Our story

In May 2007 , Howell, New Jersey parents started a petition to bring back recess to our elementary schools.
After collecting signatures, we presented it at a Policy Committee Meeting in July and to our BOE in August.

The BOE quickly formed a Recess Committee comprised of parents, teachers, administrators and other school
personnel. In September we met for 3 hours and came up with the following guidelines:

• a minimum of 20 minutes of engaged play as close to mid-day as possible,
• children should go outside for recess with age-appropriate peers,
• children would be allowed to play outside as long as it's at least 35-degrees
  or as determined by the building administrator,
• recess is not to be used as a reward or punishment,
• students will not be denied recess for more than five minutes for behavioral issues,
  however, if behavioral issue persist, parents would be notified if the building
  administrator determines that recess should be denied, and
• students will not be denied recess for inability to complete assignments

It is not what we were aiming for, but it was a compromise we all agreed upon.

The BOE approved these guidelines at the end of September and the schools were supposed to abide immediately.
That did NOT happen in every school. After all, they are guidelines and NOT mandatory. When we confronted the
principals and BOE, we were told that we needed to be flexible this year since teacher's schedules were already
made and could not be changed. They assured us that for next year, recess will be part of the daily schedule.

We received plenty of media attention, which led to an influx of phone calls by concerned parents all over the
state. That is when it was realized that this problem was not limited to our district.

In November 2007 we contacted our legislator's office and he quickly set up a meeting to address our concerns.
He was completely unaware that recess was not being offered in many of the districts.

In January 2008, Senator Robert Singer and Assemblyman Joseph Malone introduced identical bills, S226 and A467,
to establish a task force to study the benefits of student recess

Parents across the state have launched a massive letter writing campaign to gain the support of our 120
legislators. Thus far, the response has been overwhelming. If these bills and future bills pass, NJ could become
the ninth state to have a policy on recess.

March 15, 2008

Thank you for your overwhelming support! Letters are reaching our senators and assemblymen. You are being heard, and we are gaining support!
As of today, the following sponsors are registered for Bill S226:

Let the children be heard! Download a form letter that your children can send too! Please feel free to print as many
as you need. Share them with friends and classmates. We have permission and backing of Cartoon Network to use their
logo and resources!
* To download a copy in PDF form, click here
or go to Cartoon Network's website:
http://www.cartoonrecessweek.com/about_resources.html,
under "For Individual Volunteers", click on "Write a letter to your local official use this template"

April 5, 2008

We are waiting to hear the news on Assemblyman Malone's Bill A467 and Senator Singers Bill S226.
The bills will go up for vote in Trenton. That could happen as early as May or June.

We want to hear from the children.
I am making an offer here to make it easier for those letters to get seen. Contact your PTA, or your
principal/vice principal, and ask if they will allow teachers to hand out the form letter for children to send in.
Once the letters are written, collect them.

Just to make it easier -- if anyone can collect letters from the children,
you don't even have to send them in or look up an address. Just contact me and I will arrange to get those letters from you and submit them.

(to get a copy of the children's letter, see information above)

Do you have any great RECESS news to share? go to our blog and let us know!

Session 2008-2009
The following bill(s) have been scheduled for a committee or a legislative session.
S226:
5/5/2008 10:00:00 AM Education
Committee Room 6, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S226

Not much time to get ready!

any and all are welcome to attend. This is open to the public. If you feel you should provide testimony supporting the bill, please come!

First, in my opinion, we need to understand the process that a bill goes through.
Take a quick look at How a Bill Becomes Law in New Jersey. Another good source to
read (PDF file, i HIGHLY suggest that if you look at nothing else, read this one!) is
Making Your Voice Heard, it has a great little section about "Providing Testimony".

Have written copies of your testimony including facts and sources for those facts.
The facts will not necessarily be something you say in front of the Education Committee,
but they will back what you do say. How many written copies? I'm not sure. But the
brochure says to "Provide the committee with written copies of the full test of your testimony"
so I'm bringing a copy for each member (5 of them) and one for Senator Singer and one for
Assemblyman Malone (who said he would be there). So 7 copies all together.

Know the Education committee! Here are the members we will be facing:

Education Committee:

Note that NOT ONE of these people signed as sponsers or co-sponsers of Bill S226.

And finally, we should know our bill!! No, you don't have to understand legal
mumbo-jumbo. Just glance at it and take whatever you can from it. Even if you think it
makes no sense, it will help. I have found the biggest thing I have to keep reminding
people I have spoken to is that we are NOT making a law about recess right now. We are
FORMING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY the situation and to make recommendations.

S226 Establishes Task Force to study the benefits of student recess
and make recommendations on advisability of mandatory recess in school districts.
Identical Bill Number: A467
Singer, Robert W. as Primary Sponsor
O'Toole, Kevin J. as Primary Sponsor
Girgenti, John A. as Co-Sponsor


1/8/2008 Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee
Introduced - 4 pages PDF Format HTML Format

Take a look at that last line (above) ... you can see the bill if you click on the PDF or HTML link.

Other than that, I guess I'll see you in Trenton! Meeting starts at 10am

Who would have thought that a simple request for our school to give our children recess could go this far?!

On Monday May 5th, 2008, Bill S226 was heard and decided before the Senate Education Committee. We were unanimously approved
and the bill was amended to add 2 more seats to the proposed Task Force. The NJ PTA and the NJ Physical
Education has asked and been approved to work with the Task Force.

Some news coverage:

Asbury Park Press: "The Senate Education Committee unanimously advanced a bill Monday that would establish a state task force charged
with determining whether recess should be mandated in elementary schools. The 15-member panel would examine the "physical, social,
emotional, and intellectual benefits" related to children participating in recess during school hours." (more)

Other newspapers (articles similar)
Courier News & Home News (online=MyCentralJersey.com)

Courier Post

Daily Record

Daily Journal

Listen to the audio from Monday, May 05, 2008, 19 minutes 25 seconds in ..... New Jersey State Legislature Archived Media
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/archive_audio2.asp?KEY=SED&SESSION=2008

We were rumored to be going before the Assembly Education Committee on May 12th, but that has been pushed back. As of right now
the word is that we will be heard when the Assembly Education meets in June. More when we know.

Once we pass with the Assembly Education Committee, then we will ask everyone to start writing letters to
President of the Senate: Richard Codey, and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr asking
that they post the bills for vote.

I just received notice that we are GOING TO TRENTON AGAIN!
On Thursday, June 12, the Assembly Education Committee will decide whether or not to
support Bill A467. We will be in Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex,
in Trenton (for those who might like to attend).

Once we pass the Assembly Education Committee, we come to the next step ...
the bill goes to the full Legislature for vote.

We need to start writing letters to the house speakers asking that they post
the bills (put them up for vote in the full Legislature) So we need letters going
to President of the Senate: Richard Codey, and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr
Once we pass the full Legislature, the bills will go on the Governor's desk to be signed
(or not!), so you can start writing to Governor Corzine too and ask that he support us.

Here are the addresses you need (you can find their email contact on their webpages,
see above for links, but written/typed letters do get more attention). Please forward
this information to friends, family, PTA, or any other groups you know. All are citizens
and all have voices, and we need their support):

Senator Richard Codey (Senate President)
449 Mount Pleasant Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
phone: 973-731-6770

Assemblyman Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (Assembly Speaker)
Brooklawn Shopping Plaza
Rt. 130 South & Browning Rd.
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
phone: 856-742-7600

Governor John S. Corzine
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
phone: 609-292-6000

Feel free to share any information here and let everyone know about our website.
Please tell your PTA and any one else you know in the great Garden State!
SIGN OUR PETITION!!

Bill A467: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=A467

So now keep crossing your fingers ... still has to past the legislature floor and then
go across the governor's desk.

Here is the audio... click on Listen on the row for Thursday, June 12, 2008.
We are the last bill (3 hour meeting!) so slide to the end to hear ... A467 starts
at 2:43:07:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/archive_audio2.asp?KEY=AED&SESSION=2008

We still need your support! Keep writing those letters to:

Senator Richard Codey (Senate President)
449 Mount Pleasant Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
phone: 973-731-6770

Assemblyman Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (Assembly Speaker)
Brooklawn Shopping Plaza
Rt. 130 South & Browning Rd.
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
phone: 856-742-7600

tally Y=76, N=2, A=0

Bill A467 PASSED! Now we try to get the Senate President to present the senate bill to
the floor for full vote! Letters to your senator would be greatly appreciated now.
Ask them to support bill S226 when it comes up for vote.

The session was broadcast live (video). If you missed it you can view the archives here:

www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/archive...

Click on "view" for MOnday November 17, 2008, 1:00 PM, Assembly Chambers

Bill A467 *footage starts at 1:12:00* (move the slider to the right to that point) and is about a minute long

for the full article, see here: http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812010313