3. Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. In essence, recess should be considered a child's personal time, and it should not be withheld for punitive reasons. All elementary students, Grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, will engage in (a) total daily recess period(s) for a minimum of 30 minutes, but not less than 15 minutes if multiple sessions are scheduled. Recess may be withdrawn only as a consequence of a student's behavior when that behavior jeopardizes the health and safety of the student or others, and only after all other means of addressing the behavioral issue have been exhausted. Recess should not be withheld for entire classes based on behavior issues. It is the expectation that other more effective interventions will be utilized to address classroom behavior. Whenever possible recess should be planned before lunch since research indicates that physical activity prior to lunch can increase the student's nutrient intake, increase student attention to academic work, and reduce food waste.
