Recess Time Adds Balance For Fairfax County Middle School Students

HYBLA VALLEY, VA — Kids will be kids, and that's exactly what the addition of recess time has shown at Fairfax County's middle schools.

In April, the Fairfax County School Board approved a 15-minute recess for middle school students, providing them with outdoor recess time or a scheduled indoor activity, according to WTOP. The CDC notes numerous health benefits of recess, including improving students' memory, attention and concentration and reducing disruptive behavior in class.

This school year, middle schools joined elementary schools to offer students recess. Families and school staff, believe recess and the restriction to limit cell phone use is having benefits.

"The introduction of recess has been a very positive experience," Whitman Middle School assistant principal Matthew Johnson told the FCPS blog. "Kids are running around and getting their energy out. Others are taking the time to socialize and sit with friends. We are seeing that kids are more focused in the classroom and in a better mood."

At Whitman Middle School, students can be seen playing games or simply enjoying time outside during recess. When the weather isn't suitable for recess, students may play board games or read books.

Sharif Gaines, an eighth grader, noted the benefits of exercise for young people.

"We need to move our bodies. I know that I can’t sit still for long periods of time, I’m always moving," Gaines told the FCPS blog. "If I didn't have this, I’d have to get up and take a walk and stretch during class."