Did your FCPS ES have outdoor recess today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my kids have had a week with no outdoor recess. Likely won’t be outside next week either. It’s a lot of screen time.

oh well

Well some kids need fresh air during the day. Maybe your kids don’t. It’s unbelievable that they could have no outdoor recess for an entire month.

[Anonymous]

Mine have had indoor recess since returning to school. They say the playground still has a lot snow on it.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I know 5th grade went out yesterday.

[Anonymous]

It’s crazy that so many parents just accept that FCPS holds indoor recess day after day this winter. Kids need exercise and socialization that comes with physical activity, not more screen time at school. Are that many parents not paying attention to all the research the last 10 years?

Kids and schools in other parts of the country somehow manage to go outside. It’s only 30 minutes, kids can seriously deal with some wet socks for a few hours, plus maybe next time they can wear boots. Why do we accept FCPS making every decision based on the lowest common denominator? Is the plan for indoor recess the entire month of January?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that so many parents just accept that FCPS holds indoor recess day after day this winter. Kids need exercise and socialization that comes with physical activity, not more screen time at school. Are that many parents not paying attention to all the research the last 10 years?

Kids and schools in other parts of the country somehow manage to go outside. It’s only 30 minutes, kids can seriously deal with some wet socks for a few hours, plus maybe next time they can wear boots. Why do we accept FCPS making every decision based on the lowest common denominator? Is the plan for indoor recess the entire month of January?

Wet socks and wet boots for a few hours? Your child goes to school to learn. Do you really think your mind is on schoolwork when you have cold wet feet?
Some kids may not have boots.

I shoveled driveway last night. This morning, it is pretty icy out there. So, it's likely to encourage skinned knees and wet pants as well as feet. Plus, the wind is blowing.
Maybe, you should volunteer to help with recess duty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that so many parents just accept that FCPS holds indoor recess day after day this winter. Kids need exercise and socialization that comes with physical activity, not more screen time at school. Are that many parents not paying attention to all the research the last 10 years?

Kids and schools in other parts of the country somehow manage to go outside. It’s only 30 minutes, kids can seriously deal with some wet socks for a few hours, plus maybe next time they can wear boots. Why do we accept FCPS making every decision based on the lowest common denominator? Is the plan for indoor recess the entire month of January?

Schools here dont have capacity for kids to carry boots and change in and out of them. Sitting for hours in wet socks while trying to learn is unacceptable. I love fresh air and take my kids out as often as possible (yes even this week) but even I can understand that school cant be responsible for this.

Also indoor recess does not equal screens at our school. They play board games and stuff like that.

[Anonymous]

How about teaching kids some resilience, even just a tiny bit? The world doesn’t always shut down when weather conditions get sub optimal. Learn how to adapt, like wear a hat and snow boots. These kids are playing in the snow for hours during snow days, even risking some minor bumps and bruises. They will survive on a snowy, icy playground for 30 minutes and most of them will actually enjoy it.

Look, I can understand an occasional indoor recess, when it’s 10 degrees or pouring rain for a day or two. But day after day inside, when the snow is not going to melt for weeks?

And of course, schools in other parts of the country don’t keep kids inside all winter. Why is it acceptable for FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Our principal sent out an email last Monday saying that no outdoor recess is allowed u til all the snow has melted and wishing us a happy Monday with an exclamation point.

I am not joking. (I'm a teacher and this is ridiculous.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No but our admin had the blacktop plowed. Hopefully for tomorrow or Thursday.

We can’t keep these kids in for 2 weeks because of the playground.

Just another aspect of this we can’t handle because I’m sure kids used to snow play outside at school.

I taught first grade. Have you any idea how much time it takes to take a first grade class outside in the snow? And, how to take care of issues when you come back inside? Wet gloves, wet boots, etc.
I taught in a snowy climate for a year. It is a mess. Sure, we made the effort, but not daily. It eats into the instruction time. And, the kids I taught all had the appropriate clothing because it was necessary. Not all FCPS kids have the right clothing.

I'm an FCPS teacher and I get the time pressure we are all under. But we are talking about 15 minute recess. Not on wind chill advisory days, just after a snow. Kids can handle being cold. They can handle being a little wet. They can learn to wear gloves and hats, and we can help families who don't have them. This is BASIC functioning in a four season climate. BASIC functioning. We can do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received a message today asking us to send in boots or a change of shoes/socks tomorrow so that they could play on the playground. If they don’t bring boots, they will be able to play on the blacktop, which was cleared today.

that's amazing, do you mind sharing what school? I'm about to complain - we're in a high SES school, I'll gladly provide extra boots for the 2% FARMS population in our school. It's really unacceptable that they haven't even shoveled the blacktop.

I'm an FCPS teacher and an ES mom and I totally agree. I'd happily donate my son's old boots, gloves, and hats to the school. We don't have THAT many FARMS kids countywide, and all kids need to become functional adults who can learn to walk in snow, wear an extra pair of socks, etc. This is basic life function.

I also think we should just let the kids play in the snow, but wait for the blacktop to be cleared. Just...play. It's snow. It's fun. Play. Get wet, get muddy, slip a little, and cope. Life 101.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids were told they won't be going outside until the snow melts from the playground and temps are above freezing. We have a huge issue at our school with kids not bringing warm clothing to go outside in so if the temp is below 32°, they stay inside.

I wish they did get them outside but we make up the lack of outdoor time after school instead.

The kids should all be required to be outside for the allotted time as long as there is no wind chill or cold advisory. Maybe next time the kid will wear something other than shorts. And we have a HUGE bureaucracy including paid parent liaisons and social workers and others who can gather data and make a plan for kids who legit don't have access to warm winter clothing. We are Fairfax County. We can do this. We need to stop being so helpless and reactionary toward parents who complain that their child is mildly uncomfortable for several consecutive minutes.

(I'm an FCPS ES teacher who has been beyond frustrated by this for years...same thing with rain. Kids can play in the rain unless it's an extraordinarily bad storm. And in mud, too. We have SEVERAL full time custodians, and when I work late in evenings, I see that most of them literally spend hours sitting in the teachers lounge reading their phones. This is NOT to bash them...they are not tasked with that much on regular days, and I'd do this too if I were them. But we can handle some extra mud mopping a few nights a month. We can handle getting kids more warm clothes and boots. We have a huge bureaucracy and it's unusually only the UNPAID teachers working 10-30 hours beyond contract every week, busting ourselves and shortening our lifespans, while we have thousands upon thousands of central office and ancillary support staff (non teaching) roles who could work just 10% harder during the PAID hours to make it more feasible for kids to have recess outdoors daily unless there is a weather advisory. Instead, kids are stuck inside because...we can't have wet halls or muddy floors or kids with wet shoes or no gloves. And then the kids are bouncing off the walls and can't focus and WE are blamed and WE don't get a moment of peace and quiet in the school day even though WE are the only ones busting ourselves with unpaid work on nights and weekends.

I'm sick of it. The kids should have been out playing all week. We can do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No but our admin had the blacktop plowed. Hopefully for tomorrow or Thursday.

We can’t keep these kids in for 2 weeks because of the playground.

Just another aspect of this we can’t handle because I’m sure kids used to snow play outside at school.

I taught first grade. Have you any idea how much time it takes to take a first grade class outside in the snow? And, how to take care of issues when you come back inside? Wet gloves, wet boots, etc.
I taught in a snowy climate for a year. It is a mess. Sure, we made the effort, but not daily. It eats into the instruction time. And, the kids I taught all had the appropriate clothing because it was necessary. Not all FCPS kids have the right clothing.

I'm an FCPS teacher and I get the time pressure we are all under. But we are talking about 15 minute recess. Not on wind chill advisory days, just after a snow. Kids can handle being cold. They can handle being a little wet. They can learn to wear gloves and hats, and we can help families who don't have them. This is BASIC functioning in a four season climate. BASIC functioning. We can do this.

Yes, so much. It’s ridiculous.its not dangerous for them to go outside and play in cold weather for 15 minutes. On these days when it’s going to be in the teens, sure, keep them in, but most winter days are FINE for outdoor recess. We have lots of local organizations that help us get winter weather gear for kids who need it.

My school had kids inside all last week, and it was clear they weren’t playing outside after school, and they were nuts. Kids need to run around, yell, and just play outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that so many parents just accept that FCPS holds indoor recess day after day this winter. Kids need exercise and socialization that comes with physical activity, not more screen time at school. Are that many parents not paying attention to all the research the last 10 years?

Kids and schools in other parts of the country somehow manage to go outside. It’s only 30 minutes, kids can seriously deal with some wet socks for a few hours, plus maybe next time they can wear boots. Why do we accept FCPS making every decision based on the lowest common denominator? Is the plan for indoor recess the entire month of January?

Schools here dont have capacity for kids to carry boots and change in and out of them. Sitting for hours in wet socks while trying to learn is unacceptable. I love fresh air and take my kids out as often as possible (yes even this week) but even I can understand that school cant be responsible for this.

Also indoor recess does not equal screens at our school. They play board games and stuff like that.

What in earth are you talking about...they don't have the capacity?!? The classrooms in the FCPS building where I teach are all FAR bigger than my ES where I grew up in CT. You figure it out. You clear off a table and spread out the hats and gloves to dry. Also, I don't ever remember changing boots at school, never, and we had a LOT of snow. You go to school in boots and you stay at school in boots.

You don't die from a couple of hours in damp socks and with damp jeans. If a kid is really uncomfortable, the school could keep some old clean socks in the school clothes closet (most schools have one for kids who vomit and have accidents) for kids who complain.

What is REALLY happening here is principals are terrified of parents and don't want to put ANY responsibility on them. I'm old, comparatively, as a teacher, so I have no gestation telling a young parent, "You need to dress your son more warmly in January. Maybe pack a clean pair of socks in his backpack because he tends to play hard and get his socks wet. If you need help getting more warm clothing for him, let me know and our social worker can arrange for some for your family."

It's not hard but it's like we are SO terrified of parents that we don't even try to coach them to be better parents anymore. We just keep coddling the kids more and more, to the detriment of everyone.

Frankly, I've never observed that an afternoon of instruction was lost to wet socks. Ever. And I have taught since 1994 both here and in two New England states. But I have definitely lost an entire afternoon of instruction - actually, FIVE afternoons last week - to a huge class of stir crazy, antsy kids, a lot of which have unmedicated ADHD, ALL of whom need to go out and run like puppies, unrestrained, in the snow so that they can get some exercise, space, and air and come back and focus and learn. Instead, we just bumped into each other and stayed up in each other's spaces and feelings for an uncomfortable 30 minutes of screens and games and tried in vain to get anything useful done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my kids have had a week with no outdoor recess. Likely won’t be outside next week either. It’s a lot of screen time.

oh well

Well some kids need fresh air during the day. Maybe your kids don’t. It’s unbelievable that they could have no outdoor recess for an entire month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No but our admin had the blacktop plowed. Hopefully for tomorrow or Thursday.

We can’t keep these kids in for 2 weeks because of the playground.

Just another aspect of this we can’t handle because I’m sure kids used to snow play outside at school.

I taught first grade. Have you any idea how much time it takes to take a first grade class outside in the snow? And, how to take care of issues when you come back inside? Wet gloves, wet boots, etc.
I taught in a snowy climate for a year. It is a mess. Sure, we made the effort, but not daily. It eats into the instruction time. And, the kids I taught all had the appropriate clothing because it was necessary. Not all FCPS kids have the right clothing.

I'm an FCPS teacher and I get the time pressure we are all under. But we are talking about 15 minute recess. Not on wind chill advisory days, just after a snow. Kids can handle being cold. They can handle being a little wet. They can learn to wear gloves and hats, and we can help families who don't have them. This is BASIC functioning in a four season climate. BASIC functioning. We can do this.

Yes, so much. It’s ridiculous.its not dangerous for them to go outside and play in cold weather for 15 minutes. On these days when it’s going to be in the teens, sure, keep them in, but most winter days are FINE for outdoor recess. We have lots of local organizations that help us get winter weather gear for kids who need it.

My school had kids inside all last week, and it was clear they weren’t playing outside after school, and they were nuts. Kids need to run around, yell, and just play outdoors.

Most teachers I know are not afraid of parents but they are tired of having to parent. Why is everything on the school. Dress your kids warmly is a parents job. Not the schools. And I know there are title 1 issues I'm talking about the majority of schools that are not title 1