As students' recess and free play time decreases, we have experienced a documented increase in behavioral and emotional issues.  In most Lafayette Parish Public Schools, elementary students are not allowed to speak during lunch or even while walking in hallways.  Most students have less than 20 minutes of recess per day.  Recess is used as a bargaining tool for poor behavior and is the first thing to be taken away when students misbehave.  Such behavior issues such as talking, getting out of seat, not paying attention,are subsequently a result of the restlessness students experience fron lack of physical activity and free play.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that longer recess is crucial for social development, obesity prevention, intellectual development, and overall health.  Recess helps children to foster problem solving skills and has shown a significant decrease in problems associated with ADD, ADHD, anxiety, depression.  Longer recess time has also been proven to improve memory as well as general classroom behavior.

It is the conclusion of those signed below that this school district is not concerned with our children's wellbeing, but instead test scores and funding.  There is much more to education than academics.  We have witnessed an increase in our children's stress level, frustration, social anxiety, and behavioral problems.  It is the responsibility of LPSS to correct this by instituting a policy for longer recess time with free play.  

Below is a list of just a small sample of thw numerous studies that prove results of longer recesses.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/5-reasons-kids-need-longer-recess-school​

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/recess-makes-kids-smarter​

http://www.learningfirst.org/cutting-physical-education-and-recess-troubling-trends-and-how-you-can-help​

http://www.parenting.com/article/why-kids-really-need-recess