School health committee calls for 'blackout' windows around tests, a unified sleep curriculum and caution on classroom AI use

The School Health Advisory Committee delivered a series of recommendations aimed at reducing student stress and improving mental health, emphasizing sleep hygiene, improved mental‑health access, device oversight and caution around generative artificial intelligence in schools.

The committee proposed that schools avoid scheduling major athletic and arts events during end-of-quarter test windows to reduce student overload and allow sufficient time for sleep and recovery. "We would love to see the school board create blackout periods on school calendars for tests and high-intensity events," a SHAQ co-chair said, noting medical guidance on recommended sleep hours for children and adolescents.

SHAQ recommended centralizing sleep‑hygiene curriculum within the physical-education program and making age-appropriate information widely available (Schoology, the Wellness Hub, cafeterias and student common areas). The committee also urged FCPS to track the efficacy of any sleep programs and to pilot calendar changes to evaluate student outcomes.

On mental health and technology, the committee flagged gaps in FCPS's ability to monitor some digital platforms (notably Google Workspace) and recommended improved keyword monitoring on FCPS-issued devices, clearer signposting of contracted resources like Hazel Health, and broader SEL instruction. The committee further recommended restricting student access to unguarded generative AI chatbots (limited-memory models) until safeguards and clear policies are in place.

Board members acknowledged competing priorities—students who benefit from rigorous course loads and activities—but asked staff to bring data-driven pilot designs and to assess legal and privacy implications of any monitoring proposals.

Next steps: SHAQ requested that staff return with implementation plans, impact metrics and a public inventory of where AI is currently being used in FCPS systems.