does your kid's school require them to wear jackets at recess?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to a school function tonight, and lemme tell you, it's freezing out! And windy, to boot. If I were a teacher, I wouldn't have let kids outside without a jacket on.

No, it wasn’t freezing.

Just because you are cold doesn't mean others are. I always ran hot even as a child but my parents were always cold and made me wear a coat. I always resented it so I don't do that to my kids.

Now if my kids are over 5 and not dressed appropriately for the weather I don't want to hear complaints. I make suggestions but if they choose not to wear a coat they are not allowed to complain if they become cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an elementary school teacher, I can tell you there's no winning on jackets. If you let them leave them in the classroom and it's too cold outside, then it's a long time to be cold. If you make them bring them, and let them take them off, then they get lost and the time suck is huge. If you make them wear them they're overheated and uncomfortable.

A better solution in this in between weather is for parents to send a sweatshirt, or put them in a long sleeve shirt, or something else that's actually appropriate for the weather, rather than giving us the choice between a T-shirt and a winter coat.

+1 and the PP didn't even mention overheated classrooms in winter. As parents the best we can do is to send them with options and layers. Think sleeveless vests, sweatshirts and light jackets.

This doesn’t work either. Our lost and found has exploded with these layers as the kids take off the layers just like a jacket and leave these items all over the playground, field, and outside benches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an elementary school teacher, I can tell you there's no winning on jackets. If you let them leave them in the classroom and it's too cold outside, then it's a long time to be cold. If you make them bring them, and let them take them off, then they get lost and the time suck is huge. If you make them wear them they're overheated and uncomfortable.

A better solution in this in between weather is for parents to send a sweatshirt, or put them in a long sleeve shirt, or something else that's actually appropriate for the weather, rather than giving us the choice between a T-shirt and a winter coat.

+1 and the PP didn't even mention overheated classrooms in winter. As parents the best we can do is to send them with options and layers. Think sleeveless vests, sweatshirts and light jackets.

This doesn’t work either. Our lost and found has exploded with these layers as the kids take off the layers just like a jacket and leave these items all over the playground, field, and outside benches.

Same at the school where I work.

Schools can't win!!

[Anonymous]

Send a lighter layer like a fleece instead of a coat when it is in the 40s/50s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send an email to the teacher saying "Please allow my daughter to wear her jacket or not as she wishes."

I doubt it's really a "rule."

You doubt us a rule?! But the teacher said it was and Parents on here saying every school has a similar policy. People like you are wouldn’t make the non-teaching parts of teaching so hard.

[Anonymous]

This gets emailed out by our principal every year:

At [X school], we have a 50 degree policy for participating in activities outside of the school. If it is under 50 degrees at the time of the activity, students need to have a coat/jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie AND have on pants or sweats (no shorts or skirts/dresses).
FCPS Fact Sheet SEH-23:

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PLAY OUTDOORS?

During typical winter days, common sense requires us to look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgment after considering the information provided in this fact sheet. Principals should communicate with their community that it
is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the above guideline, I worked with the region office several years back to create a policy that would be consistent and easy to follow for staff, students, and parents. While 50 degrees may feel very different depending on the cloud cover and wind, etc., having a consistent temperature guideline was easiest for everyone's planning. Please note, according to the chart above, students can have a 30 minute outdoor activity when the weather is BELOW zero!! We ask our teachers to use their professional judgements when deciding on outdoor recess, PE outside, and any other outdoor activities!

Our school policy states:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing pants/sweats and a warm jacket/hooded sweatshirt to go outside for any outdoor activity. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. I make the kids wear jackets when it is cold, but they don’t have to zip them up. The ones that say they aren’t cold and don’t have a jacket come inside after recess and are freezing and can’t focus on their work. If it’s warmer, I let them take it off. I figure if a second grader’s parent sent them to school in a jacket, they want them to wear it. I don’t want any kid to be sweating like crazy and too hot, but if you send a coat and it’s winter, I ask them to wear it. And please please, put names in coats and sweatshirts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This gets emailed out by our principal every year:

At [X school], we have a 50 degree policy for participating in activities outside of the school. If it is under 50 degrees at the time of the activity, students need to have a coat/jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie AND have on pants or sweats (no shorts or skirts/dresses).
FCPS Fact Sheet SEH-23:

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PLAY OUTDOORS?

During typical winter days, common sense requires us to look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgment after considering the information provided in this fact sheet. Principals should communicate with their community that it
is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the above guideline, I worked with the region office several years back to create a policy that would be consistent and easy to follow for staff, students, and parents. While 50 degrees may feel very different depending on the cloud cover and wind, etc., having a consistent temperature guideline was easiest for everyone's planning. Please note, according to the chart above, students can have a 30 minute outdoor activity when the weather is BELOW zero!! We ask our teachers to use their professional judgements when deciding on outdoor recess, PE outside, and any other outdoor activities!

Our school policy states:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing pants/sweats and a warm jacket/hooded sweatshirt to go outside for any outdoor activity. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Because some religions require girls to wear skirts and dresses, this violates the constitution.

[Anonymous]

This might sound crazy, but I worked at an elementary school and saw a huge correlation between non-jacket wearing at freezing temps and hyperactivity/ inappropriate behaviors. Off topic observation. And the idea that we could make the hyperactive kid put his coat on during recess is laughable. I'm glad mom and dad never asked for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This gets emailed out by our principal every year:

At [X school], we have a 50 degree policy for participating in activities outside of the school. If it is under 50 degrees at the time of the activity, students need to have a coat/jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie AND have on pants or sweats (no shorts or skirts/dresses).
FCPS Fact Sheet SEH-23:

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PLAY OUTDOORS?

During typical winter days, common sense requires us to look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgment after considering the information provided in this fact sheet. Principals should communicate with their community that it
is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the above guideline, I worked with the region office several years back to create a policy that would be consistent and easy to follow for staff, students, and parents. While 50 degrees may feel very different depending on the cloud cover and wind, etc., having a consistent temperature guideline was easiest for everyone's planning. Please note, according to the chart above, students can have a 30 minute outdoor activity when the weather is BELOW zero!! We ask our teachers to use their professional judgements when deciding on outdoor recess, PE outside, and any other outdoor activities!

Our school policy states:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing pants/sweats and a warm jacket/hooded sweatshirt to go outside for any outdoor activity. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

That's fine, but fully half those kids will wear the coat while transitioning outside and then dump it on the blacktop for the next 30 minutes while they play in short sleeves. 2-3 adults cannot follow 100+ kids around telling them to put coats back on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This might sound crazy, but I worked at an elementary school and saw a huge correlation between non-jacket wearing at freezing temps and hyperactivity/ inappropriate behaviors. Off topic observation. And the idea that we could make the hyperactive kid put his coat on during recess is laughable. I'm glad mom and dad never asked for that.

Teacher here. Now that you mention it, I do too. The kids who show up without jackets, etc tend to be kids with difficult behavior. I imagine mornings in their house can be a nightmare so the parents take the path of least resistance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you have to understand that schools will never win with parents. Some parents would freak out if their child wasn’t made to wear a jacket when it’s 60 degrees out and some get mad that their kid was made to wear a jacket when it’s 60 degrees out. They have to choose a one size fits all policy made with health and safety in mind and it’s never going to make everyone happy.

How about a policy of letting kids be responsible for small decisions, when the stakes are small - like getting cold when they aren't wearing coat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send an email to the teacher saying "Please allow my daughter to wear her jacket or not as she wishes."

I doubt it's really a "rule."

As long as your email says “and I won’t complain if it’s lost repeatedly” I am good with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This gets emailed out by our principal every year:

At [X school], we have a 50 degree policy for participating in activities outside of the school. If it is under 50 degrees at the time of the activity, students need to have a coat/jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie AND have on pants or sweats (no shorts or skirts/dresses).
FCPS Fact Sheet SEH-23:

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PLAY OUTDOORS?

During typical winter days, common sense requires us to look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgment after considering the information provided in this fact sheet. Principals should communicate with their community that it
is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the above guideline, I worked with the region office several years back to create a policy that would be consistent and easy to follow for staff, students, and parents. While 50 degrees may feel very different depending on the cloud cover and wind, etc., having a consistent temperature guideline was easiest for everyone's planning. Please note, according to the chart above, students can have a 30 minute outdoor activity when the weather is BELOW zero!! We ask our teachers to use their professional judgements when deciding on outdoor recess, PE outside, and any other outdoor activities!

Our school policy states:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing pants/sweats and a warm jacket/hooded sweatshirt to go outside for any outdoor activity. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Because some religions require girls to wear skirts and dresses, this violates the constitution.

Name the religion that prohibits girls from wearing leggings or pants under their dress.

[Anonymous]

I remind the kids to grab their jackets when it’s cold out. However, the only time as a teacher I say “this is non-negotiable and you must wear something” is when it’s 20-40 degrees.