Westcoast Recess
As you know, the winter brings rain to the lower mainland. In fact, we live in a temperate rain forest that has diverse weather conditions. Therefore, we need to be prepared to be outside in the rain.
It is important for children to get outside throughout the day for fresh air and exercise. Research has proven that daily physical activity improves learning & health. For this reason, many local schools and districts are adopting a West Coast Recess.
Expect your child to be sent outside for recess and lunch breaks, unless we have a significant wind & rain-storm.
Being prepared for the weather
We know that if kids are well prepared to be outside in the rain they actually enjoy it. As long as they stay dry and warm there is a great deal of fun to be had in all kinds of weather. To be prepared to be outside in the rain it is important for your child to have appropriate clothing, such as:
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A jacket with a hood
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Rubber boots (so they can enjoy the puddles)
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An umbrella
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A change of clothes just in case. (pants, socks, underwear, t-shirt)
Commonly Asked Questions & Concerns
I am worried that my child will get sick being out in the rain.
It is not cold that makes us sick but rather viruses. People get sick more often in the winter because they are exposed to each other indoors more in the winter than in the summer. Getting outdoors is more likely to protect our kids from illnesses than keeping them indoors.
https://www.verywell.com/does-cold-weather-cause-the-cold-or-flu-770379
My child has been sick but is now returning to school. Can he stay inside today?
We are quite reluctant to allow this for a couple of reasons. First, if your child is still not quite better it would be better to keep them at home until they are 100% ready to function fully at school. If they are too sick to go outside, they are also probably too sick to get through the day’s work successfully – give them another day of rest. Secondly, we have very limited supervision inside so if more than a couple of students are requesting this it
becomes problematic. We do make exceptions to this based on special circumstances, so if you want to chat about your child’s specific health conditions please phone us to talk about your concerns.
Why don’t you keep them in? They would be far more comfortable – it doesn’t seem fair!
We are concerned that if we set things up for our kids to avoid inclement weather by staying in-doors we are teaching them that they need to protect themselves from it. The habits we set up with our kids as they grow up tend to last into adulthood. Rather than feeling that they need to stay indoors we want to encourage them to find ways to enjoy being out in the rain & snow. We also are fortunate to have overhangs & undercover areas for students to get out of the rain, if they wish.
Students are very happy when it rains as they are busy constructing canals, dams, and islands so they are happy when the rain arrives to fill them. These types of imaginative play are very healthy learning experiences for our students. Another reason why it is so important that our kids go outside is that it is extremely difficult for most of them to focus on their school-work in the afternoons when they have not had the opportunity to get some fresh air. In the past when we used to keep kids inside more routinely due to rain our students struggled through their afternoons.
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