Medway Middle School Recess Implementation Notes

Medway Middle School has reintroduced recess for students in the $7\text{th}$ and $8\text{th}$ grades following a change in perspective by town officials regarding the benefits of play.
Previously, the school district suspended recess for all students after they completed the $6\text{th}$ grade.
The new schedule provides seventh- and eighth-graders with $10$ minutes after their lunch break to socialize outdoors.
Superintendent Armand Pires notes that this session is beneficial for releasing energy and aligns with the district's broader social-emotional learning agenda.

Four years ago, Medway Public Schools established the position of Director of Wellness, hiring Ryan Sherman as the town’s first individual in this role.
Sherman’s primary focus is on social-emotional learning within the classroom environment, an area that has seen significant growth in the district over recent years.
The objective of social-emotional learning is to integrate personal feelings, empathy, and understanding into every educational lesson.
Social-emotional learning is not considered a standalone class; rather, it is described as a moral skill-set embedded into every subject, from Algebra to Shakespeare.
This type of learning is characterized by bringing together and uniting different emotional and social components into a whole.

Ryan Sherman participated in a task force composed of educators, parents, and various stakeholders to research the benefits of unstructured learning time across different age groups.
Findings indicated that younger students thrive more in the classroom environment after they have had the opportunity to expel pent-up energy during recess.
Sherman’s research specifically found that fifth- and sixth-graders benefit from "extended-time recess."
For older students in the seventh and eighth grades, the $10$ minutes of daily relief time outside provides a necessary window for physical activity and socialization.

Superintendent Armand Pires reflects that when he entered the seventh grade, there was no recess available, creating a void that he feels negatively affected his personal learning experience in middle school.
Pires recalls a specific struggle in the middle of the school day, particularly around lunchtime, where he found it difficult to maintain focus.
In his current professional life, even as someone who works long hours, Pires identifies a clear need for movement breaks to ensure he can complete his required work.
Taking a quick break for fresh air remains a practice that he looks forward to in his career.

Last year, the district extended recess at the elementary level from $15$ minutes to $25$ minutes.
Superintendent Pires reports that this change has proven beneficial in the classroom, with teachers observing a notable difference in the attention spans of their students following the longer break.
Community interest played a significant role in these changes, with parents and educators advocating for students to have time during the school day to engage in unstructured activities, also known as (AKA) recess.
Unstructured time is considered potentially more beneficial for youth development than time spent behind a desk.
Research results showed that students who were granted recess were able to:
- Hold their attention for longer periods.
- Exhibit less fidgety behavior in class.
- Experience fewer behavioral issues during lessons.
While $10$ minutes may seem like a small increment of time in a single day, it is considered a significant amount of time when accumulated over the duration of an entire school year.

Enlightened: Having been awakened to knowledge or truth.
Socialize: To engage in activities with others, usually friends.
Beneficial: Having a good effect.
Integrate: To bring together and unite into a whole.
Empathy: Identifying with or sharing of another's feelings, situation, or attitudes.
Comprised: To be made up of.
Significant: Large or important.

Selected Text-Dependent Questions
- Question: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the article?
- Answer: Recess provides a break from learning that can have a positive effect on students' minds and bodies.
- Question: Which statement best describes the author's purpose in the article?
- Answer: To inform readers about a new shift in education.
- Question: The word "void" as it is used in paragraph $7$ most closely means?
- Answer: An empty space.
- Question: Paragraphs $13$ and $14$ contribute to the development of the text by?
- Answer: Showing that a small change can have a valuable impact.
- Question: According to the article, how does recess benefit middle school students?
- Response: Recess benefits middle school students by allowing them to socialize, engage in physical activity, and expel pent-up energy, which research shows improves attention spans and reduces behavioral issues and fidgeting in the classroom.
Discussion Topics
- Consider whether currently scheduled school days provide enough unstructured time and what activities would be pursued if more time were granted.
- Evaluate which specific reason for adding recess—such as social-emotional learning, physical health, or improved academic focus—is most compelling.
- Debate who benefits most from the addition of recess: the teachers or the students.