Jan 1 2021 - Recess Please

 

Recess and dismissal arrived in my mental inbox.  A recess is a period in which a group of people are temporarily dismissed from their duties.  It is interesting that this term about a group of people would have been used for children.  And that recess is common in two areas:  primary school and parliament/government breaks.  There is much written about the need for small children to have breaks or recesses - playtime, social time, physical activity.  The results of studies show that "The best way to improve children's performance in the classroom may be to take them out of it." But there is very little written about adults having recess.  A coffee break is the closest thing - and that wasn't playtime.  A bit of minor exercise. Maybe we were supposed to have recess at lunch.  But lunch turned into eating at one's desk as the decades rolled on.  Lots of work and little play during our day. My observation of adult "play" is that it is comprised of rigid sports games and social activities.  Everything has a lot of rules.  Adults reveal in difficult and harsh activities.  Lots of combat and competition. Consider this: there is no Olympic moment for swinging on a swing or sliding down a slide.   Imagine skipping.  These are not action-packed, combative and competitive activities that make for adult worlds records.  We laugh these off as simple and silly.  As an example, even my dog Millie can slide down a slide. I became aware of the fun of childrens'play activities in the high intensity interval training class at my Y.  It includes rope skipping, medicine ball throwing and rope ladder hopscotching.  I realized I hadn't done any of these things since I was a child.  They are fun to do. When and how did we stop... It may be that we rejuvenate recess for adults ass we make our way through the Pandemic.   Things like Red rover, hide-and-seek, musical chairs, leap frog, kickball, dodgeball, Simon says.  That would be an excellent New Year's Resolution: More play, less work to keep Jack on track. Between Sea and Sky - this is the seahorse at the Winterthur Pond in poised in that magic space between water and sky.

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Sep 21 2021 - School Days

 

How long is a school day for children?  In Ontario, it is generally 6 hours.  Exact school hours can vary by school board and level (elementary or secondary). There's legislation in each province covering the minimum length of a school day - in Ontario the minimum is 5 hours a day, excluding recess and scheduled intervals between classes.   There's only one difference between Grades 1 to 6 and 7 and 8 - there is no PM recess for grades 7 to 8.  Here's a sample from one of the Toronto District School Board web sites: 8:35     Supervision Begins   8:45   Entry Bell 8:50   Classes Begin 10:10-10:25   Recess 11:35     Lunch 12:30   Entry Bell 12:35   Classes Begin 1:55-2:10   Recess 3:20   School Day Ends 3:35   Supervision Ends   It looks neat and tidy, doesn't it. How long should a school day be?  There is lots of research and many articles comparing education systems around the world.  Taiwan seems to have the longest school day at 8.5 hours, down to 5 days for Finland.  It says Ontario has 6 hours in the average school day.   THIS is an article that compares Ontario's length of days, number of days, etc with other systems around the world.   There's lots of writing about the length of the adult work day.  Should we adults engage in recess in our work day?  Should there be time out for some play and physical activity? Articles say yes - adults need recess too. I guess it is something for each of us to consider. Here are some children on a Strasburg Rail Road passenger car about to enjoy a train ride.   Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Sep 14 2021 - First Day of School

 

We had a conversation last week on the second day of school with a fellow whose son started grade 2 the day before.  What did his son think of being back to school. On his first day of school, he enjoyed seeing all his friends.  What was his favourite part?  Recess. That seems perfect, doesn't it.  These back to school articles full of nostalgic emotions, so I suggest these are written by adults:  "This year, the back-to-school experience was infused with a senses of anticipation usually reserved for Christmas Eve"  - that from the Ottawa Citizen.  And it concluded with:  "School, once a given, is now, suddenly, a gift." These are definitely adult sentiments rather than children's.  In comparison, here are two traditional first day of school jokes:    Teacher: Class, we will have only half a day of school this morning. Class: Hooray! Teacher: We will have the other half this afternoon. Billy comes home from school on his first day and mom asks him, "What did you learn today?" "Not enough," said Billy. "They said I have to go back tomorrow."   here is the first day of university jokes: On the first day of school, the college dean addressed the freshman class to explain some of the campus rules. "The women's dormitory is off-limits to male students and the men's dormitory is off-limits to female students," he intoned. "Anybody caught breaking this rule will be fined $20 the first time, $60 the second lime and $180 the third time. Does anyone have any questions? A male student raised his hand. "How much for a season pass?"   Most jokes are from a child's point of view - here we have a different point of view: The first day of school was always great. I remember mucking around in the classroom and wreaking havoc. Picking on the little kids and taking their lunch money. Asserting myself on the playground by tripping and pushing everyone. I just hope the students were having fun. This abstract is titled Playing in the Schoolyard - I think it is the chain link fence motif that inspired me.

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