By: Amanda Kennington, Healthy Community School Coordinator
What are your memories of recess? Looking back, do you think it was all fun and games or do you think it was important to your learning and development? Did you know that the national recommendation for children and adolescents ages 6-17 is to be physically active for 60 minutes per day? This may sound like a lot, but don’t worry! Children may already be meeting the recommended activity levels through school based comprehensive physical activities.
The Texas Education Code, Section 28,004, requires the GCCISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to consider and make policy recommendations to the District concerning the importance of daily recess for elementary school students.
In 2021, data was collected using the School Policy and Physical Activity (S-PAPA) survey and found that there are few adopted recess policies at the district level which have greater implication to affect recess time provisions and equity at the school level. The SHAC presented a recess resolution to the Board which considered community values, academic and social development and the health benefits of daily recess. The SHAC supports the statement that recess should be viewed as a necessary educational support component for all children.
The district piloted the SHAC recommendations and an active recess school-based intervention beginning in the 2022-2023 school year at four identified campuses. The intervention, either active, semi-structured, or structured recess, is a break from the school day typically before lunch that involves a variety of planned, inclusive, and actively supervised games or activities. Active recess engages all students in these playground activities and games. The multi-component intervention includes investments in playground and activity equipment, painted markings on playgrounds, and training for teachers to lead activities. Paint markings include games such as hopscotch, four square, alphabet and number grids which provide students with a place to play and learn. The active recess program in GCCISD is supported by Be Well™ Baytown. Be Well Baytown is an initiative of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center sponsored by ExxonMobil.
There is strong evidence that active recess programs can lead to significant increases in moderate to vigorous activity. The overarching goal is to reduce the risk of childhood obesity by creating equitable recess opportunities for elementary students in GCCISD and promoting healthful activity environments, policies and behaviors through school-based intervention.
Schools have a significant role to play in providing opportunities for students to engage in structured (PE class) and unstructured physical activity (recess) daily. Since the active recess program began, GCCISD elementary schools reported that the average total minutes per day increased from 51% to 82%. The four pilot schools have reported that recess is offered at least once per school day (94%); recess supervisors have been trained to encourage students to be physically active (93%); school policy in written recess plans prohibited withholding recess from students for disciplinary reasons or tutorials (96%). Instead, recess is viewed as a necessary educational support component for all children; recess is scheduled for at least 15 minutes per day (87%); Pilot schools also reported students are provided and utilizing the infrastructure and equipment at recess and an increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has been observed.
In the future, the active recess program will be expanded to all GCCISD elementary schools. The SHAC will make future recess policy recommendations considering program outcomes which may facilitate improved attention and focus in the classroom, reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom, and enhance social and emotional development.
Parents can encourage children to participate in activities that are age appropriate, enjoyable, and offer a variety of options. Encourage your child to strike a balance between structured activities and free play, between passive and active entertainment, and between physical and sedentary activities. GCCISD installed safe walking trails for the community, open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, and during after school hours on weekdays unless school programs are in use at all junior school campuses and at the following locations from 4:30 p.m. to dusk: Carver, Harlem, Bowie, and Lamar elementary schools.
Visit the Baytown Moves Campaign website at https://baytown.org/baytownmoves to find fun activities to choose from in our community.
