Recess Before Lunch

Here's the letter that went home this week about our implementation of Recess Before Lunch.

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Dear K-5 families,

As you may have heard from your child(ren), we are holding recess before lunch (“RBL”) this year. After successfully testing the program with the K/1 classrooms in the spring of 2011, we’ve decided to fully implement the program for grades K-5 for the 2011-2012 academic year.

RBL fits closely with our school’s emphasis on considering children’s social and emotional needs, along with their nutritional ones, as we design a program that is developmentally responsive. Our own experience, and the substantial research done in the field, shows that RBL leads to kids eating more lunch, since they aren’t in a hurry to get out to recess, and it also leads to a more courteous environment during the lunch period, as the kids have already had the chance to run, play, and get the gross motor exercise they need. Additional benefits that we have observed include decreased conflicts during recess, a smoother transition back into academic experiences in the afternoon, and improved afternoon attentiveness from the students.

If you are interested in learning more about RBL, I encourage you to read a widely distributed article that appeared in the NY Times last January. Additional info is available at the websites of Peaceful Playgrounds, the Montana Office of Public Instruction, and the School Nutrition Association, among many others.

Many of the other best practices of our lunch and recess program will continue. Like last year, the 2/3 students will have recess in either Strawberry Creek Park or Berkeley Way Mini-park once a week, while the 4/5 students will have recess in the park three times a week. Fortunately, this year we are also able to coordinate the 6^th grade to be with the 4/5 once a week as well. Teachers’ close supervision on the playground during recess is being augmented by the work done by Kate Klaire, our Recess and Social facilitator (and EGG Director), who is currently working with the students to establish recess agreements. And of course, we are continuing to supervise student hand-washing before they eat.

If you have any questions, please ask, and thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Zachary Roberts,

Associate Head of School