- Owen J. Roberts School District
- School Start Times
- Wake Up and Learn
Superintendent & Leadership Team
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Wake Up and Learn Program
Overview
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As part of a continued effort to support the mental, physical and academic wellbeing of our students, Owen J. Roberts School District (OJR) has focused on a number of strategies aimed to address sleep deficiency in adolescents. During the past year, the district explored extensive research focused on school start times and student sleep health, as well as solicited feedback on the subject from students, families, staff and the community.
Recognizing the extent to which sleep impacts overall wellbeing, OJR recently partnered with Geisinger Medical Center to provide the innovative Wake Up and Learn program to our students. Led by Dr. Anne Marie Morse, a pediatric neurologist and director of Geisinger’s pediatric sleep medicine and child neurology programs, Wake Up and Learn is a school-based sleep education and surveillance program that helps empower students, parents, and educators to adopt healthy sleep patterns and improve their overall mental, physical, and emotional health.
The purpose of this program is to provide you and your child with information related to sleep health. The free, opt-out resource helps parents, students and staff:
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Understand the importance of establishing proper sleep schedules
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Screen for sleep health issues
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Set and maintain good sleeping habits by providing educational information and strategies
If you do not want your child to participate, please complete this form or contact your child's school by Friday, April 21, 2023.
To help provide families with additional information about the Wake Up and Learn program, we’ve included a one-page fact sheet, in addition to a brief introductory video from Dr. Morse. Families can also access helpful articles and resources at www.wakeupandlearn.org.
For families who wish to participate in the program, the initial surveys — the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Childhood Sleep Questionnaire (CHSQ) — will be administered in school by OJR staff to students in grades 7-12 on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. These self-administered screenings will be completed using the student Chromebooks..
If your child reports symptoms reflective of a sleep problem, you will be asked to provide permission for your child to complete a more detailed screening survey. These screenings will assist us in identifying students that may benefit from further evaluation related to sleep problems. In addition to the screening surveys, Wake Up and Learn uses a variety of educational materials and programming to engage students and promote better sleep health. You may use this information in whatever way you think is best for your child. Please know that individually identifiable student information will only be accessible to families and will not be shared with the OJR School District.
As a school district, we are committed to promoting the health and emotional well-being of our students. Although often overlooked, sleep is critical to overall health and wellbeing, particularly in children and adolescents. The primary consequences of poor sleep among children and teens are behavior problems, impaired learning and school performance, mood and emotional problems and worse physical health. Compelling evidence also indicates that adolescents’ sleep may be related to high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse, suicidal behaviors, and drowsy driving.
As we continue to seek the most effective resources to support the academic success of our students, we appreciate your consideration of participating in the Wake Up and Learn program. Please contact Mrs. Caroline Gatto at the middle school or Mrs. Lynn Mancuso at the high school if you have questions related to the survey administration at OJR.
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