How does your DCPS or charter handle recess, lunch, other socializing, and schedule balance?

[Anonymous]

Trying to get a sense of whether our school is an outlier or not. What is your experience with:

- Recess? How long and do they get outside? When they get behind schedule, do they cut recess short? Our school is only doing a 15 minute recess this year, it's often indoors, and if they are behind, it can be as short at 5-7 minutes.

- Talking during lunch? Are they allowed to? My child has told me they are often discouraged from talking because it distracts kids from eating.

- How full the schedule is generally? My 1st graders schedule just seems incredibly full and it seems really tough on the kids and the teachers. That also seems to be what's causing the time pressures that are limiting recess and limiting socializing during lunch or at other times. It just seems like there isn't much joy built into their day and my kid has come to dislike school and doesn't want to go anymore.

Since we're new to both public schools (did a private PK-K) and DCPS, and also don't have older kids, I'm just trying to get a sense for whether this is just our family making the tough adjustment to a more academic school environment after the more nurturing play-based ECE experience, or if there are other approaches in DC that might be a better fit for us and our kid. I really like the academics at our school and my kid is learning a ton, but it feels like there should be a better balance. It's especially hard to hear my kid, who is bright and sociable, talking about not wanting to got to school and wishing they could stay home all day.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and if you have a good experience with these things, can you share the school's name?

I am reluctant to share my school's name because I'm being critical here but there are other good things about the school. Plus I don't know if this is just a DCPS-wide issue in which case there is no reason to single out our school, which has great teachers and staff and a lot of good qualities. I get the sense the teachers are also frustrated by how restrictive the schedule is and am trying to figure out if this is just a DCPS curriculum issue.

-OP

[Anonymous]

I think recess is 30 minutes, although the littlest kids might get additional time. They don't cut recess short, and it's only indoors if the weather is bad. They don't do the no-talking at lunch thing, but I've heard of other schools doing this, and it is probably because the kids get so busy talking that they don't eat and then they are hungry (or hangry) in the afternoon.

I don't know what you mean by "how full is the schedule." It's full. They have blocks scheduled all day for reading, math, PE, art, music, circle time, etc. As a practical matter, most teachers include regular movement breaks throughout the day, and the kids move among different stations (for the little kids) or classrooms (the older kids).

[Anonymous]

A 15 minute recess does seem very short, but other than that what you describe seems normal. There is a lot of pressure in public schools to hit specific content requirements and lots more testing. It isn't fun, but I would aslo be shocked if your kid didn't have a ton of movement breaks, fun activities etc.

Can you ask to read to the class or volunteer in some way so you can see what's actually going on? I used to get the same reports from my kids, but when I went in and actually saw how much fun they had, how much silliness and dancing went on, etc., I was relieved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 15 minute recess does seem very short, but other than that what you describe seems normal. There is a lot of pressure in public schools to hit specific content requirements and lots more testing. It isn't fun, but I would aslo be shocked if your kid didn't have a ton of movement breaks, fun activities etc.

Can you ask to read to the class or volunteer in some way so you can see what's actually going on? I used to get the same reports from my kids, but when I went in and actually saw how much fun they had, how much silliness and dancing went on, etc., I was relieved.

+1
What your kid reports to you and how they actually feel during the day aren't always the same thing. And it will always be an adjustment to go from ECE to the more structured environment of elementary school.

[Anonymous]

My first grader gets an hour recess at his charter and one hour of specials (art, PE, cooking/gardening or music) every day.

[Anonymous]

They should not be doing just 15 minutes, something is not right here. I'd try lurking outside the school to see

There are mandated time periods for each subject, so the whole day is built around getting the right amounts of that. The specials teachers see each class in turn, they can't stay late with one group without shortchanging the next.

If the class seems rushed or behind schedule it might be that the teacher isn't managing routines and behavior well so they keep getting delayed. Or there's some other scheduling issue like specials teachers running late, or not enough time planned for transitioning. It can take a long time for a class of 1st graders to get their jackets on and walk to the playground, an experienced school administration will plan accordingly but an inexperienced one might not allow enough time and that throws the whole schedule out of whack. A school's schedule is a real puzzle-- it has to work for all grades, all IEPs, all specials, to share a limited staff and a limited physical space in a limited amount of time.

It seems like you might still in an ECE mode of thinking about things. In 1st it's time to grow up a little bit, do work that feels like work, learn to manage time, etc. Not that there shouldn't also be joy and fun, but it's a different kind of thing than K, especially in the public system. Parents sometimes want their kids to have tons of playtime, no pressure, lots of music and art, gardening, etc etc, but they also want solid academic performance in upper elementary. And the foundation for that is solid academics in lower elementary. Only the most skillful teachers at the best-organized school can deliver on both. That's why you see parents praise their cozy, crunchy charter ECE program, then be really dissatisfied in upper elementary, then head to BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first grader gets an hour recess at his charter and one hour of specials (art, PE, cooking/gardening or music) every day.

Which charter, if you don't mind my asking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think recess is 30 minutes, although the littlest kids might get additional time. They don't cut recess short, and it's only indoors if the weather is bad. They don't do the no-talking at lunch thing, but I've heard of other schools doing this, and it is probably because the kids get so busy talking that they don't eat and then they are hungry (or hangry) in the afternoon.

I don't know what you mean by "how full is the schedule." It's full. They have blocks scheduled all day for reading, math, PE, art, music, circle time, etc. As a practical matter, most teachers include regular movement breaks throughout the day, and the kids move among different stations (for the little kids) or classrooms (the older kids).

DCPS or charter? Can you share the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first grader gets an hour recess at his charter and one hour of specials (art, PE, cooking/gardening or music) every day.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should not be doing just 15 minutes, something is not right here. I'd try lurking outside the school to see

There are mandated time periods for each subject, so the whole day is built around getting the right amounts of that. The specials teachers see each class in turn, they can't stay late with one group without shortchanging the next.

If the class seems rushed or behind schedule it might be that the teacher isn't managing routines and behavior well so they keep getting delayed. Or there's some other scheduling issue like specials teachers running late, or not enough time planned for transitioning. It can take a long time for a class of 1st graders to get their jackets on and walk to the playground, an experienced school administration will plan accordingly but an inexperienced one might not allow enough time and that throws the whole schedule out of whack. A school's schedule is a real puzzle-- it has to work for all grades, all IEPs, all specials, to share a limited staff and a limited physical space in a limited amount of time.

It seems like you might still in an ECE mode of thinking about things. In 1st it's time to grow up a little bit, do work that feels like work, learn to manage time, etc. Not that there shouldn't also be joy and fun, but it's a different kind of thing than K, especially in the public system. Parents sometimes want their kids to have tons of playtime, no pressure, lots of music and art, gardening, etc etc, but they also want solid academic performance in upper elementary. And the foundation for that is solid academics in lower elementary. Only the most skillful teachers at the best-organized school can deliver on both. That's why you see parents praise their cozy, crunchy charter ECE program, then be really dissatisfied in upper elementary, then head to BASIS.

I mean, wanting my child to get more than 7 minutes of recess, and be allowed to talk to classmates during lunch, doesn't seem like the same thing as wanting them to play all day in the garden, but point taken.

[Anonymous]

There's no way 15 minute recess is what they intend-- I don't think that's even allowed. I would think it's maybe a staffing or scheduling issue, or poor classroom control. The school isn't going to admit to that, of course because they won't want to admit they're breaking city guidance or not in the right ratio or not compiant with someone's IEP or whatever the real reason may be. But you can ask the teacher about it, then escalate to the AP if it doesn't improve. That way they'll know parents are watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no way 15 minute recess is what they intend-- I don't think that's even allowed. I would think it's maybe a staffing or scheduling issue, or poor classroom control. The school isn't going to admit to that, of course because they won't want to admit they're breaking city guidance or not in the right ratio or not compiant with someone's IEP or whatever the real reason may be. But you can ask the teacher about it, then escalate to the AP if it doesn't improve. That way they'll know parents are watching.

I think that some amount of recess is mandated, so if they're not doing that, it's a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no way 15 minute recess is what they intend-- I don't think that's even allowed. I would think it's maybe a staffing or scheduling issue, or poor classroom control. The school isn't going to admit to that, of course because they won't want to admit they're breaking city guidance or not in the right ratio or not compiant with someone's IEP or whatever the real reason may be. But you can ask the teacher about it, then escalate to the AP if it doesn't improve. That way they'll know parents are watching.

I think that some amount of recess is mandated, so if they're not doing that, it's a problem.

DCPS mandates 30 minutes, so I guess it's a charter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My first grader gets an hour recess at his charter and one hour of specials (art, PE, cooking/gardening or music) every day.

Which charter, if you don't mind my asking?

MV Calle Ocho.