Earlier this summer, a concerned parent reached out to this newspaper to raise their concerns about opportunities for physical activities in Carbondale Middle School (CMS). They asked to remain anonymous because they also work for the school district. “At CMS they have one 20-minute recess after lunch only,” they wrote, compared to a 20-minute midday recess and an additional 15-minute recess at Crystal River Elementary School. “At CMS the kids have PE once a year for a trimester and it’s only every other day. If they are lucky enough to get it another trimester again then it’s still every other day. They are not permitted to have PE all trimesters.”
The parent also raised concerns about fifth grade being part of middle school, rather than elementary school, specifically because the latter has more allocated recess and physical activity time. “They are losing a legitimate year in elementary school as most schools in our nation have elementary school through fifth grade then go to middle in sixth grade,” they wrote.
That parent is correct that many elementary schools in the United States include fifth grade. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics suggest that just over a third of elementary schools in the country include fifth grade, while a sixth of them include sixth grade. The remaining sum spanned a variety of grade compositions. In that 2007 data, kindergarten through fourth grade schools were the lowest number with just under 5,000 nationwide.
Joel Hathaway, Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) executive director of schools, said that physical education and student well-being are major priorities for the district. “RFSD schools develop their own schedules with stakeholder input in order to maximize opportunities for student learning and wellness,” he wrote in response to the parent’s concern. “Although state law and board policy only mandate physical activity in elementary schools, all of our middle schools also provide a recess period for students.”
Hathaway also clarified that RFSD schools have lunch and recess blocks longer than 20 minutes. “RFSD middle schools typically have a lunch and recess block in the middle of the day. This block ranges from about 35 to 45 minutes,” he informed. Beyond that designated midday time, Hathaway said local schools offer a variety of opportunities for physical activity. “Students at our schools are enrolled in physical education classes, which are offered at every level. Instruction in every classroom incorporates a variety of strategies to engage our learners, including movement.”
These opportunities fall within the district’s interest in supporting students. As Hathaway explained, “Board Policy JLJ states: ‘The Board believes students who engage in physical activity as part of the learning environment are healthier and more likely to be engaged learners.’” He added that physical activity is not limited to outdoor recess breaks. “Teachers are free to integrate movement breaks into their class periods as needed or appropriate,” which may include dance, yoga or creative ways for students to engage with lesson material.
The concerned parent’s assertion was that the school district is deprioritizing physical activity to focus on test scores. “My issue is it’s a true injustice to our growing children as students to limit their physical and social activity and expect them to perform in school expectations to achieve and thrive,” they wrote. “Administration is so concerned about test scores and data that they push the academics and oversee the connection to exercise and success.”
RFSD policy language does not appear to align with that accusation. The school district’s near-term goals and strategy plans mention intended benchmarks for physical activity, social engagement and academic testing.
It is true that physical activity is associated with high academic performance. A 2022 Frontiers in Pediatrics review compiled data from many studies on children ages 3 to 11. Findings included that physical activity promoted cognitive and motor development, and is even correlated with emotional maturity. The nation of Finland regularly makes headlines for its consistent rank among the top five countries globally for education. Finnish teachers consistently cite a focus on movement and play as one of the ingredients to that achievement. In primary (elementary) schools, Finland offers 15 minutes of recess every hour.
The topic of recess and physical activity opportunities in local schools is one of many surely on the minds of parents, teachers and administrators alike as a new school year begins.