alexandria.