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Greetings!
This month's newsletter provides information regarding an article on "Can Physical Education Make You Smarter", A Recess Controversy, H1N1, a recent legal ruling regarding Recess and Peaceful Playgrounds New Online Playground Supervisor Training.
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Can Physical Education Make you Smarter?
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For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure
of the brain, resulting in improvements in concentration, fidgeting and
creates new brain cells.
The body-mind link is well documented. But current actions
(like eliminating recess and physical education) leads me to question if
some decisions reflect the cliché that "our bodies exist to carry our heads
around. "Current thinking on the topic however, acknowledges, "Any thinking
has the whole body participating."
More on Can Physical Education Make You Smarter?
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Recess Controversy
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A decision was reached in the legal case involving the 4th graders who were reading the Bible at recess and were told to stop. It seems a parent observed the activity and complained.
The parents of one of the Bible reading students sued with the assistance of the Alliance Defense Team . The parents sued for just one dollar, recognition that their child's rights had been violated, and an injunction against future such actions.
The school claimed it was all a misunderstanding. They contended that a school district policy which limited adult-lead Bible study sessions at school to "before and after school hours" in violation of the policy. The school further contended that recess was an "instructional part of the school day."
The verdict. The school won.
I'm reminded of my education law classes which revealed, "Students leave their rights at the schoolhouse door." However, that appears to be changing........
More articles and information.
Can we all just play nice ?
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H1N1: Should we be washing play equipment?
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The World Health
Organization declared the H1N1 Influenza a worldwide pandemic on June
11, 2009. We stumbled upon a blog post about pressure washing playground structures due to the spread of the H1N1 virus in schools.
We ask Cathy Owens, R.N., M.Ed., a Lead School Nurse for Murrieta Valley Unified School District to respond to the following question.
Is pressure washing necessary? Is washing down play equipment an effective solution to the spread of the H1N1 virus?
Answer:
"With the sun and air, most viruses cannot live on those surfaces for
any length of time. But, regardless, as I have explained to numerous
parents, even if a
complete sterilization of surfaces/schools, were possible, the first
time a surface was touched, coughed on, or had any other contact-it
would be contaminated. So, the best cleaning in the world does not
protect the surface from being contaminated as soon as anyone touches
it. Cleaning is helpful, but washing hands after touching any surface
is really much more effective...."
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Playground Supervisor Training
Online Course and Certification
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Recess Discipline
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A mom is peeved at an Oklahoma school which reportedly punished her son by having him stand facing a wall at recess. The parent claims that he was told to stand close enough to the wall to touch it with his nose. The punishment was for failing to finish a homework assignment.
"I think it's a horrible policy. I think it's humiliating and I think it's disgusting," the parent reported to the school. "It was extremely traumatic. When he called me, he was crying. He was very upset."
The Oklahoma news stationed ask their viewers their opinion on the matter. What do you think? Was the punishment excessive for failing to finish his homework?
Read article and view news video here.
Perhaps the schools should have reviewed Peaceful Playgrounds' 60 Alternatives to Withholding recess.
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Sincerely,
Melinda Bossenmeyer
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.
www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
NEW ADDRESS AND PHONE
951-245-6970
fax 951-245-6956
melinda@peacefulplaygrounds.com
17975 Collier Ave. Unit 5
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Copyright Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc. November 2009 All Rights Reserved
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