If you would like to see recess included as a mandatory part of the school day for elementarythruhigh school, currently it can be removed entirely from a school division's curriculum, please sign this petition.

Our goal is to increase recess to a minimum 30 minutes a day and have recess be counted as part of the educational minutes in a school day so that it cannot be taken to make up for snow days or used to make up any other loss of educational time.This recess time could not be used to replace Physical Education or be replaced by Physical Education but in addition to Physical Education class time.

Ideally, we would like school districts to adopt a 30 minute mid-day recess and a 15 minute recess in either the morning or afternoon for elementary and middle. High Schools could allocate time divided as they see fit as long as 30 minutes of total free time with access to the outside is included in the day. Other countries around the world who outrank the United States in education have at least this amount of recess. Additional recess will not reduce test scores, in fact recess has been linked to increased focus in children, higher test scores, improved physical fitness and reduction in classroom behavioral problems.

We are petitioning a minimum of 30 minutes a day of recess in elementarythruhigh school grades as part of educational time from all applicable Virginia lawmakers regardless of their Party. We hope this petition motivates others across the United States to make this a nation wide mandatory minimum. All school children should have at least 30 minutes of outside free play in a safe environment during their elementary school day.