Class, it is time for Recess! That is a word that students love to hear! They are excited to enjoy their friends and the playground.
Our school is a small rural school in which approximately 600 students attend in grades Pre-K through 2nd.
Our school is a Title 1 school with a high amount of low income families. Opportunities for physical activity are very limited due to the lack of family involvement outside of the school day. The students participate in PE class once a week for 45 minutes. Therefore, one of the highlights of the school day for the students is Recess! Our school has been working very hard over the past 8 years to try and "build" our playground one piece at a time. The playground is a place where students can become active and improve not only their physical lifestyle, but their academic learning as well. Research states that when students are physically active during the school day, they become engaged in learning in the classroom. They are better able to focus on their academic curriculum.
My Project
Childhood obesity is also becoming the leading challenge for schools across this nation. It is starting at an earlier age and continuing into a lifelong problem. The playground can become a place where students become excited about physical fitness as well as promoting positive healthy habits. Recess time also builds camaraderie, teamwork and leadership skills, which all coincide with our school's Positive Behavior System.
The next piece to our "Playground of Dreams," is a permanent basketball goal that is age appropriate for our students, a bench and basketballs that are the correct size for their small hands.
The students enjoy playing together on the playground, however, due to the lack of equipment and large numbers of students on the playground, sometimes instead of playing a game, they are playing "hurry up and wait." The basketball goal is one more "piece" to help make the playground of dreams come true.
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