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• 1 brick firm tofu
• 2 lbs. fresh spinach, chopped
• 20 dried shitake mushrooms
• 4 eggs, scrambled
• 2 tsp. cold-pressed canola oil

• 2 tsp. sherry
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbs. fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp. sherry
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup dry bulgur wheat
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh fennel, chopped
• 1/2 cup tamari-roasted almonds or cashews, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups diced fresh mango
• 3/4 cup fresh sugar snap peas or snow peas, cut diagonally in thirds
• juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh green garlic, or 2 cloves minced garlic
• sliced avocado (garnish)

My child did not have recess when she was in 1st through 4th grades. Many parents thought this was a bad idea, but at first we did nothing about it. We trusted that the teachers and administrators knew what was best for the children. But one night I read some research about the benefits of recess, and that's when it became clear to me that the best interests of the children were not being served, and I decided to do something about it.

I sent e-mails to the principal and superintendent, attended site-based council meetings and school board meetings. I talked to parent representatives on the council. A few parents also attended some of these meetings, but we were quickly silenced. Each time, I became more frustrated with the excuses I heard:

• There is bullying at recess.


• The children can play when they get home.


• Children can get dirty or hurt at recess.
  
• There's not enough time during the day.
  
• Recess interferes with the high school bus schedule.


• Children move around a lot during the day, so recess isn't necessary
.

• It's too difficult to calm children down after recess.

Since the research did not support these arguments, I felt I needed to educate people about the benefits of recess.

I started by talking to Rebecca Lamphere, a recess advocate who had successfully won a school recess mandate in Virginia, and then later started a national and international movement. She provided valuable advice and support.

What I Did

1. I created a petition and passed it around to local businesses. Health food stores and farmers' markets were particularly good locations. I passed out small flyers with the school board's phone numbers on it. Most people were shocked that the children were not having recess. Only 1 in 15-20 people called or e-mailed, but in our small district, that made the difference. I also stood outside school events like graduation, handing out flyers and gathering signatures. I got over five hundred signers--with only 500 children in the elementary school!

2. I went to more school board and site-based council meetings and passed out the research articles.

3. I contacted child development professionals to strengthen my case. The council could argue with me, but not with experts in the field. They sent a lot of e-mail messages to the board.

4. I was interviewed by the newspaper and was contacted by a TV station. I emailed the newspaper first and told them what was happening. It took several tries to get them interested.

Now the school has ten minutes of recess per day and next year they'll have fifteen minutes every day. It's a small amount, but in previous years students had no break in their day at all. Since I now know the importance of recess, I am beginning a campaign to get recess for all children in Kentucky.

Facts About Recess

1. Recess is necessary for the release of stress. Children process new information during their downtime when the chemicals in the brain are remanufactured after learning.

2. Children learn mainly through physical movement, but P.E. and recess are not the same. The free choice, unstructured nature of recess is beneficial.

3. Children learn and practice social skills during recess. (Bullying happens more frequently on the school bus.) More fighting occurs at schools that have inadequate playground equipment.

For more information about recess and its benefit to children's social, emotional, and physical well-being, visit:

The Association for the Child's Right to Play's Recess Handbook www.ipausa.org/recess.htm

National Association for the Education of Young Children http://naeyc.org

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