Poll: How long is recess in your local school district?

[Karen sn]

Seriously. Does anyone know?

 

I once spoke with some elementary children who said 15 minutes once a day if the weather was nice and they had been good.

 

I have long abhorred the conditions of school playgrounds. I can not believe that mothers here would begrudge an entire school of some playground equipment.....on which they seldom get any time anyway.

 

My kid has the world as her playground.

 

I would rather see a school get it. It's like giving some small gift to an underage prison.

[Tracey in TX]

They have two recesses, each being 15 minutes. One is 'structured' (walking, etc) and the other is free time.

[Kelli in TN]

Seriously. Does anyone know?

 

I once spoke with some elementary children who said 15 minutes once a day if the weather was nice and they had been good.

 

I have long abhorred the conditions of school playgrounds. I can not believe that mothers here would begrudge an entire school of some playground equipment.....on which they seldom get any time anyway.

 

My kid has the world as her playground.

 

I would rather see a school get it. It's like giving some small gift to an underage prison.

 

I heard that some of our schools do not get recess anymore.

 

But I really cannot see the connection between school districts' policies on recess and mothers begrudging an entire school of some playground equipment. And if this is a jab about people whose opinion was different than yours on the subject of the Subway/Scholastic contest, what an odd way to address it. I don't think any mother begrudged anyone anything.

 

And having spent the morning in a school, where I admittedly do not want to ever enroll my children, I really don't think they are underage prisons. There are not all that I wish they were, but underage prisons might be a bit harsh.

[tinkgumby]

On days when it isn't raining and is warm, my kids get about 45 minutes at our local ps (K and 1st grade). My main disappointment with them is that if they don't get to go to recess, they watch a movie instead of doing an inside energetic activity.

[j.griff]

I agree- EVERY time I drive by the local elementary school I cringe. It seriously looks like a prison yard. It's a huge fenced in area, with dirt and gravel. I think there's one jungle gym somewhere in there, and a couple of tether ball poles I never see them using (not saying they never use them- I just haven't seen it). I've seen the kids out doing P.E. (which, when my ds attended this school for a whole 8 days before I blew a gasket and took him back out, LOL, was only ONE day per week!), and all I've ever seen them doing is walking laps around the prison yard. Blech.

[*anj*]

I don't know, the schools in my town have very nice playground equipment. There seems to be plenty of it, and whenever I drive by I only see maybe 50 or so kids there at a time.

I think that the need for public school kids to have more playground equipment can differ greatly depending on the town. But the writing contest doesn't say anything about the actual need of an individual school, the winner is supposed to be chosen on the merit of their writing skills.

 

I don't see why we have to be fighting about this.

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

I don't see the connection between the two threads that some people are seeing.

 

But... I have to say the equipment around here seems pretty nice. There are also a lot of parks, and most of those have nice equipment, too.

[myfunnybunch]

I voted "Other." Our neighborhood school has two recesses, 15 minutes each, as well as playtime during the lunch break--typically 10-15 minutes depending on how long it takes individual children to eat their lunches.

 

On warm days children often eat lunch or have PE classes outside.

 

I hate hearing/reading about dusty dirty cement playgrounds. Our school playground has a huge grassy field, a baseball diamond, and lots of playground equipment. There is a very active parent association that uses money from fundraisers for supplemental music and PE education and playground equipment.

 

Cat

[Sue G in PA]

Recess and lunch have been cut each year at our local elem. school. Dd, when she was in ps, got 1/2 hour for lunch and 1/2 hour for recess. The next year lunch was cut to 20 min (I had to write a letter about that one!) and recess another 20 min. The emphasis was on more instructional time and so all the "fluff" (since when is lunch and having time to chew your food, "fluff"?) was cut. My dd complained constantly that by the time she stood in line to buy her food or drink (we had free lunch tickets, so it made sense to buy at school) and found a seat, she only had 5 minutes to eat! THAT is crazy! Middle school - no recess and still only 20 min. for lunch. It's like they think that the extra 10 min. instructional time is really going to make a huge difference in test scores or whatever.

[*anj*]

Middle school - no recess and still only 20 min. for lunch. It's like they think that the extra 10 min. instructional time is really going to make a huge difference in test scores or whatever.

 

I know. I think that's really sad.

Just recently I was talking with a friend about the book Understood Betsy and how they talked about children going home at midday for lunch. We both remembered that some kids still did that when we were little. That could never happen now because they don't have enough time. Her dd is in 5th grade at PS and they only get a 20 minute lunch period. :confused:

[Melinda in VT]

Our kids have 30 minutes of recess for grades 1-6, right before or right after lunch. If I remember correctly, K got an afternoon recess as well.

 

Kids who ride the bus get another 20 minutes in the morning before school starts and 10-15 minutes after school. (We share buses with the middle school and high school, so it's a timing issue.) Parents can drop their kids off to play half an hour before school starts.

 

This is just unstructured play recess. They have other opportunities for exercise, free time (sometimes indoor, sometimes out), and outdoor learning opportunities.

 

In some ways our playground is very nice (large, abuts Forest Service land, some creative equipment), but there is some equipment that is worn and not as safe as I would like (very scary slide). The PTO has been raising money, and the playground will be overhauled this summer.

[Closeacademy]

Not sure about how much time they get but I do know that a couple of the schools have structured playtime where the teachers organize the children into games and such. I read about it in the newspaper. :001_smile:

[Jen500]

K-20 min/day

gr1-5 get 15min/day

 

And this is my ds memory of ps:

"The teachers tell us not to talk-lunch is when you can talk"

"The lunch ladies tell us to be quiet! You can make noise at recess!"

"The recess monitors tell us No yelling or screaming!"

 

Fun, huh?

 

Jen

[Unicorn.]

20 minutes after lunch around here. nt

[gardenschooler]

I don't know, the schools in my town have very nice playground equipment. There seems to be plenty of it, and whenever I drive by I only see maybe 50 or so kids there at a time.

I think that the need for public school kids to have more playground equipment can differ greatly depending on the town. But the writing contest doesn't say anything about the actual need of an individual school, the winner is supposed to be chosen on the merit of their writing skills.

 

I don't see why we have to be fighting about this.

 

Some of the schools in my city have nice equipment - more than likely, those would be the schools that would possibly have a winner in a writing contest. These schools are funded heavily by the PTA fundraisers and the like, and have the higher-perfoming students.

 

Unfortunately, the lower-performing schools that would be the ones who really do need new equipment (less parental involvement and fundraising), would be far less likely to have a shot. Many of these schools are on probation for not meeting standards, and they don't turn out the best students. It's sad, but true.

 

On the other hand, homeschoolers in our state (unlike some others, such as WA) are not allowed to participate in any school-funded sports in any way, shape or form. Every sport that is organized by our local homeschooling groups is parent-funded, 100%. We knew that going in. But why exclude a group such as our great girls' basketball team from the chance to gain some funding based on merit?

 

I'm sure these types of highly organized, professionally run and heavily attended homeschool sports organizations never factored into the equation in the rule-making process for the contest. Maybe it was just overlooked, maybe not. There is a big difference between $5,000 for an individual, and that same amount for a group (which is just as large as some private schools in our area, so what's the difference, really?)

 

Not that I care to fight about it. :001_smile:

[Kelli in TN]

Some of the schools in my city have nice equipment - more than likely, those would be the schools that would possibly have a winner in a writing contest. These schools are funded heavily by the PTA fundraisers and the like, and have the higher-perfoming students.

 

Unfortunately, the lower-performing schools that would be the ones who really do need new equipment (less parental involvement and fundraising), would be far less likely to have a shot. Many of these schools are on probation for not meeting standards, and they don't turn out the best students. It's sad, but true.

 

On the other hand, homeschoolers in our state (unlike some others, such as WA) are not allowed to participate in any school-funded sports in any way, shape or form. Every sport that is organized by our local homeschooling groups is parent-funded, 100%. We knew that going in. But why exclude a group such as our great girls' basketball team from the chance to gain some funding based on merit?

 

I'm sure these types of highly organized, professionally run and heavily attended homeschool sports organizations never factored into the equation in the rule-making process for the contest. Maybe it was just overlooked, maybe not. There is a big difference between $5,000 for an individual, and that same amount for a group (which is just as large as some private schools in our area, so what's the difference, really?)

 

Not that I care to fight about it. :001_smile:

 

I can see your point on the well funded vs not so well funded schools.

 

But I still think it is perfectly okay for the contest to be open to schools only, if the sponsor prefers it that way.

 

And I still stand by my assertion that this thread is an odd combination of a new poll and an old disagreement. The blending of the two in the original post made no sense to me whatsoever.

[Audrey]

I'm not exactly sure I would call our town school an underage prison. I think the term "glorified daycare" fits better. They get 2 15 minutes recesses for K-6, 1 for 7-12 (yes, it's a K-12 school. It's a tiny town.)

 

The playground equipment has long been in disrepair and the Parent Advisory Committee (like your PTA's) has been trying to raise money for 3 years to get a new playstructure and some landscaping. Hopefully, by fall it will be in place. That $5K would have been a super boon! Too bad the contest discriminates against Canadians so blantantly. We have Subway & Scholastic here, too ya know.

[gardenschooler]

I can see your point on the well funded vs not so well funded schools.

 

But I still think it is perfectly okay for the contest to be open to schools only, if the sponsor prefers it that way.

 

And I still stand by my assertion that this thread is an odd combination of a new poll and an old disagreement. The blending of the two in the original post made no sense to me whatsoever.

 

And I respect your line of thinking, there. :) This is just my opinion - I'm not trying to slam anyone over the head with it.

 

I don't eat at Subway (I'm a Lenny's girl), I don't shop Scholastic, and my kids aren't actually on those teams I'm referring to. I'm just saying, all things being equal, it is the same size as some of the smaller private schoolsj' sports teams in the vicinity. But it's not eating away at me or anything. :D

 

Karen, I didn't understand the relevance to the question asked, either. It seems more relevant to me to discuss the condition of the playground/gym equipment, not the time spent on it. That's a whole 'nuther can o' worms - but no, I don't think they're prisons. The school down the street from me has quite a nice set up - new play equipment, huge grassy field, and they do get plenty of time out on it (the younger set, anyway).

 

Anyway, this doesn't get my dander up so completely that I'm going to argue and fuss about it on the board. It's not one of my hot buttons. :tongue_smilie:

[gardenschooler]

The playground equipment has long been in disrepair and the Parent Advisory Committee (like your PTA's) has been trying to raise money for 3 years to get a new playstructure and some landscaping. Hopefully, by fall it will be in place. That $5K would have been a super boon! Too bad the contest discriminates against Canadians so blantantly. We have Subway & Scholastic here, too ya know.

 

I had no idea Canadians were excluded - why is that? Well, it doesn't matter why. You said you've got both of those companies there, so it seems to me it would make perfect sense to include you.

[Tammyla]

The kids here go out daily unless the temperature drops below 0'...

[Deb in NZ]

Primary schools run 9:00-3:00, with 10:30-11:00 off for morning tea recess & 12:30-1:30 off for lunch/recess. Primary schools need to complete 196 days of school.

 

High Schools are a little bit longer, but still have morning & afternoon tea breaks as well as lunch. High schools need to complete 190 days of school, but most of the 4th term is "study break" at home for students in years 11-13.

 

Teens hear think I'm crazy when I tell them that in highschool (in VT) I was in school 7:50-2:45 & only had 20 minutes off for lunch.

[Night Elf]

My dd10 was in school some of 2nd, all of 3rd, and one month of 4th grade. They got a 15 min. recess each day, but it could be taken away if the teacher decided against it.

 

P.E. is twice a week and that is when they have structured exercise. The gym is fairly nice.

 

They do have nice playground equipment at the school. Too bad the kids don't get to use it much.

[Night Elf]

Interesting article I just read on my local news site.

 

Atlanta school gets first playground ever.

[Mommieeeee]

Elementary schools here get 15 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes after lunch (longer if they take awhile to eat) and a 10 minute recess in the late afternoon. So, 55 minutes?

[Melinda in VT]

I was pleasantly surprised to learn at seventh-grade orientation last night that seventh graders get recess after lunch. I am not entirely clear on how long it is.

[hsmom]

I live one block from the school here. Ours is not like a prison yard or unused. We go over there and play after school and so do a lot of other children. They have two separate places to play. There is a small one tucked off in the school area itself. Then a new one which is behind the building. There used to be a road that went behind the school and the town decided to block it off and make a basketball court where the street used to be. That allowed the school and the football field to be connected. So, they also built a new playground there. It is very nice and has a lot of room for the kids to run and play whatever they wish.

 

Now for the recess question, they have play time before the morning bell rings (depends on how early you show up and how early you finish breakfast). Then they have a morning recess which is like 15 - 20 minutes, then after lunch they have another recess that is like 30 minutes, and another afternoon recess that is also like 15 - 20 minutes.

 

Now the schools here take advantage of the nice weather and have P.E. outside on nice days.

 

Sorry my post was so long.

[kaylk in tx]

at the last school i taught (houston isd), our principal told us "we are a TAKS school, not a recess school." each class (K-5) had ONE assigned 20 minute recess period per WEEK! we were also told that she better not find us out on the playground if it wasn't our time slot! and she actually thought i'd bring my kids there to school! NO FR***KING WAY!!! :auto:

[CLHCO]

I was listening to a girl and her mother discuss "recess" and lunch at her local middle school the other day at a cub scout meeting. From what she was saying, and her mother was confirming, they get a short lunch time where they are not allowed to get up and do anything because there are too many kids who get destructive and out of control. They have to keep their voices down and just eat because otherwise things can escalate when some kids act like beasts and have no self-control or respect. No talking, just eat. Perhaps she was exaggerating but her mother was confirming it.

 

Their suggestion? "Other" schools had big screen TVs where they'd put on ESPN to keep the kids calm and give them something to do. :blink:

 

If these kids had options for something constructive, like some extra time and sports equipment, perhaps they wouldn't be so ready to rebel? If you treat kids like caged animals long enough, should you be surprised they act like it?

 

Honestly, I don't think "prison" is that far off.

 

Our elementariness have nice playground equipment and I don't know how long they get on it but I hear complaints from mothers that it's short and limited, and p.e. is once a week.

 

All this and an hour or two of homework in the evenings in elementary. I'm just stunned sometimes.

[Karen sn]

And I respect your line of thinking, there. :) This is just my opinion - I'm not trying to slam anyone over the head with it.

 

I don't eat at Subway (I'm a Lenny's girl), I don't shop Scholastic, and my kids aren't actually on those teams I'm referring to. I'm just saying, all things being equal, it is the same size as some of the smaller private schoolsj' sports teams in the vicinity. But it's not eating away at me or anything. :D

 

Karen, I didn't understand the relevance to the question asked, either. It seems more relevant to me to discuss the condition of the playground/gym equipment, not the time spent on it. That's a whole 'nuther can o' worms - but no, I don't think they're prisons. The school down the street from me has quite a nice set up - new play equipment, huge grassy field, and they do get plenty of time out on it (the younger set, anyway).

 

Anyway, this doesn't get my dander up so completely that I'm going to argue and fuss about it on the board. It's not one of my hot buttons. :tongue_smilie:

 

Perhaps I should have opened my post with "Offshoot of another thread." When people compare two groups that are sooooooooo like apples and oranges I feel the need to point that out.

 

Kids that are homeschooled (generally) have more freedom to run and play when they need it. And I do believe that it is a need.

So then when I saw there were people writing letters boycotting I thought to myself.....ohhhh, these poor kids in horrible schools (that I have seen in Florida) with horrible play yards and hardly even any time to play on them.....

And I compared them in my mind to my own dd and other homeschooled kids I know.

 

My thoughts began to wander and so I wondered if these boycotting mothers really thought there was a $5,000 need for stuff in their own backyard campared to several hundred children in a school yard.

 

It's like comparing apples and oranges when you start writing letters to Subway.

Homeschooled....not homeschooled.....apples and oranges.....yes they are both sweet and delicious.....but you can't eat the skin of an orange....KWIM?

 

And all of that made me wonder - does anyone even really know how long they get to be OUTSIDE? And even outside - do they get to play FREELY or do they have a person telling them what to do in the name of fun? (Not that I am opposed to being bossed around in the name of fun - but I do believe play equipment yields a space for kids to go and have some kind of freedom in a VERY bossed around day).

 

So I know that Florida is losing recess in the name of FCAT scores. I wondered what it was like everywhere else - if people were even aware of their local conditions. For if they were as bad there, as they can be here....maybe it wouldn't piss them off that they were not included in the contest.

 

Apparantly some conditions are better than others. It is good to know that there are still schools and teachers in this world who believe in recess.

[awanama]

For our school, it depends on the age. 4th and 5th graders get 30 minutes. K-3rd gets 1 hour total.

[Karen sn]

I was listening to a girl and her mother discuss "recess" and lunch at her local middle school the other day at a cub scout meeting. From what she was saying, and her mother was confirming, they get a short lunch time where they are not allowed to get up and do anything because there are too many kids who get destructive and out of control. They have to keep their voices down and just eat because otherwise things can escalate when some kids act like beasts and have no self-control or respect. No talking, just eat. Perhaps she was exaggerating but her mother was confirming it.

 

Their suggestion? "Other" schools had big screen TVs where they'd put on ESPN to keep the kids calm and give them something to do. :blink:

 

If these kids had options for something constructive, like some extra time and sports equipment, perhaps they wouldn't be so ready to rebel? If you treat kids like caged animals long enough, should you be surprised they act like it?

 

Honestly, I don't think "prison" is that far off.

 

Our elementariness have nice playground equipment and I don't know how long they get on it but I hear complaints from mothers that it's short and limited, and p.e. is once a week.

 

All this and an hour or two of homework in the evenings in elementary. I'm just stunned sometimes.

 

You have schools like we do!

When I was kid we sat at big tables and talked. You got to see milk coming out of someone's nose when it happened.

A school I went to recently had small skinny tables and seating only on one side....you were not seated across from another person.

Instead you stare at the back of the heads at the table in front of you.

[CLHCO]

You have schools like we do!

When I was kid we sat at big tables and talked. You got to see milk coming out of someone's nose when it happened.

A school I went to recently had small skinny tables and seating only on one side....you were not seated across from another person.

Instead you stare at the back of the heads at the table in front of you.

YES! We were at the middle school not long ago and I saw these strange tables that only had one side. I couldn't figure that one out. Who invented them and why? So the kids socialize less or is there some real need, like to fit them in more conveniently? Do they double as some other interesting piece of equipment? What is that about?

 

Honestly, I'm so glad there are still plenty of good schools out there that give kids some freedom and treat them with dignity. In my area I don't see that. They behave frighteningly like prisons with perhaps some nicer decorations to give the appearance of bright and sunny. The pretty pictures are superficial, but I suppose they're at least there.

 

I think it's fair to suggest that people who see better in their area shouldn't assume we're all being over-dramatic, just as those who see prisons for little people shouldn't assume everything has gone down everywhere, just because their current administration is a bit over-zealous in their control of unruly children and salivation over test scores. However, I would say that most of these schools that are that bad now didn't used to be, so your good schools aren't safe. The trend does not seem to be toward more recess, more P.E., more life.

[Aubrey]

Recess and lunch have been cut each year at our local elem. school. Dd, when she was in ps, got 1/2 hour for lunch and 1/2 hour for recess. The next year lunch was cut to 20 min (I had to write a letter about that one!) and recess another 20 min. The emphasis was on more instructional time and so all the "fluff" (since when is lunch and having time to chew your food, "fluff"?) was cut. My dd complained constantly that by the time she stood in line to buy her food or drink (we had free lunch tickets, so it made sense to buy at school) and found a seat, she only had 5 minutes to eat! THAT is crazy! Middle school - no recess and still only 20 min. for lunch. It's like they think that the extra 10 min. instructional time is really going to make a huge difference in test scores or whatever.

 

Yep, 20 min is all I've ever seen--when I was in hs & when I was teaching. If you had to stand in line, you were lucky to scarf it down. And there'd be VPs walking around barking at anyone who hadn't already cleaned off their place *before* you've even sat down.

 

I quit eating. I'd sneak up to the library & read or out front where kids sit to wait for their parents when they're sick. Because in highschool, you don't get sunshine. No recess, no outdoors anything. And sometimes you get there before the sun's up & stay till after it's down, depending on extracurriculars & transportation.

[gardenschooler]

Perhaps I should have opened my post with "Offshoot of another thread." When people compare two groups that are sooooooooo like apples and oranges I feel the need to point that out.

 

Kids that are homeschooled (generally) have more freedom to run and play when they need it. And I do believe that it is a need.

So then when I saw there were people writing letters boycotting I thought to myself.....ohhhh, these poor kids in horrible schools (that I have seen in Florida) with horrible play yards and hardly even any time to play on them.....

And I compared them in my mind to my own dd and other homeschooled kids I know.

 

That is, of course, very true, Karen. It's also very high on my list of reasons why I homeschool. I remember even in 7th grade, looking out the window at the beautiful day, while our science teacher droned on. Why couldn't we go outside and learn some science?

 

For younger kids, I feel even more strongly. Actually, that's the whole idea behind my username.

 

My thoughts began to wander and so I wondered if these boycotting mothers really thought there was a $5,000 need for stuff in their own backyard campared to several hundred children in a school yard.

 

I don't think anyone implied that. Several said they would have liked the opportunity to participate and thought there should be some stipulation that the prize be awarded to a school of their choice (or their local school, that their kids would otherwise attend). I think the main point being argued was just that the homeschooled kids were being excluded from it at all - the prize was secondary.

 

It's like comparing apples and oranges when you start writing letters to Subway.

Homeschooled....not homeschooled.....apples and oranges.....yes they are both sweet and delicious.....but you can't eat the skin of an orange....KWIM?

 

As far as the contest goes, I read it as 'athletic equipment'. In that dept., we're not apples and oranges. We have organized homeschool sports programs that are just as big as some of the private schools.

 

And all of that made me wonder - does anyone even really know how long they get to be OUTSIDE? And even outside - do they get to play FREELY or do they have a person telling them what to do in the name of fun? (Not that I am opposed to being bossed around in the name of fun - but I do believe play equipment yields a space for kids to go and have some kind of freedom in a VERY bossed around day).

 

The kids down the street at the school have a whole field to run around in, and a play structure. They get more time at the beginning and end of the year, but these kids aren't all lacking in time for being outside and exercise. Most people do some kind of sports teams for their kids afterschool, as well, either at the school or local churches, dance studios, etc.

 

It's the kids in the failing, inner city schools that need more of everything. They don't have parents fundraising for playgrounds and gym equipment, they don't have parents fighting with the school board for longer recess times, and they don't have test scores that can make the schools go, "Whew! We're on top! I guess we can spend some time outside, after all."

 

Unfortunately, those won't be the ones to win the contest, either, most likely. Some of these school have corporate sponsors, or churches, or even other schools that sponsor them to help - but it usually covers the basics, like school supplies, jackets, backpacks, uniforms, and the like. I don't know exactly how much time these schools allow their kids recess.

 

I read the article Beth linked, and I think that is a GREAT thing. More big companies need to do this - give it to the ones that need it most.

[Joanne]

I'm not sure.

 

One of my pet peeves is whenever a teacher, administration or educational leader limits physical activity as "discipline" or sets up a scene where children need to behave in order to age appropriately move their bodies.

 

It's counter productive, IMO, to make a focus-challenged child *sit more* as punishment.

 

 

at the last school i taught (houston isd), our principal told us "we are a TAKS school, not a recess school." each class (K-5) had ONE assigned 20 minute recess period per WEEK! we were also told that she better not find us out on the playground if it wasn't our time slot! and she actually thought i'd bring my kids there to school! NO FR***KING WAY!!!

 

Yup, from another Texas Mom. When I worked at a local public school, even the kids who didn't take the Taks test (k-2, the ones who NEED TO MOVE) couldn't have recess as it might disturb the taks takers. I thought that was the quitessential example of testing ridiculousness.

 

In general, you can't fix poor test scores and poor academic performance by *more* of the system that has performed poorly. More of the same type of class work and a decline in age appropriate play is not going to fix the problem.

[iquilt]

When my oldest attended K last year, she got recess on T/Th, that was it. And if the weather was not nice,too bad so sad. Also they do PE outside but they are always using the parking lot instead of the huge grassy field, that I just do not understand.