Question about adult supervision in your schools during indoor recess...

[jersey-jen]

I'm confused -- where are the teachers? And where are they usually if there's outdoor recess?

They're at lunch. I don't begrudge the teachers getting an hour for lunch. The aides cover the playground for outdoor recess.

DS told me that sometimes his teachers do cover his room, but not w/ any regularity.

[danellsar]

Wait! Where are the teachers?

First off, I'm in CA, and it NEVER snows here. Indoor recess is only for if it's actively raining. Drizzle, we often go out. Cold? Out you go (and yes, it's often below 35 degrees during our morning recess in winter). And in fall/spring, when it's over 100 degrees, we're still outside!

When the kids do stay inside, the teachers must stay with them. That means we (teachers) lose our breaks and the district breaks OSHA laws left and right because we cannot get to the bathrooms. There are NEVER EVER any children left alone in rooms, or alone with only parent volunteers supervising. Ours school wouldn't even consider that a last-ditch option! And no way no how would I ever leave my students alone in my classroom for more than the ocassional minute when I need to speak to someone in the hall.

As the teacher, I am 100% liable for those kids during the school day. If I left them alone, and something happened..... I just don't want to even think about that scenario in our sue-happy society.

This sounds very strange to me that schools would leave kids unsupervised during indoor recess breaks.
Ellen

[AmyIL]

Same here....

Our school has the same indoor recess rule - except our temperature is much colder! The kids are left in the classrooms alone while the assistants wander the hallways and check in on them. I just asked my DD's today and my 1st grader insists someone is in the room the whole time and my 4th graders say no one is in there to supervise them.

I taught - oh, 10 years ago - and when we had indoor recess the kids had to line the wall outside of the classroom and could play a game, read, etc but they were not allowed to hang in the classroom. Much easier to supervise.

We have a large school - over 800 kids so it's not possible to throw them in they gym...and the multi purpose room is being used for lunch - all the teachers are having their lunch which they deserve...

I would take it up with the principal first so you have an understanding of what he/she is dealing with. They can explain things more fully. We have some parents who will sometimes escalate things immediately to the school board or MAYOR!! but I think starting with the school administration is the best way to go.

Amy

[kec]

At the school that I work at, there are 3 paraprofessionals for lunch/recess. The kids are either in the gym, hallway(watching a movie) or library. There is 1 para with each group. There are 5 classes for 1st grade and 4 for 2nd and 3rd. We do not have any parent volunteers during lunch/recess(and they are not encouraged at all). If there happens to be an extra substitute in the building, she is assigned to lunch/recess.
I just asked each of my girls what happens at their school. My 3rd grader said that her teacher is almost always in the room with them but I believe that is her choice. She said on the days that her teacher has recess duty, she walks between the 4 classes so at times, no one is in the room. They are allowed to have free play during that time. My kindergartener said the same thing - that sometimes, her teacher is in the room but when it is another teacher or if her teacher has duty, she walks between the rooms - which concerns me because her room is across the hall from the other 2. When my oldest was in K, they watched a movie every day of indoor recess in the hallway(which was basically from Thanksgiving until March - I was not happy about that!). Now the Ks only watch movies sometimes. The other days they have free play in the room. Their school also does not have parent volunteers. They also have cut the amount of aides so they do not have aides available. There is only 1 teacher watching all 3 Kindergarten classes.
Kari

[kec]

At our school, the teachers are having lunch/prep while the kids are at lunch/recess. This is a contractual issue - we do not have lunch/recess duty.
At my girls school, they do now have duties due to budget cuts and getting rid of many teachers and aides. They are very understaffed.
Kari

[seals]

They're at lunch. I don't begrudge the teachers getting an hour for lunch. The aides cover the playground for outdoor recess.

DS told me that sometimes his teachers do cover his room, but not w/ any regularity.

Oh, at DS's school the teachers eat lunch with the kids in the cafeteria at the same time. I guess I thought all did that, although in the school I went to the teachers had a separate teacher's lunchroom but they ate at the same time.

[emily11]

2 aides per 4 first grade classes

If there is indoor recess, 2 classes get the aides and the homeroom teachers take the other 2. The next indoor recess, they switch. So, there's always an adult in each class. The teachers don't get the extra planning time each indoor recess, but at least they get 50% of them. The kids go outside unless it's snowy or below 15.

That would bother me that there is not an adult in each class in your son's school.

[KirstenP]

I know the temp for indoor recess isn't your main concern, but do you think a well organized group of parents could talk to administration about changing the indoor recess policy? 35 seems awfully high for NJ. Even if you could get it changed to 25, that would reduce the number of days that indoor recess concerns are at issue.

Our school is broken up into two half hour lunch periods, about 125 students per lunch period. The children eat in an all purpose room (but we also have a gym). The kids get to choose between the gym, library and two classrooms where you can play chess, connect four, etc. Supervision is mostly aides, as teachers have a union contracted lunch hour. However, some teachers do work lunch or recess and are paid additionally for that time. No rooms are unmonitored.

Good luck!

Kirsten

[McGoo]

That would be very strange in our school system. The teachers are with their classes at recess. If they are outsdie, the teachers usually sit together on a bench and chat, but they are there to keep an eye out for misbehavior and safety issues. Sometimes they miss what's going on, but usually they know who needs to be watched more closely.

If they don't go outside for recess, they are in the classroom with their teacher. Sometimes they get some free play time or free centers, but not always.

The teachers eat lunch in the cafeteria at the same time as their students, but they usually sit at tables together in the center of the cafeteria (except K teachers sit with their classes). The classes have assigned tables (each class on either side of one big long table) and the teachers can easily see if their class is behaving. Early in the school year they lay out their rules/expectations and watch the kids more closely, but by mid-year lunch runs smoothly most of the time.

The kids are not left w/ a parent in charge unless there is some sort of teacher luncheon or meeting. I can't imagine the momma drama that would come from parents monitoring recess. Oy!

[ahava]

Good question - I don't even know what the regular recess protocol is!! but my guess is that it is not "enough" only in the sense the playground is huge. The kids play football and soccer and tag. We'vev gone through a few pair of destroyed glasses, I hear about teeth getting knocked out every so often. I would be willing to bet the kids are "safer" in their classrooms with just a hall monitor .. but the level of noise would be through the roof ?

[kec]

I know the temp for indoor recess isn't your main concern, but do you think a well organized group of parents could talk to administration about changing the indoor recess policy? 35 seems awfully high for NJ. Even if you could get it changed to 25, that would reduce the number of days that indoor recess concerns are at issue.

Our school is broken up into two half hour lunch periods, about 125 students per lunch period. The children eat in an all purpose room (but we also have a gym). The kids get to choose between the gym, library and two classrooms where you can play chess, connect four, etc. Supervision is mostly aides, as teachers have a union contracted lunch hour. However, some teachers do work lunch or recess and are paid additionally for that time. No rooms are unmonitored.

Good luck!

Kirsten

I work in the next town to JJ and our policy is also 35 degrees - also depends on the windchill. Our other problem is that in the winter, our playground is wet, icy or snowy. The kids do not wear boots or snow clothes. We do have a blacktop that the kids go on when it is over 35. At my kids school, their blacktop is only big enough for 1 or 2 classes so they almost never go out once the weather gets cold. The field that they play on does not have good drainage so they are in alot.
Kari
Kari

[Li Li]

I'm in NJ too and our kids don't go out below 35 either. I questioned the principal one day why the kids weren't going out and she said too many parents called to complain when the kids went out in the cold. Crazy!! Dress the kids warm & let them go outside even if it's for 10 minutes just to get some energy out.

We only have asphalt parking lot to play on and when it snows there are many snowpiles in the in the playground area so even if it gets warmer then 35 the kids may not go out if there are large snow piles. We are a Catholic school so the kids have to wear uniform shoes which aren't good if there is snow. Plus the girls wear dress or skirts so I guess it's chilly for them when the temperatures are low.

Our classrooms are always monitored during indoor lunch by either the playground person or a parent volunteer. The teachers only get 20 minutes for lunch so they can't watch the classrooms. It works well for our school.

[CynthiaDL]

Either the teacher or the teacher's assistant is in the room with them...

nt

[KirstenP]

I work in the next town to JJ and our policy is also 35 degrees - also depends on the windchill. Our other problem is that in the winter, our playground is wet, icy or snowy. The kids do not wear boots or snow clothes. We do have a blacktop that the kids go on when it is over 35. At my kids school, their blacktop is only big enough for 1 or 2 classes so they almost never go out once the weather gets cold. The field that they play on does not have good drainage so they are in alot.
Kari
Kari

Kari and LiLi -

I'm surprised at this NJ thing. I thought you all were tough cold weather people! Why don't the kids wear snow boots or snow pants? Is it mostly because the school grounds aren't good when the weather is bad?

Pretty much all the kids here (IL) wear snow pants and boots to school whenever there is snow on the ground (they carry their school shoes in their backpack or leave a pair in their cubby).

I think some of our parents got mad last year when they didn't think the kids were going out enough. I'm with you LiLi, dress them up and get them out. I don't voice my opinion often, but I wouldn't like a 35 degrees and up policy and I'd let someone know about it.

[jersey-jen]

Kari and LiLi -

I'm surprised at this NJ thing. I thought you all were tough cold weather people! Why don't the kids wear snow boots or snow pants? Is it mostly because the school grounds aren't good when the weather is bad?

Pretty much all the kids here (IL) wear snow pants and boots to school whenever there is snow on the ground (they carry their school shoes in their backpack or leave a pair in their cubby).

I think some of our parents got mad last year when they didn't think the kids were going out enough. I'm with you LiLi, dress them up and get them out. I don't voice my opinion often, but I wouldn't like a 35 degrees and up policy and I'd let someone know about it.

KP, like I said in my OP, the temperature guidelines are a separate issue, and the arbitrary # was decided by the school principal, it's not a district wide mandate. He claims he gets calls when they let the kids go out when it's too cold out (yet my kid walks to school & back every day, yeah it's cold out, but he's a kid, the cold really doesn't bother them, I'm sure the cold is more of an issue for the aides, but again, that's another issue).

I see why they don't let them go out and play when the ground is snow covered, too likely that the kids would not be able to resist the snow, snow ball fights, injuries, etc.

But, on days when it's just cold out and there is no snow on the playground, let them out!

Thanks all for the input, we'll see where this goes w/in the district, the principal suggested we bring it up during the district budget hearings.