Recess Time!

Recess is important to our youth as it gives them a break, time to move, socialize, and play. As many teachers know, kids who have a chance to move and be active are more focused and ready to learn. Brain breaks along with recess helps children with many aspects of their health and learning.

Recess is usually unstructured play with rules for safety of course, but often it can be where behaviors erupt and can become challenging for those supervising. Many schools are implementing an "organized" recess. This is not highly structured but provides many options for kids to be engaged in play and also offers expectations for inclusive play and opportunities for all.

Some examples of this are organized games that anyone can play, walking and talking opportunities, and rewards for going above and beyond for others/ being good playground "citizens".

"So, organized recess is an opportunity for there to be a lot of free choice, different kinds of games available, but organized in a way so that everybody has a chance to play, everybody can be included, and everyone has a chance to have fun". How Important Is Recess? | St. Luke’s Penn Foundation

Time to blow the whistle and line up? Take a few extra moments to help young students breathe, bring themselves down a few notches before heading back to desks and increased structure. Those sweaty over stimulated kids will thank you (and so will their teachers!).

Here are a few more ideas:

Buddy bench: a bench where the expectation is if you see someone sitting on the bench that means they are looking for someone to play with and you can go ask them to play or join you.

Walk and talks: having a track where students can walk and talk with peers.

Modeling: teachers/staff or high school mentors walk with young students or model healthy behaviors at recess.

Recess laps: kids walk or run on a track or other course to earn healthy rewards! This can be for a few minutes or maybe they set goals and challenge themselves with friends!

For more information, please see below:

5 Strategies for Recess Planning - NAESP

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/pdf/2019_04_25_SchoolRecess_strategies_508tagged.pdf

Spotlight: Affinity Group Success

Many of our CHQ schools have formed affinity groups with schools close in proximity or who are working on similar initiatives. There is always strength in numbers, and we all learn so much form each other!

Chautauqua Lake has offered to host an adventure affinity groups, and Bemus Point has teamed up to learn more about mountain biking and trails. Dunkirk and Fredonia have collaborated on how to get students more active with the daily mile. Clymer and Sherman are working on faculty wellness! Hooray! We are better together!

Data Corner: Does Youth Fitness Decrease Over Summer?

When we think of summer, we think of swimming, biking and kids running around. Is this still true? In our age of technology, working parents and lifestyle changes, how can we keep kids active in the summer, help them get good nutrition, adequate sleep and stress relief to help with self-regulation and adapting to the upcoming school schedule? Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic many students showed a decline in physical activity engagement, but this was amplified during the pandemic and continues due to many facets such as lifestyle, screen time and changes in our society.

As educators, we often recommend reading and other content work to deter learning loss. What about health loss? Summer extra credit for physical activity can be a bonus for kids, their parents and teachers. It nice to loosen the rights in the summer with our kids but maintain some sense of structure and routine gives them comfort and can help with many aspects of their physical and emotional health.

In a study by Weaver et al., 2019 the researchers sound that "The vast majority of studies show a constant decline (over summer) in strength and endurance." Three Chinese studies show an increase in strength from 1985 to 1995 and then a decline until 2014. For endurance, similar patterns were found in the two most comprehensive Chinese studies. The decline in flexibility is also evident in European countries. For agility, speed, balance, and coordination, the trend differs among populations. For more information see the study links and chart data below.

Help Kids Learn New Skills to Be Healthy During the Summer (cdc.gov)

Creating a Summer Schedule for Kids | How to Maintain Routine (childrensmd.org)

Trends in Physical Fitness Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review - PMC (nih.gov)

Impact of Year-Round and Traditional School Schedules on Summer Weight Gain and Fitness Loss - PMC (nih.gov)

Summer Weight Gain and Fitness Loss: Causes and Potential Solutions - PMC (nih.gov)

Upcoming Events and Programming in the CHQ:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

As part of celebrating “What's Great in Our State” during Mental Health Awareness Month, 3 workshops will be offered virtually.



Thursday, May 16th, 11 AM-12 PM | Register Here 

Empowering Resilience: Harnessing Creativity for Neurodiversity and Mental Health

• Workshop featuring a dynamic panel of parents, youth and renowned advocates who have tapped into the power of creativity to navigate the intersection of neurodivergence and mental health. Prepare to be inspired as Bobbie Rubio and Zhara Astra; internationally acclaimed speakers, writers, and producers, share their personal journeys and insights into how expressive arts have shaped their resilience. But there’s more! Hear from youth in New York State about their personal journeys and how the use of expressive arts illuminated their paths to healing and empowerment. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn of the boundless possibilities that expressive arts offer in the face of co-occurring autism and mental health conditions.

Tuesday, May 21st, 11 AM-12 PM | Register Here

Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program: Human Trafficking 101 Presentation

• This Human Trafficking presentation is an overview of Human Trafficking, defining Human Trafficking (focusing on labor and sex trafficking); updated statistics, recognizing who may be a victim/trafficker; recruitment tactics; elements of Human Trafficking; labor and sex trafficking settings; review of red flags; intersections of human trafficking and domestic violence; forced marriage; vulnerabilities; COVID-19 and human trafficking; client/provider barriers; script for interviewing victims; available resources; referrals to Anti-Trafficking Program; roles as public service providers identifying and assisting a suspected victim; HIPAA considerations; mandated reporting; review case studies.

Wednesday, May 29th, 11 AM-12 PM | Register Here

Let’s Talk Social Emotional Learning

• Jennifer Quinn is overseeing six evidence-based programs from Pre-K to 12th grade in the Wyandanch School District. These programs are Incredible Years, Second Step, Positive Action, Safety First, Teen Intervene, and the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P). This is the first program on Long Island to promote social emotional learning and prevention for each grade comprehensively. We believe social emotional learning is an integral part of overall mental health and development for the youth in our communities.

Northwest Arena/The Zone

(Grades K-12)

Activity Circuits and Educational Programming

• The Zone is a 6,200 square ft. indoor, interactive play space housed in Northwest Arena. (178-person capacity). The Zone is a part of a 3-story 15,000 square ft. expansion to Northwest Arena. This unique play venue will take up the entire second floor of the addition. JRA and Cortina Productions, two world renown design agencies, are the masterminds behind the conceptual and architectural design of The Zone. (Also designed the National Comedy Center in Jamestown). While The Zone will primarily serve as a recreational facility that requires a general admission fee, there will also be the added benefit of educational and recreational programming, opportunities for school trips, birthday party rentals, as well as other youth developmental endeavors for kids ages toddler through high school.

• Activity Stations- Ice Bumper Cars, Backyard Curling, Ice Skating, European Handball, Broom Ball, Fitness Exercises, Team-Building Games, and Free-Play.

• Workshop Categories- Health and Wellness, STEAM Learning, Character-Building, Mental Health, Social Etiquette, Stress Management, Self-Awareness, Public Speaking, Communication, Survival Skills, Basic Home Maintenance, Personal Finance Nutrition and more…

• *These workshop categories present opportunities to collaborate with community leaders, educators, and youth organizations. Northwest Arena has the resources and physical space to curate these programs and accommodate user groups on an individual basis. All our activities can be modified and adapted to meet the needs of all populations and we strive to create tailor-made experiences for all our guests.

• Cost- Pricing may vary depending on length of stay, number of students attending (NW Arena staff needed for support), room rentals, ice time and whether we are providing lunch. Northwest Arena/The Zone is considered a BOCES-aidable venue under the Arts in Education Coser, making these fieldtrips reimbursable for school groups throughout New York State.

• If you have any questions or interest regarding program offerings at Northwest Arena/The Zone please contact John Kinder- Program Director of The Zone at: john.kinder@northwestarena.com or call (716)484-2624 ext. 207.

Can'd Aid Bike Build + Donation

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