“Five More Minutes, Mom…”

Late Start Wednesdays Should Return to Maclay

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Being ready to learn strictly at 8:30 in the morning is no easy task. Students and faculty are forced to drag themselves out of bed so early almost each day of the week, taking away from sleep and leaving no room for a break. With the removal of late starts on Wednesdays, each week feels as if it’s dragging on endlessly.

Late starts on Wednesdays allowed students to sleep in, something they usually could only experience on weekends. This sleep is key for teen development and can impact academic performance. Students who are sleep deprived struggle with focusing and recalling information. This leads to poor academic performance, which isn’t beneficial to anyone. Giving students an extra hour in the morning means they have a chance to catch up on sleep and therefore, can focus on school better. 

Besides giving students the opportunity to sleep more, late starts gave students a chance to catch up on any school or housework that they may be behind on. Students with busy schedules can easily utilize this extra hour to fit their needs, reducing their stress and workload. This reduction in stress can also lead to a better performance in school; stressed students can experience impaired concentration and cognitive performance. Consequently allowing students to have extra time to focus on their work can lead to higher academic performance. 

While teachers also need sleep and time for themselves, this extra hour before school gives them the chance to organize classwork, grade assignments or catch up on emails. Teachers having an extra hour in the morning increases productivity and efficiency during the school day, as teachers are more organized.

While some may critique the shorter classes that came with the Wednesday late start, these shorter classes seemingly elongated student focus, as they didn’t have to work for as long as usual. Typically, teens can focus for a span of 30-45 minutes, and classes at Maclay last for 75 minutes. With shorter classes, students remained focused for a larger portion of the time. 

Overall, late starts on Wednesdays were beneficial for everyone. They gave students a chance to catch up on sleep, do any extra work they have and, ultimately, perform better in school. They also gave teachers the time to complete work they might have been unable to finish. As stated, late start Wednesdays were beneficial to both students and teachers, and should make a reappearance in Maclay’s schedule.