School Board Considers Recess Guideline

The school district’s new Student Wellness Policy was introduced to the Board of Education last week. The policy provides guidelines on nutrition and physical activity, including recess. The policy calls for at least 20 minutes of supervised recess in grades one through four and a minimum of 15 minutes for students in grades five and six.

Legislation is moving through the House and Senate in Hartford that will recommend a 20-minute recess period for all students in full-day kindergarten through fifth grade. There is no state requirement for sixth grade recess.

Aaron Blank, physical education teacher at Reed Intermediate School, said, “I believe the state bill will require 20 minutes of recess for elementary students. Newtown is trying to write protocol now that will meet the legal obligations written by the state.”

Mr Blank pointed out that the Reed School presents a problem. Generally, grades one through five are considered elementary school and six through eight are middle school. Reed, with its fifth and sixth grade populations, bridges these two categories. As more school districts turn to 5/6 schools to ease overcrowding, this crossover issue will have to be addressed.