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Greetings!
This month's newsletter provides information on the controversial topic of recess coaches, an obesity intervention (painting lines on playground), free play at recess, and a Read & Ride Program.
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Do schools need recess coaches?
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Recess  |
Sunday's New York Times had a Op-Ed article entitled, "Recess is Over" by David Elkind. He pointed out that schools around the country, concerned about bullying and arguments over
the use of the equipment, are increasingly hiring "recess
coaches" to oversee students' free time. Critics have suggested that such coaching is yet another example of the
over-scheduling and over-programming of our children. Elkind said, "I'd probably have been opposed to recess coaches in the past. But
childhood has changed so radically in recent years that I think the
trend makes sense, at least at some schools and with some students."
As you can imagine this is causing quite a stir.
He was responding to the NYT earlier article entitled, "Forget goofing around.
Recess has a new boss." The article was about Broadway Elementary
School in Newark. According to the Times, "there is no more sitting
around after lunch. No more goofing off with friends. No more doing
nothing." It seems Broadway Elementary has hired a recess coach who
organizes daily games and students are expected to participate in the
chosen activity.
Send feedback  | So what do you think? Does your school need a recess coach? Do you currently have a recess coach? Send your comments to melinda@peacefulplaygrounds.com. We'll be gathering them for a blog post next week.
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Painting lines on the playground. Easiest obesity intervention EVER.
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Playground Marking  | Travis Saunders, a Phd. student and obesity researcher wrote an article in the Obesity Panacea this month entitled, Painting lines on the playground. The easiest obesity intervention EVER. Since this is a message that we've been sending for some time not, naturally it caught our attentPhysical activity & Playground Markings  | ion.
In a 2005 study from Preventive
Medicine, Dr Gareth Sutton and Elaine Mullan examined the
levels of objectively measured moderate and vigorous physical activity
in a group of Welsh school children before and after their playgrounds were painting with a variety of game markings. Students attending nearby English schools which did not receive
playground markings served as the control group.
Results: Not surprisingly, both moderate and vigorous physical activity levels
increased by roughly 40% in the intervention schools, while activity
levels slightly decreased in the control schools. The graph above
illustrates the dramatic increase in the percentage of recess which was
spent being moderately or vigorously physically as a result of the
intervention.
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Read and Ride Program  | A teacher submitted this information to our blog. We think it is a great idea so we decided to share it with you. Its a way to get kids fit and increase literacy! It's
called Read
& Ride!
This is a free program for kids, where used bikes
were collected from around the community! I love hearing about this
because this is the Recycling for the bikes in the community that might
otherwise end up in a landfill. Now they are being used to help kids and
the community get fit!
Learn more www.KidsReadAndRide.com
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Free play at recess. One school's experience.
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Curran Elementary  |
The following is an interview with the principal where the original Peaceful
Playgrounds Program was first implemented.
After the program was
introduced at E. Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta, California,
the results produced immediate and significant reductions in injuries,
nurse referrals, and disciplinary referrals, despite large enrollment
increases.
"When I came here I two years ago as assistant
principal, I could see the difference immediately," says David
Koltovich, now principal at E. Hale Curran Elementary. "I saw almost a
total involvement in games. No groups of students were loitering about
without anything to do. When kids go out to the playground, they know
where they're going. They have favorite games, and they heard right for
them. Ninety- five percent of the students are engaged in play, while
the few other take time under the shade area to eat their snacks." So
what's the secret of this successful program? Koltovich points out that
the program has five main components:
* Organizing the
playground area around game markings
which disperse the children in organized activities.
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Teaching and practicing conflict resolution strategies which the
students use to resolve their own interpersonal problems, freeing supervisors
to supervise.
* Providing ample game opportunities and equipment
so that children don't have to wait in line or compete for a playing
spot.
* Providing consistent expectations through training all staff members in the school, not
just the playground supervisors, in behavior rules and game rules. And
then providing training and re-enforcement each year for staff and
students. What principal wouldn't like to see an 86% drop in
disciplinary referrals? Or better yet, how about an 83% drop in injuries
on your playground? This is just one example of a school's commitment
to making the playground a safe and peaceful place for children.
Certainly there are many more.
Video of painting the playground.
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PEP Grant Changes for 2011
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In an effort to streamline the Department of Education (USDE)'s programs and increase effectiveness, the President's FY 2011 budget contains major changes to the PEP grant program. According to the USDE Website, the President's budget proposes to eliminate six programs and consolidate 38 others into 11 new authorities. The PEP program, along with five other programs, would be consolidated into a new authority called "Successful, Safe and Healthy Students."
NASPE Press Release Feb. 2010.
Q. Is PEP being eliminated?
A. No. The program is being consolidated, along with five other national programs, into a new USDE authority, called "Successful, Safe and Healthy Students."
Q. Will there be money for PEP in FY 2011?
A. The President has proposed funding the new Successful, Safe and Healthy Students authority at an amount greater than all its components were funded in FY 2010.
Q. How does this affect the spring 2010 PEP grant application process?
A. It does not. The funding for new grants to be awarded in 2010 ($30 million) was already appropriated by Congress in the FY 2010 budget. USDE will open the requests for proposals for 2010 grants sometime this spring.
Q. What can I do to support the PEP program?
A. Contact your federal legislators asking for their support for the PEP program as part of the new Successful, Safe and Healthy Students authority within USDE. NASPE and its PEP advocacy partners are asking Congress to fund PEP at $100 million for FY 2011.
Need assistance writing your PEP Grant?
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We hope you enjoyed this month's Play Nice Newsletter. Why not  Sincerely,
Melinda Bossenmeyer
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.
www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
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. 2010 All Rights Reserved.
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