| There is an MCPS policy per the superintendent that students are NOT to be kept in for recess for incomplete work or homework that wasn't completed. We are really only supposed to keep students in for recess when they can't be outside safely (i.e., bullying other students at recess). |
| Teachers at Ds's school do not withhold recess, but they do make them run laps around the fence as a consequence of bad choices. I am okay with that. |
| She gave your child extra time to complete the assignment. That extra time is during recess. |
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"Anonymous
She gave your child extra time to complete the assignment. That extra time is during recess." Which would be one thing if the HW counts for something that could negatively impact the grade in class, but since ES kids don't really get grades I fail to see how this benefits the kid in this particular case. - OP |
Do kids in MCPS really not get grades? |
Yes you can my Kinder last year had it happen a few times for not listening, not finishing work, talking to much. |
| punishment or consequence???? |
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"Anonymous
punishment or consequence????" Tomato / tomato Whatever you call it, the question is whether this is ok to expect in first grade. I am genuinely open to being persuaded I just need to suck it up since this is pretty normal. Most so far seem to think it is not good practice and not pervasively common although sounds like it is also not rare. - OP |
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Recess is a part of the physical activity schools are required to provide students under the DC Healthy Schools Act. Section 403 of the DC Healthy Schools Act:
(b) Requiring or withholding physical activity shall not be used to punish students; provided, that students who are not wearing appropriate athletic clothing may be prohibited from participating in physical activity until properly dressed. So, in DC it is illegal to withhold recess as punishment. |
This is utter nonsense. Please tell me you're not a teacher. |
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"This is a teacher problem - it is not supposed to be done in elementary school in MCPS, either. Contact the teacher first, and then contact the administrators."
+1000. Hugh teacher problem - as in, it doesn't sound like she has the understanding to teach at this grade level, if the story is even true. I would email the teacher and ask if it happened, to start. |
I don't think I'm ok with this. |
I am. We do that at home for certain behaviors too. The root cause of a lot of poor school behavior from many young elementary kids seems to be attributed to a lack of physical activity during the day, so making sure that a kid struggling to meet behavior expectations gets some actual activity at recess is OK in my book. Provided of course that the individual student does not have special needs regarding either his behavior or his physical capabilities, obviously. Otherwise I definitely know some students who would do nothing at recess but sit and talk to their friends. Time doing that is valuable, but it isn't really fulfilling the actual purpose of what recess is supposed to be for. |
My wife works in MCPS and she said that it is against policy under Starr to cancel / withhold recess for any reason. |
| OP, where are they doing this? I hope it is not STILL happening at RHPS and NCC. |