How To Help spread the word about the importance of changing the start times in secondary schools in Fairfax County.

It is critical to have a large number of people involved in the effort.  We need to show the School Board, the FCPS Superintendent, Principals and other County leaders that there is community support for this change.  It is time for this issue to be a top priority.  Our children deserve to have a complete night of rest.  It's not an option.  It's a physical requirement.  Our children's health and safety should not be comprised for the convenience of the status quo.

1. Sign the petition and join the email distribution list to show that you want FCPS to make secondary school start times later in the morning.
   
2. Contact the pyramid coordinator from the list of High Schools and Coordinators to find out how you can help.  If no coordinator is listed and you would like to volunteer for the job, e-mail: dpayne6@cox.net.
   
3. Print out the fact sheet and distribute copies to other parents in the morning kiss n'ride line to increase awareness about the importance of sleep in the life of our teenagers.
   
4. Write a letter or send an email to your School Board Member to let them know that you think it's important to have the secondary schools start later in the morning. This sample letter will give you some ideas, but it is always better to write your own.
   
   Click here for a list of School Board Members and how they responded to the SLEEP Questionnaire we gave each of them before the 2007 election. It includes comments by SLEEP about how the members have responded to our efforts in the past. This information may help when you speak with or write to a School Board Member.
   
5. Talk, e-mail, or write a letter to your School Principal and Cluster Director (see High Schools and Coordinators for your school's principal and mailing address). Sample Principal/Cluster Director letter
   
6. Publish this article in your school newsletter.
   
7. Use the PowerPoint slide presentation to talk to community members about teens and sleep (at PTA or other community meetings). Click to download and save to your computer.

   If you do not have Powerpoint software on your computer, click here for the PDF version.
   Click here for the Notes that accompany the PDF version of the slide show.

   

   You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) to read this pdf file. You can download by clicking on the Adobe icon:

8. Speak at a public hearing, to County Supervisors, or to the School Board.  Sample speeches
   
9. Help FCPS find enough drivers to provide reasonable bell schedules. Click here to learn how your PTA can earn $1,000 for your school.