Recess with very cold weather .

[Anonymous]

Temperature limit for outside recess at our Boston school is 20 degrees. Granted, most of our kids have proper winter coats. That should be the determining factor

[Anonymous]

There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.

Now if your child has a disability and cannot put on his stuff without help, you need to find workarounds - this is what I needed to do for my child with a developmental delay.

[Anonymous]

I live in another state. Last week, at I walked at 18 degrees. It was fine. Dress warm.

[Anonymous]

There was a time when DCPS didn’t go outside starting at 32 degrees. Is that still a thing?

[Anonymous]

The policy I believe was either anything under 34 or 36 (can’t remember) we go inside for recess.
I always do 32 lol, unless admin yells at me to keep my class in or it’s raining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.

~80% of kids in DC live in households that are economically disadvantaged. That's a lot of bad clothing.

I'm pro-outdoor recess, and most days in DC most kids would be fine running around outside for half an hour in just a t-shirt. But we need to be sensitive to the realities as well.

[Anonymous]

Go outside and dress your kid appropriately. It’s not even below freezing.

[Anonymous]

Generally cold air creates runny noses. Then you have to deal with nose blowing and yucky tissues. I’m for going outside but it’s really probably a school/teacher preference. I can my kids playground from my home and his PK class was the only class on the playground week. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Play outside wearing appropriate clothing!

Which can be tough on the kids who don't have appropriate clothing.

But it doesn't get that cold in DC. Average temperature for January is 43F. If you're outside running around you can stand that for half an hour.

Soaking rain is different.

Most kids at our title one school are dressed for the weather.’ The kids who aren’t tend to be more well off, and are picked up / dropped off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe with cold temperatures some children are going to get sick. Why dont the schools make a plan to keep some of them indoors .I think that in this situation you can ask to stay indoors if wanted / needed.

How do kids get sick outside?

So do you think that children in colder climates just don't go outside for recess, for months at a time? Come on. In colder climates they go outside MORE because nobody's believing this myth that it makes you sick.

Yep - this is the policy for my kids school in Ottawa, Canada.

"On days where schools receive the Ottawa Public Health Frostbite Alert (Wind chill of -25 or colder) or Frostbite Warning (Wind chill of -35 or colder), principals are encouraged to keep students indoors for recess, lunch or class-based activities"

That's -25 celsius - so -13 Farenheit.

When I was a kid it had to be -25 without windchill to stay in for recess. If kids do not have appropriate clothing, the school arranges for them to be given some or keeps them in, but parents are expected to send kids to school prepared.

Of course, our schools are back virtual but I follow the same policy at home for when to send them outside.

Wow!

I live in Missouri, and the kids go out as long as the wind chill is 15 or above.

I think unless you're in an area that's guaranteed to always have long frigid winters, kids don't always have the appropriate gear to be out when it's crazy cold.

[Anonymous]

We don't get "very cold" weather here in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.

~80% of kids in DC live in households that are economically disadvantaged. That's a lot of bad clothing.

I'm pro-outdoor recess, and most days in DC most kids would be fine running around outside for half an hour in just a t-shirt. But we need to be sensitive to the realities as well.

LOL where on earth did you get this number? Yes, we need to be mindful of lower SES kids, but this number is false. all sources I can find say roughly 1/4.

[Anonymous]

I live in New England. It's very rare they don't have kids go outside for cold. As in below 10 degrees. Even then they hesitate to not have them outside. The kids are fine if they have the right clothing.

[Anonymous]

I am so confused as to why people who live in wildly different parts of the country read and comment on a message board about DC public schools?

[Anonymous]

Fairbanks AK policy:

https://www.k12northstar.org/weather

"WINTER RECESS
Winter Recess Outdoor recess is only canceled when the temperature reaches -20 °F. Students need to be prepared with appropriate outdoor clothing so they can take part in outside recess. When it is extremely cold, schools arrange appropriate indoor recess activities to keep students active."

Here in DC, I can understand not going out if it's in the teens, or even 20s and very windy, but there's no reason to keep them inside on a typical or even colder-than-average January day.