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Recess in elementary school?

My daughter is in kindergarten. Yesterday it was raining and somewhat cold, and the school made the children play outside. It wasn't pouring, but she had to change her clothes in school because she was wet. She was coughing all morning today. I am very upset about this. Has anyone had a similar experience? What should I do to make this stop? I have called the school, but they say that it wasn't raining.

22 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Attend a PTA meeting and address the problem. Make the suggestion that perhaps they could use the gym as an alternate to playing in the rain. And if necessary ask the if they plan on paying her doctor bills for getting her sick.

  • 1 decade ago

    I think it would be better for your daughter not to push this issue. She probably enjoyed playing, even if she got a little wet. And if she had dry clothes at school, what's the harm? A few minutes in the rain never made anyone sick. Someone had to make a judgement call, they decided it was better for the kids to get a little wet than to stay cooped up at their desks all day. I probably would have made the same call. My daughter's kindergarten took the kids out every day. If it was pouring down rain and the kids wanted to go out and play in it, they went. My daughter took a raincoat to school on rainy days and all the kids had a cubby with a change of clothes in case they needed them for any reason - rain, paint, mud, toilet accident, whatever. She came home in new clothes more often than not. Now that she's in third grade it bugs me when they have indoor recess because of a little mud or wet slides and swings. With a 7 hour school day followed by homework, bath, dinner, etc, sometimes that's the only guaranteed exercise she gets.

    You could probably get the school to agree to keep your daughter dry, but do you really want her sitting under the shelter or in the classroom or the office while her friends are outside playing and having a good time? What a bummer for a kid. :(

  • Serena
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    I'm a Kindergarten teacher and we generally do not send kids out on rainy days. Sometimes rain does start coming down after recess starts, but for the most part kids don't go out when it rains (and I live in Seattle.) However, these little guys need to get there energy out, and if it is a little damp then we might let the kids out. We usually try to play undercover if possible if it is damp outside. Try going into a classroom of Kindergarteners when they had a rainy day recess, and you'll realize that they have to let out some of their energy, I always give up on some instruction when it's a rainy day recess because they just can't pay attention anymore. If your daughter went down a slide or something of that sort, then it would have made her get wet. I tell my little kiddos to not go down the slides on wet days. If you are concerned let her teacher know nicely. We do not send kids out when we think that they will get damp or cold, but it does happen sometimes.

  • 1 decade ago

    I have never heard of a school making kids go outside in the rain !! I would call the school administrator and tell them the situation and also mention that they even denied that it was raining.

    Not sure how the weather rules go into effect. If its something that the district compiles or each individual school. But I do know that our school has inside recess when there is inclement weather. They don't go outside if its 10 degrees F. or below in the winter. I would ask what the rules are on weather at their school.

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  • 1 decade ago

    You don't get a cold from being out in the cold and wet. You get a cold from cold germs.... and lets face it what better place to find germs then a kindergarten classroom. Lets face it it would take a lot more than overnight for a cold to incubate enough to start having symptoms.

    Your daughter may have been outside having a good time jumping in puddles and that is how she got all wet.

    The schools have guidelines set up by the governing board that tells them under what situations they are allowed to call indoor recess as well as snow days. They don't just look out the window and say "ok it is indoor recess".

  • 1 decade ago

    Talk to the teacher, find out for sure it was not raining. I have never heard of a school making the children play in the rain, I know the teachers on duty would not want to be out there. If in fact you find out that this is true; take it to the Superintendent's office and if they do not give you the results you are looking for, then go to the School Board.. Best Wishes... ps take her to the Doctor and have the Doctor document everything "the child " says...

  • 1 decade ago

    There is nothing bad with recess in elementary school. It is a way of introducing fun to the school work, moreover, it is a time that children urinate or pooh-pooh; school should not be all works without play that makes Jack a dull boy. What I will advise you do is to discuss with the school authority that children should not be allowed to play outside if the weather is not favourable to them.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Believe it or not the reason your daughter was coughing all morning had nothing to do with the weather. Colds and flu are transmitted by viruses that passed from one person to another and it takes about a week for them to incubate. So she probably caught the cough in class, at home, at the grocery store, in church, at the doctor's office, whoever she came into contact with another human who may have been sick...not from the rain.

  • T.Mack
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    If no one can watch her in the classroom,she could sit in the office when the weather is bad. Actually,they are supposed to keep the children indoor when it is raining and I'm surprised that they had them outside anyway.You can make a complaint to the principal and if things get too drastic,the school district personnel.

  • 1 decade ago

    Go straight to the teacher. All students have the right to be inside during recess.

    I know in Elementary school if we wanted to be inside they gave us certain things like coloring pages, books, things such as that.

    Go to her teacher and say this is not acceptable and next time I expect nothing less then for her to be inside and if this doesnt happen I will be going to the school board.

    By the way when you called who did you talk to. The power chain makes a huge difference on who you talk to.

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