Yesterday, with the sun shining and the temperature well above freezing, students (at least; I'd love to know how many in total in MCPS) at both Wyngate and Garrett Park Elementaries stayed inside for recess. The GP Kindergartners didn't even play games. They watched videos, with two classes of 28 kids combined in one room. "Have you seen the state of the field? They can't go out there," said a school administrator.
And indeed, part of the trouble is a) what school building workers can be asked to clean up, and b) whether children come to school with gear appropriate for outdor play on any occasion. Even if we believe that children are supposed to get dirty (muddy, chilly, wet, red-nosed, etc), but with the schedule compacted and with barely 25 minutes allotted to recess, it's hard for staff to imagine how to accommodate the "inconvenience" of messy outdoor play. And what do you do about the kids who don't have boots? But it's a lack of imagination that sits them down in front of a video instead of having them dance to Dragon Tales music or play active singing games on that same carpet. It's a situation that calls for thinking outside the box--something that MCPS isn't that good at.
Yesterday, with the sun shining and the temperature well above freezing, students at Wyngate and Garrett Park Elementaries had indoor recess (at least; I wonder how many other schools in MCPS made the same call). At Garrett Park, the kindergarteners didn't even play games; they sat, two classes of 28 combined in one room, in front of a video. "Have you seen the field?" said one administrator. "They can't go out there."
And indeed, even if you believe that children are supposed to get dirty (wet, chilly, muddy, red-nosed), there are other issues: what the building staff can be expected to clean up and whether children come to school with gear appropriate for any conditions. With the schedule compacted and barely 25 minutes for recess, it's easy to see why staff are daunted by the "inconvenience" of messy outdoor play.
But it shows a serious lack of imagination to have kids sitting on the carpet in front of a screen instead of dancing to Dragon Tales music or playing active singing games on that same carpet. This is a problem that requires thinking outside the box, which unfortunately MCPS is not that good at.
Instead of complaining (which is what many MCPS parents are good at) why not offer to chaperone voluntary outdoor recess when cold temps. call for indoor recess? If this is such an issue why don't parents step up and volunteer their time and creative talents to indoor recess? Or better yet, let your kids play outside at home! Stop whining and do something.
@anonymous 12:42 and you are? at what school? or are you from 850 Hungerford Drive? Maybe from the MCPS public relations department?
Parents are doing something. They are petitioning MCPS to allow outdoor recess even when the weather might be chilly. Lots of children need breaks in their day. After school play isn't the issue. The issue is breaking up the school day with fresh air and play time.
Yesterday, with the sun shining and the temperature well above freezing, students (at least; I'd love to know how many in total in MCPS) at both Wyngate and Garrett Park Elementaries stayed inside for recess. The GP Kindergartners didn't even play games. They watched videos, with two classes of 28 kids combined in one room. "Have you seen the state of the field? They can't go out there," said a school administrator.
ReplyDeleteAnd indeed, part of the trouble is a) what school building workers can be asked to clean up, and b) whether children come to school with gear appropriate for outdor play on any occasion. Even if we believe that children are supposed to get dirty (muddy, chilly, wet, red-nosed, etc), but with the schedule compacted and with barely 25 minutes allotted to recess, it's hard for staff to imagine how to accommodate the "inconvenience" of messy outdoor play. And what do you do about the kids who don't have boots?
But it's a lack of imagination that sits them down in front of a video instead of having them dance to Dragon Tales music or play active singing games on that same carpet. It's a situation that calls for thinking outside the box--something that MCPS isn't that good at.
Yesterday, with the sun shining and the temperature well above freezing, students at Wyngate and Garrett Park Elementaries had indoor recess (at least; I wonder how many other schools in MCPS made the same call). At Garrett Park, the kindergarteners didn't even play games; they sat, two classes of 28 combined in one room, in front of a video. "Have you seen the field?" said one administrator. "They can't go out there."
ReplyDeleteAnd indeed, even if you believe that children are supposed to get dirty (wet, chilly, muddy, red-nosed), there are other issues: what the building staff can be expected to clean up and whether children come to school with gear appropriate for any conditions. With the schedule compacted and barely 25 minutes for recess, it's easy to see why staff are daunted by the "inconvenience" of messy outdoor play.
But it shows a serious lack of imagination to have kids sitting on the carpet in front of a screen instead of dancing to Dragon Tales music or playing active singing games on that same carpet. This is a problem that requires thinking outside the box, which unfortunately MCPS is not that good at.
Instead of complaining (which is what many MCPS parents are good at) why not offer to chaperone voluntary outdoor recess when cold temps. call for indoor recess? If this is such an issue why don't parents step up and volunteer their time and creative talents to indoor recess? Or better yet, let your kids play outside at home! Stop whining and do something.
ReplyDelete@anonymous 12:42 and you are? at what school? or are you from 850 Hungerford Drive? Maybe from the MCPS public relations department?
ReplyDeleteParents are doing something. They are petitioning MCPS to allow outdoor recess even when the weather might be chilly. Lots of children need breaks in their day. After school play isn't the issue. The issue is breaking up the school day with fresh air and play time.