Make Time For Recess

The following letter to Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff has been received for publication.

To the Editor:

With all the concern lately over recess (or the lack thereof) at the Reed School, I felt compelled to write.

As the parent of a third and fourth grader at Head O’ Meadow, I am deeply concerned with what the next few years will hold for my children. And that is what they are — children. I grew up in Newtown. My school day was approximately the same length that it is now, and we managed to learn. We still had time for recess when I was in sixth grade at the middle school.

Until the Reed School opened, the fifth grade was still part of the elementary schools and they had a separate recess time. What has changed for these kids? Nothing, except that they are in a different location. They are the same ages they were when fifth grade was part of the elementary schools and they are still in the same grade.

I find it hard to believe that with the concerns over child obesity and lack of physical activity that any school system thinks eliminating recess is a good idea. I would be willing to bet that if these kids had an unstructured recess period many behavioral problems could be eliminated and the kids would be more productive. There are findings now that adults are more productive in their jobs when they take a break and get some moderate exercise during the day.

In the article “Parents Concerned Over Quality of Recess” in the January 21 issue of The Newtown Bee, Ms Denniston mentioned the initiation of Project Adventure. While this is a nice program, it is hardly a replacement for recess as it only meets for approximately one third of the year. And I’m all for lengthening gym periods, but once again, it’s not unstructured recess. And quite frankly I don’t care how much time other fifth and sixth graders around the state have for recess. I’m concerned with my town and what’s best for my kids. As far as budgetary constraints, I don’t understand why teachers couldn’t monitor the children if they had a separate recess time. That is what is done at Head O’ Meadow. The teachers have to be there anyway, whether in the classroom or on the playground.

Why are we in such a hurry to push our children and have them grow up so fast? In the above mentioned article from The Bee last week, Assistant Superintendent Alice Jackson said that she didn’t “think that the schools have a harsh academic schedule.” Some of the homework and projects elementary aged children get seem a little harsh to me. When you have half of the elementary schools in town (Head O’ Meadow and Sandy Hook) getting home too late for the kids to play outside since the start time changes, that seems harsh. And lastly, 9–11 year olds in fifth and sixth grade are not allowed recess. That seems harsh to me. I fail to see where all the academic pushing to conform to standardized tests is turning our children into a nation of geniuses. I do agree with what Ms Jackson said regarding children being overly scheduled after school. That is not the case in our family. My kids have one activity that meets one day a week.

I’m hoping that as superintendent you can work with the Board of Education to work out some way of giving the kids at Reed a separate recess period. I’m also hoping that if other parents feel this way they will contact you.

Respectfully yours,

Janet McKeown

10 Hillcrest Drive, Newtown                                    February 1, 2005