There is a question regarding students that has been debated for a long time: Should high school students have recess? Many students, parents, teachers, and others believe the answer is yes- while others think no.
At Penns Valley, students in Kindergarten through sixth grade are given an allotted period every day for DPA (Daily Physical Activity). During this time, students are taken outside, if the weather permits. Students are allowed to play sports, play on the playground and blacktop, and more. If the weather does not permit, students can choose from a variety of activities indoors. Junior and senior high students, however, are not given DPA.
Studies have shown that after recess students are more attentive and they show higher scores on tests. Students also have fewer behavioral problems after recess. Improvements in memory skills, physical health, and creativity have also been seen. However, some people believe that high school students have outgrown recess and that any free time would be a waste of time when they could be given instruction. [View this article further detailing the benefits of recess: Benefits of Recess: Improving Student Outcomes Beyond Physical Health.]
“I miss having DPA because it was a break from schoolwork,” Brooke Feidler, a junior at Penns Valley, remarks. “We could get all our energy out, or just wake up.” Peyton Thomas, another student, says, “The only free time we have at school is during lunch, and that’s not even thirty minutes.”
It is reported that teenagers, like younger children, need at least sixty minutes of physical activity a day. At Penns Valley, aside from after-school athletics, the only opportunities for physical activity given are Physical Education class, which students are required to take for one marking period (a quarter) of the year, and a few other physical activity electives that are not required.
Would having a recess (or something similar) added to the schedule for high school students be beneficial at Penns Valley?
