Reply to MCPS - Indoor recess for cold weather - what's your school's policy?

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Reply to "MCPS - Indoor recess for cold weather - what's your school's policy?"

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[quote=Anonymous]Our kids were kept inside for recess yesterday (Nov. 29), because it was too cold.  I'm taking a little issue with the principal's temperature readings, but putting that aside, after receiving several complaints she sent an email to all parents saying that MCPS does not have a specific policy and she wants kids to be outside as much as possible, but that "as a general rule, when the temperature is below 32 degrees we will remain inside depending on the other conditions outside."

Meantime, a quick Google search of "MCPS indoor recess" pulls up this document from Woodlin ES, which is not far from us, which says "When the air and wind chill is in the low 20’s or 10’s in temperature, students are kept inside for indoor recess." https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/woodlines/news/Indoor%20recess.pdf

That seems much more reasonable to me, and many other parents, who are also upset about the kids having so much time inside.  What makes it worse is that when they are kept indoors, there is no gym space or other general space available for games or running, so they either end up watching a movie or playing board games.

[b]I'm trying to get some more data points on this, to see what is the norm in MCPS.  One thing that would be helpful is to know if your school had indoor or outdoor recess yesterday, November 29th.  It would also be helpful to know what your school's stated policy is, if any?[/b]

I'm also wondering if the BOE has ever discussed this issue, or if people think we would benefit from a district-wide policy?

Obviously the benefits of physical activity during the school day are immense, and I think that taking away their one opportunity to get exercise during the day should be considered very carefully.  We are offering to hold a cold weather clothing drive, if the issue is kids aren't dressed properly because they can't afford the right clothes. Several teachers have also told me that indoor recess requires more staffing, and from their perspective outdoor is always best whenever possible.

Certainly the northern states in the U.S. have figured this out!

Thanks for any feedback.[/quote]

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