Anonymous wrote:Sometimes it's too windy, sometimes it's raining, sometimes it's still wet from raining earlier, sometimes it might start raining during recess and heaven help if there's any chance of snow in the next 36 hours. I'm sure some kid somewhere once almost came close to thinking he would get wet during recess or something.

Amazing that my kids only missed one outdoor period in their years of private preschool (OK, so winds were over 50 mph that day).

Unbelievable isn't it? This was our experience at MCPS elementary school. That's why I'm so so so happy that my preK er went to the Outdoor Nursery School in Chevy Chase. At the time, I had no idea that that would be the extent of his outdoor experience in school.

As much as parents want to complain, teachers/administrators do too! They want the kids to run around and burn up some pent up energy. They know kids need to blow off steam and the value of recess. I volunteer on the playground sometimes and unfortunately there really is no choice on rainy days. Those kids would be bitching and moaning, at large percentage would not have the appropriate outdoor gear, and they would be miserable the rest of the day with their wet shoes, hair, clothes, etc.

With 220+ kids at recess at a time, there is no indoor place for them to run around and the kids play in the rooms instead (2 classes per room).

If you are so concerned about your kids getting out on rainy or snowy days, then you spend the afternoon with them outside once they come home from school. Don't expect the school to do what you wouldn't do yourself. BTW, you can always check your child out for recess and take him/her to a park if you'd like .

My DC's school has recess outdoors as long as it isn't raining/snowing and the temp is above 32 degrees. If the weather isn't cooperating, they have indoor recess in class.

Anonymous wrote:Totally a judgment call for the principal--if you think the kids are staying in too often for reasons that aren't good enough, bring it up with the PTA and see if other parents agree. I'm a teacher in MCPS, and at our elementary school, the kids DO go out in the snow. It's very rare to have indoor recess. Pretty much the only time they stay in is if it's a driving rain--if it's just sprinkling, they go out. If it's been raining all day and stops at 1 o'clock with just one recess left, that last recess goes out.

It's a principal thing, not a blanket MCPS policy, so there's no sense in complaining about how rigid or wimpy MCPS is, or how terrible this generation will grow up to be because they aren't as hardy as people from Chicago or NY.

Thanks for clearing that up. Your explanation tells me that there are a bunch of wussy principals in this county who became wusses because they were pampered in their formative years.

Totally a judgment call for the principal--if you think the kids are staying in too often for reasons that aren't good enough, bring it up with the PTA and see if other parents agree. I'm a teacher in MCPS, and at our elementary school, the kids DO go out in the snow. It's very rare to have indoor recess. Pretty much the only time they stay in is if it's a driving rain--if it's just sprinkling, they go out. If it's been raining all day and stops at 1 o'clock with just one recess left, that last recess goes out.

It's a principal thing, not a blanket MCPS policy, so there's no sense in complaining about how rigid or wimpy MCPS is, or how terrible this generation will grow up to be because they aren't as hardy as people from Chicago or NY.

Make that "dodge ball".

Anonymous wrote:We moved to the area from Chicago a few years ago when my DD started third grade. I couldn't believe how often the kids were kept inside. In Chicago the kids were mandated to have boots, hats, and a snow suit. If they could not afford it the school provided it. They went out unless windchill was below 0. Some of the best school days and her only real memories of her life in Chicago is playing in the snow during recess. We stay inside for recess more here in one year than she did in three years there. Its a shame the kids cant go out when its simply chilly. Other kids around the country do it all winter long.

Amen. This ridiculous stay inside policy has been brought to you by the same morons who ended doge ball and tag.

We moved to the area from Chicago a few years ago when my DD started third grade. I couldn't believe how often the kids were kept inside. In Chicago the kids were mandated to have boots, hats, and a snow suit. If they could not afford it the school provided it. They went out unless windchill was below 0. Some of the best school days and her only real memories of her life in Chicago is playing in the snow during recess. We stay inside for recess more here in one year than she did in three years there. Its a shame the kids cant go out when its simply chilly. Other kids around the country do it all winter long.

I don't know if the OP is still reading this, but I volunteered a few times when they had "indoor recess" in kindergarten last year, and it consisted of doubling up two classes of kids in one room and letting them play with anything in there they wanted, and it seemed to be pretty fun for them. They can't use the gym or all-purpose room because that would mean all 600 kids in the school running around in one room. I understand that it's a tough call for the administration on when to have outdoor recess or not. They let them out much more often than not at our school, with exceptions for heavy rain and significant cold. It's easy to say they should just let them out every day, but many schools responded to that recent petition with the unfortunate fact that some children don't come to school with warm enough or waterproof enough coats to make that possible every single day.