21 durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, February 17 ,2022 | www.canadawindowsanddoors.com 905-665-1506119 Consumers Drive, Whitby.canadawindowsanddoors.com 905-665-1506 ProudlyServingDurhamSince1991 Glass and screen repairsGlass and Glass and sscreen creen repairsairsGlass and screen repairs Weekday Same Day Service Available!Weekday Same Day Service Available! Glass and screen repairs EMERGENCY GLASS SERVICES ORDERS PROCESSED IN 3 TO 7 DAYS All WindoWs And doors Are mAnufActured in-house by cAnAdA WindoWs & doors And supported locAlly by our deAlers. locally Manufactured Custom Windows Custom Doors Patio Doors Assortment of Window & Door Hardware Canada Windows & Doors Thousands of Durham high school students could be starting the school day at 8 a.m. next year -- it's an idea being slammed by some local families. That said, the current 10 a.m. bell time for Durham high schools is also controversial. A public consultation is underway on 2022-23 bell times for the Durham and Durham Catholic District school boards. Officials say one of the main goals in setting next year's bell times is eliminating the 10 a.m. start and 4 p.m. end currently in place at most Durham high schools. The late end-of-day bell has been a source of stress for many students, who say it impacts their ability to work at part- time jobs, do extracurricular activities or provide after-school care to younger siblings. Close to 4,000 people have signed a petition opposing the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. bells and student trustees have also spoken out on the negative impacts. However, families are also not impressed with the early bell time being suggested for some high schools for 2022-23. An 8 a.m. morning bell is proposed for eight high schools: Pickering High School, Brooklin High School, Donald A. Wilson Secondary School, O'Neill CVI, Port Perry High School, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School and Uxbridge Secondary School. "We're stuck in a dynamic where we're forced to push secondary bell times either early or late based on our desire to mitigate changes to elementary bell times," says David Wright, associate director for the DDSB. A ThoughtExchange being used to gather parent and student feedback has many negative comments about 8 a.m. morning bells with contributors calling the proposal "ridiculous," "unacceptable" and "drastic." "Students need a bell time that accommodates their sleeping needs. Many students will be late or absent from their classes as a result of this change," one comment notes. Others noted "teens are not ready to learn at 8 a.m. There is ample science to support this" and "mental health of students is important and moving from a too late, to a too early scenario is simply insanity." Out of 170 DDSB and DCDSB schools in total, bell time changes from pre-pandemic schedules are proposed for 49. Virtual open house sessions are taking place Feb. 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. Members of the public can also provide feedback until Feb. 25 through ThoughtExchange or by completing a survey. The DDSB is expected to provide a final report to trustees in March, while a report will go to DCDSB trustees on Feb. 28. 10 A.M. HIGH SCHOOL BELL CONTROVERSIAL, BUT SO IS 8 A.M. JILLIAN FOLLERT jfoller t@durhamregion.com NEWS Public consultations are underway for proposed bell times for DDSB and DCDSB schools for 2022-23. Jason Liebregts/Metroland VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT metrolandparcelservices.ca IS YOUR BUSINESS GROWING? Growing your ecommerce business might seem overwhelming at first. And the last thing you want to worry about is getting your product into the hands of new customers. Metroland Parcel Services can help with timely, reliable shipping at competitive rates. Visit our website to learn more about how MPS can ease your growing pains. SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION