My column Friday reported that the Wichita school district had sent a directive to elementary schools telling them not to schedule regular morning or afternoon recess for kids — and that several schools had interpreted this as a message to cut recess for more class instruction time. That wasn’t the intention, superintendent Winston Brooks said in the column, and he pledged to revisit the policy and clarify matters.
To his credit, it didn’t take long: On Friday, Brooks forwarded to The Eagle a new directive from the district office reaffirming that “physical activity is an important part of the school day.” While the e-mail states that recess will remain unscheduled, it asks that “each student have a minimum of 15 minutes of physical activity per day above and beyond PE and lunch recess. It is up to each building to decide how and when to provide that time.”
This is a welcome clarification of policy that should ensure that every schoolchild is allowed at least one daily break for exercise and play.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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11 Comments
GOOD. Kids need to get outside and run around like the crazy guys they are. And don’t too concerned about cold/hot/wet either – just towel them off. Ain’t seen a kid yet that melts!
Recess is absolutely essential. Consider the contribution to early social skills it contributes as well as the physical activity it provides and the mental rest it affords.
“and the mental rest it affords”
Especially for the rest of us!
The children should have at least a 10 minute break for recess in the morning and a 10 minute break in the afternoon. They do not get enough physical activity at school. If you look at all of the studies that have been done they show how important physical activity is to learning.
Many of these children get very little physical activity once they leave school for the day. If the schools are really concerned about the wellbeing of the children they would consider physical activity just as important as the academic.
I do not understand how Brooks thinks it is better for each classroom teacher to schedule a break whenever they fell like it. There will be no consistency for the children and less interaction with other children in the school. Having a scheduled time for recess allows children an opportunity to know that they have a break coming and when it will be. Now it will just be “whenever a teacher feels like it”. Give me a break Winston Brooks! Are you having problems with setting guidelines for the schools? Why not just let the teachers decide what time to start class or end class? Why not allow a teacher to decide what to teach? Why not allow the teacher to decide when lunch will be? How about allowing a teacher to decide their entire schedule and if they want to have a four day school week let them? Sounds just about as ridiculous as not planning a time for recess doesn’t it?
Give the children a structured day so that they learn about scheduling etc.
Anyone that is against recess should have to try and keep a classroom of children’s attention for 8 hrs.
Recess yes. But let’s be real about the exercise.
Maybe if they had more physical ativity, there wouldn’t be so many kids on drugs to calm them down. 10% of our nation’s kids take medication for hyperactivity, that’s really sad. They need to get away from the TV and video games and spend more time running around outside. Recess is essential to their physical and mental well being.
Agree with all – however Steve your suggestion might be called “cruel and unusual” punishment!
;^)
Mary – we run the twins until they drop – then they calm down for us. They are healthy, strong, and happy. I just wish I could find a way to bottle their energy!
Yeah, we should make kids do USMC physical training. I believe there’s a book out on it. =)
sarcasm
This is a really important subject, if you ask me. Too many kids are taking some pretty strong medications.
My belief is that pharm companies are thinking that they can make money in areas that the public health data do not support.
The above would make a good research paper.
If this is the case, and it was retracted, restated, revisited, ten why are te schools still not having recess?
How long is this going to take? To me it is a no brainer, but I’m not a part of a schools admin crack team. I am just a mom who can’t know more than they can.