Anonymous wrote:It isnt always the parents fault that the kids aren’t dressed properly. They can’t afford coats. Or, like me, have bought two each season but they still keep getting lost.

Anyway, the overcrowded nature of the schools is the problem. If they could use the gym for dodgeball or soccer or just running laps, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Oh bullshit. You can 2 packs of gloves for $1 at the dollar store and every thrift shop has coats for $5 or below. That doesn’t include free coat drives all over the county. We are talking 30 minutes outside in mostly 40 degree days in the winter. How do poor people survive in the Maine, Minnesota, Canada, etc...

32 degrees as the cut off is awful. It should be 20 degrees. What a bunch of wimps. Kids play outside in all sorts of weather. They are not going to get hypothermia. If they are too cold, they walk laps for 30min in the halls instead. Guarantee they would have proper outerwear the next day.

Kids need fresh air, exercise, and vitamin D, especially in the winter when it gets dark so early. It is the lazy ass paras that always want indoor recess.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

Are you in MCPS?

The MCPS ES classrooms have a Promethean board in each classroom. It's not a separate TV. So, the aides put something on during indoor recess. Either a movie, or a Magic Schoolhouse. Kids don't have to watch it, but it's on. But, no, it's not a TV, per se. Just the big Promethean board screen. Plus Chromebooks.

It's not always the aides. I've been asked to sub for indoor recess and the classroom teachers already have a show on the Promethean Board before I arrive.

OP here. I was exaggerating and bring sarcastic with the perfect weather comment. I just think kids can go outside when the weather isn't perfect. I just think the range of acceptable weather seems a bit narrow. But I understand the difficulty of dealing with kids who perhaps don't drink enough water (on hot days) or are not dressed appropriately (on cold days), and that no one really wants inside recess.

By TV I meant watching movies and shows. When I watch something on my laptop that's still TV.

Guess that's just how it goes. . Schools have a zillion things to deal with. I don't like it, but what can we do? It is what it is

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here (on my lunch break). When it starts getting cold, kids don't come to school properly dressed for the outdoors. As a Title One school, we get coats. gloves and hats for students who need them but then they show up every day without the clothing we gave them. When there are many kids who aren't properly dressed despite our best efforts, kids stay inside. Our KG paras are constantly being pulled to sub at the last minute and they are the ones who supervise recess. If you have one para for 3 classes of 27 and students who aren't dressed warmly, they stay inside and watch a movie. It is what it is.

So sad. No way to split up kids and have those without coats stay indoors? Can't parents help?

In our school of around 700, we only have a few volunteers and it is apparently district policy that a district paid employee has to supervise students at all times. As for splitting up the kids who aren’t properly dressed, it would be a lot of kids. Maybe 25% or them at least who come to school with no coat, etc. we used to have a charity that donated coats but not anymore. They probably got sick of kids not wearing them or losing them.

OP, I have had two kids in different MCPS elementary schools and I work at a third school. TV is very rarely used at any of the three schools I have experience with - and when it is, it's Magic Schoolbus or Wild Kratts. Kids play board games, Legos, or draw during inside recess.

Dress your kids for the weather so they can go outside - and tell them to actually WEAR their coats outside. The school I work at goes out in almost all weather, including several drizzly days in the last few weeks. Indoor recess is hard on everyone, kids, teachers and other staff - nobody is choosing inside if they can avoid it.

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here (on my lunch break). When it starts getting cold, kids don't come to school properly dressed for the outdoors. As a Title One school, we get coats. gloves and hats for students who need them but then they show up every day without the clothing we gave them. When there are many kids who aren't properly dressed despite our best efforts, kids stay inside. Our KG paras are constantly being pulled to sub at the last minute and they are the ones who supervise recess. If you have one para for 3 classes of 27 and students who aren't dressed warmly, they stay inside and watch a movie. It is what it is.

So sad. No way to split up kids and have those without coats stay indoors? Can't parents help?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here (on my lunch break). When it starts getting cold, kids don't come to school properly dressed for the outdoors. As a Title One school, we get coats. gloves and hats for students who need them but then they show up every day without the clothing we gave them. When there are many kids who aren't properly dressed despite our best efforts, kids stay inside. Our KG paras are constantly being pulled to sub at the last minute and they are the ones who supervise recess. If you have one para for 3 classes of 27 and students who aren't dressed warmly, they stay inside and watch a movie. It is what it is.

Is there a reason why the TV needs to be on? All that screen time can't be helping.

If your answer to "Indoor recess doesn't have to have TV" is "it is what it is", you need to retire from teaching.

Hey, I'm just the messenger. This is not my choice. I used to work overseas and it rained all of the time (think Seattle weather) and my students went outside every day. Our admin tells the paras what to do, not me. I want the kids outside and burning off energy. They need it but when kids come to school without proper clothing to wear outside, the admin tells the paras to keep them inside. One para and 80 kids in one room? The only thing they can do to fit them all in is to put on a video/movie/TV show. You cannot have 80 kids in a regular sized classroom moving around. There is no space. Sometimes if there are 2 paras available, they will put out games/blocks, etc and divide up the students between 2 classrooms. But most of the time, there is only 1 para for the entire grade because we cannot find enough substitutes and the paras end up subbing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

Are you in MCPS?

The MCPS ES classrooms have a Promethean board in each classroom. It's not a separate TV. So, the aides put something on during indoor recess. Either a movie, or a Magic Schoolhouse. Kids don't have to watch it, but it's on. But, no, it's not a TV, per se. Just the big Promethean board screen. Plus Chromebooks.

Fairfax County does this, too. They just mandated 20 minutes outside time, but I bet the parameters are not large (ie: weather must be perfect).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

same. with they could go outside basically always, but tv isn't an option.

Again, it’s not a TV. However, the Prometheus board is used to stream videos or movies or shows. And there are two or three Chromebooks open so the kids can play games.

That is usually the case at most MCPS ESs during indoor recess.

Woah, who cares whether it's a TV or any other device that shows a movie on a screen? Are people trolling when they reply that, trying to stifle reasonable conversation, or do they sincerely believe it matters to anyone?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here (on my lunch break). When it starts getting cold, kids don't come to school properly dressed for the outdoors. As a Title One school, we get coats. gloves and hats for students who need them but then they show up every day without the clothing we gave them. When there are many kids who aren't properly dressed despite our best efforts, kids stay inside. Our KG paras are constantly being pulled to sub at the last minute and they are the ones who supervise recess. If you have one para for 3 classes of 27 and students who aren't dressed warmly, they stay inside and watch a movie. It is what it is.

Is there a reason why the TV needs to be on? All that screen time can't be helping.

If your answer to "Indoor recess doesn't have to have TV" is "it is what it is", you need to retire from teaching.

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here (on my lunch break). When it starts getting cold, kids don't come to school properly dressed for the outdoors. As a Title One school, we get coats. gloves and hats for students who need them but then they show up every day without the clothing we gave them. When there are many kids who aren't properly dressed despite our best efforts, kids stay inside. Our KG paras are constantly being pulled to sub at the last minute and they are the ones who supervise recess. If you have one para for 3 classes of 27 and students who aren't dressed warmly, they stay inside and watch a movie. It is what it is.

Is there a reason why the TV needs to be on? All that screen time can't be helping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isnt always the parents fault that the kids aren’t dressed properly. They can’t afford coats. Or, like me, have bought two each season but they still keep getting lost.

Anyway, the overcrowded nature of the schools is the problem. If they could use the gym for dodgeball or soccer or just running laps, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Dressing your child for the weather is 100% your responsibility.

Even if it is 100% the parents' responsibility the school has to keep the kids safe. It is not safe for kids to go out in very cold weather without proper layers. The school can either provide the layers or keep the kids in. They can't send them out to freeze at recess and just say "well the parent didn't dress them appropriately." They have to take care of the kids while the kids are in their care. This seems rather obvious.

And I consider watching Magic Schoolbus on the pro board to be "tv"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

same. with they could go outside basically always, but tv isn't an option.

Again, it’s not a TV. However, the Prometheus board is used to stream videos or movies or shows. And there are two or three Chromebooks open so the kids can play games.

That is usually the case at most MCPS ESs during indoor recess.

Yes, Chromebooks are definitely available.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

same. with they could go outside basically always, but tv isn't an option.

Again, it’s not a TV. However, the Prometheus board is used to stream videos or movies or shows. And there are two or three Chromebooks open so the kids can play games.

That is usually the case at most MCPS ESs during indoor recess.

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of a tv on during recess. My kids have always had games, cards, blocks, activities. I wish they were more liberal with outdoor time when it is cold (even 50% of recess outdoor/indoor) but at least they do have down-time and no tv.

same. with they could go outside basically always, but tv isn't an option.