Here's why Sault public schools are ‘reimagining recess’

A new Algoma District School Board program is aiming to make sure all of its youngest students are included in playground activities, with no one feeling left out.

Reimagining Recess, also known as Recess Rethink, was introduced in October 2023 and involves children in Grades 5 and 6 — trained to be coaches by board educators — encouraging children from Kindergarten to Grade 3 to join them in playing inclusive games.

“They’re trying to increase physical activity outside on the playground as well as creating a safe and inclusive environment outside for all of our students," said Taylor Eustis, ADSB Recess Rethink special assignment teacher, speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s ADSB Committee of the Whole meeting. "Mostly our focus is on Kindergarten to Grade 4, making sure that there are no students that are left out or not feeling welcome outside."

Eustis oversees the Recess Rethink program with Nicole Kay, ADSB well-being special assignment teacher.

“We’re also trying to create leadership opportunities for our students in Grades 5 and 6 in the board, especially in some of our schools where the students in Grade 7 and 8 have a lot of responsibilities already,” Eustis said.

“It’s getting everyone together and playing again, post-COVID, where maybe we’ve forgotten how to play and have fun so we’re trying to increase that on the playground.”

Games that Grades 5 and 6 coaches are getting younger kids involved in are not traditional, sometimes fiercely competitive team sports.

The games focus more on teamwork and include:

• Elephant Ball, in which children stand in a circle with a ball and try to roll it between each other's legs
• Giants, Wizards and Elves, which Eustis and Kay described as a type of Rock Paper Scissors game
• Gaga Ball, a softer version of dodgeball

Very little equipment is used.

“That way everyone can feel included,” Eustis said, stating that takes away the ‘it’s my ball’  mindset.

“When we go to the schools we see kids playing. We don’t see kids left out. We see our coaches actively approaching young people and asking them to play. We see coaches knowing the names of students in the younger Grades. These coaches invite younger students to play games that they didn’t feel comfortable trying to play before,” Eustis said.

“When our coaches are out there, their goal is to get as many students as possible involved. It’s that socialization, working together, feeling safe and included. That’s the goal.”

Four recess coaches go out to the playground every recess, clearly visible in pink toques.

Two will work with Kindergarten, Gr. 1 and 2 students while another two will work with Gr. 3 and 4 students. 

The program started in October with 10 coaches selected by school principals and now includes 65 Gr. 5 and 6 recess coaches from seven pilot elementary schools:

• Blind River
• Echo Bay
• Grand View
• Anna McCrea
• Queen Elizabeth
• Isabel Fletcher
• R.M. Moore

Eustis and Kay meet with their Reimagining Recess Gr. 5 and 6 coaches once a month at the John Rhodes Centre for training sessions.

The two educators visit their pilot schools once a week to see how the program is running, conferring with coaches, other students, teachers and staff.

“Kids run up and ask how to be a recess coach,” Eustis said.

She said that parents have told her that the program is helping build their children’s confidence.

“We’re hearing positive feedback from the community, not  just the students and the teachers but also the parents,” Eustis told the ADSB at its Tuesday meeting.

Eustis and Kay were joined by a group of Gr. 5 and 6 coaches who told the board they are enjoying their experiences as leaders for other children.

“We’ll go up to them and say ‘do you want to play with us? Our motto is ‘there is always room for one more,’” said Naina Luitel of Anna McCrea Public School.

“Kids want to see us when we go outside. I’m proud I have the opportunity to be one of the recess coaches and be a leader in school. It makes me proud that kids are being kinder to each other and our teachers trust us to be leaders,” said Marlo McKee of Anna McCrea.

“I have learned that I’m a good leader. It makes me feel happy that everyone is included. Working with a team is way better than just working by yourself. We’ve had 20 to 30 kids show up at a time,” said Evan Reynolds of Grand View Public School.

“We’re seeing huge numbers of kids show up to come and play the games and on days when their numbers are smaller the coaches walk around and they just grab groups and say ‘do you want to play?’ and the kids will come over,” Eustis said.

Eustis and Kay are hoping to expand the Reimagining Recess program - based on similar recess programs in the U.S. - to another six schools by the end of the current school year and see it implemented across the entire ADSB next year.

“We just want to promote physical fitness and to get kids cooperating and solving conflict and learning how to play with each other,” Eustis said.