What Happened to Art & Recess??

I write music and poetry. I also enjoy painting and the performing arts. The Arts have always been part of my life. During highschool, I was involved in Fine Arts Guild. Art stimulates the imagination and helps us get in touch with our more sensitive, creative side. In a world full of fences, limitations and political correctness, Art is still a form of free expression. Artistry teaches patience and the importance of process and technique. Life is more colorful and tolerance is learned when art is incorporated into curriculum. When I was in grade school, we had Art Class twice a week. Everybody did their art a little differently, but we were all told our art was acceptable. Often a pretty young teacher would wheel her cart into our classroom and we would listen to Classical or Smooth Jazz music and draw, paint and color to our heart's content. In the upper grades, sometimes we did ceramics or sculpting with moldable putty. We had music classes too. I learned a lot about the history and structure of music and the great composers of old.

I was an active kids with lots of energy. Like many, recess was my favorite subject! It was a chance to break away for 10-15 minutes, be playful and get rid of my stress. Recess was a once vital part of every school day. Every school I attended, we had at least 2 recesses up until I was in the 8th grade when we only had 1- that was a BIG adjustment for me. In the Academy, we didn't have any recess, but still had P.E., Organized Sports, Intramurals and Recreation time. I love the little school my children attend- excellent staff! However, as a former P.E. teacher, you can imagine my disappointment to learn that my little grade-schoolers only get 1 short recess a day. Here are some statistics:

1) Childhood obesity is off the charts in the US!
2) A ton of kids are on meds for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) & ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder). Some kids legitimately need the meds, but I think many are misdiagnosed- without recess, I probably would have been on meds!
3) Adolescent depression is rising at an alarming rate. Suicide among teens is high.
4) Kids say they feel they have no sense of purpose, no soul, no value and no clear vision for the future.
5) Violent episodes in schools have increased drastically in recent years
6) Unlike my generation that rode bikes, climbed trees and played outside after school, today's children largely sit around at home after school snacking, playing video games & watching TV.

Could all of these stats possibly be related to the fact that Art & Recess are a thing of the past in most schools?! Give kids at least 2 recesses a day to get all their pent-up energy out and let them be kids- you may have FAR less problems with ADD & ADHD. Exercise raises Endorphin levels (happy hormones) and helps keep kids fit- which would help them feel happier and raise their self-esteems. (Of course removing the snack machines that kids have free access to in many schools may help reduce the obesity problem too, but that's another post...)
Art is a class that helps kids connect with their souls. Take an angry, neglected kid and give him a paintbrush & canvas. He will probably make some dark, angry art, but because he is able to express his feelings he'll be less likely to hit somebody. (Of course removing the snack machines that kids have free access to in many schools may help reduce the obesity problem too, but that's another post...)

Music Appreciation is something every kid deserves. Music is one of life's great pleasures! Whenever there are budget cuts, the first classes to go are the ones that are often most needed for well-rounded development. P.E., Music and Art. Learning only Reading, Writing, a bunch of History facts and 'Rithmatic reduces our kids into factual robots and largely uses one side of their brains. They need more physical activity and the Arts in order to have a balanced mind & body.

Somewhere in the gap between me being a student and becoming a parent, Art, P.E., Music and recess have been tossed by the wayside as unnecessary elements of a child's education and I beg to differ!