Expanded lunch and recess time for our kids

Kids should have at least TWO 15 minute recesses per day! They simply cannot be expected to sit all day long at their age.

We need this district-wide. My 6 yr old at Joslyn comes home every day starving and begging for snacks. Sometimes she asks to take her lunch so she can go to the front of the line to get her milk just so she can have a few more minutes to eat. All this push for healthy food at school and no time to even taste it to see if they like it so it goes in the trash. Smh.

My son tells me I can only give him 2 things to eat cause he doesn't have enough time and wants more time at recess. Some days his lunch looks like he didn't even touch it. It's like they make kids pick lunch or recess because there isn't enough time for both. He doesn't even like to get hot lunch cause it takes too much time. He's in kindergarten. Also I have seen some classes get to lunch 5-10 min late but they don't add to their time. I think if adults get 1 hour kids need 1 hour.

I've joined my kids at school for lunch a few times, and I didn't even have time to finish my food. They throw so much food away, it's tragic and irresponsible. The only reason they throw it away is because they are in such a hurry. My son comes home every day and says he didn't have time to eat his food. And I agree that sitting in their coats to eat is ridiculous. Thank you for starting this movement for OPS!

This is such an important issue today when so many children are growing up overweight and developing issues with anxiety so very young! We need to teach them good habits at an early age so they'll lead healthy lives!

I'm the parent of a Joslyn student and would like to see this district wide.

Whoever decided that giving kids less time to eat and play would help them learn more has forgotten what it's like to be a kid; and once someone has forgotten what it's like to be a kid, they should be downstairs making pencils sharp, not upstairs making decisions.

Longer lunch time equals more vitamins consumed to help brain function and growth. Longer recess equals better social skill development, more brain activity and creative play, all of which are important to a child's growth.

Signing as an OPS parent. I would like to see this initiative adopted by the entire district. I also believe we can do this without any further extension of the school day.

Make it happen, OPS!

My kids are no longer at Columbian, they are in high school now. I recall the year Mrs. Beller came on board and changed things, It was a cluster! Recess before lunch, kids waiting in line for several minutes to get their lunch and then told to hurry up. My daughter brought her lunch into class with her as a 6th grader with the teachers's permission. There was no time to eat! It's like the timing was all off all of the sudden. It was just all wrong. It took many of us by surprise because the process wasn't broke, it ran smooth and efficient before she tried to fix what wasn't broke. I raised a concern while I was there, she said it was a district change and there was nothing she could do. Obviously that was a blatant lie.

Keep it up! Great work!

Insanity...this needs to change!!!

The research supporting this petition is solid. If not for the kids themselves in all respects, please make these changes to maximize their academic potential. I have visited school and found it impossible to eat the lunch within the time alloted. On the day with hot chili I assume nobody at the back of the line even gets to eat, as it would take all the available time for the meal to cool down enough. This is uncivilized. We should do better.

My children come home from school every day complaining about how hungry they are. I also stopped sending cold lunch to school because of I was tired of the amount of food that got wasted. Please make this change!

I went to Columbian as a child and liked it so much that I bought a home in the neighborhood where I grew up so my children could go there too. I enjoy going to the school sometimes to have lunch with my kids but when they shortened the lunch time I was shocked and concerned. I remember one day when it was cold out the kids came in and by the time they took all their coats and things off, my son and I were one of the last in line we literally had 3 minutes to eat! And now my boys are starting to eat at home like they are in boot camp. Something has to be done.

We (and my child) love Columbian for its caring teachers, principal & staff. and small environment. I have noticed as well that lunch was very quick- my son has a hard time staying focused and ultimately has to be told repeatedly to eat so he at least gets in a few bites. I respectfully think a longer lunch & recess time could help he and many classmates with the same issue. I never knew this was an option and hope it goes through.

Columbian has been a great experience for my children. That said, there have been too many instances - particularly since the daily schedule has changed over the past couple of years - when my children reported that they had little of no time to eat lunch. In some cases, they report being told it was time return to class immediately upon sitting down to eat. If the current daily scheduling plan is so tight that any time lost during the course of the day has to be made good by cutting into lunch time and recess, then the schedule is too tightly packed!

"Why are so many schools cutting back?" Good question.. I don't know why either, can the school address this issue soon? thanks!

Yes, this would really be of benefit to the kids!!