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In my kids' elementary school they have running club 3 times a week, which starts right after lunch.
My kids take running club very seriously, and run about 4-5 miles in each session, and they're not the only ones.
I do not understand how school can schedule running club right after lunch time. Kids that run either eat very little or skip lunch altogether, going without food for 7 hours.
Is there any law or guidelines that I can present to school to convince them to change running club time?
Clubs are generally sponsored by a teacher, who likely has only one tiny slot of free space in their schedule.
So, running club. My question is how is this different from PE? In all the schools I have taught in, PE and athletics classes are scheduled throughout the school day, including directly after lunch. Now, as a human being, I understand I certainly don't feel like running 5 miles after eating a big meal. But will the admin view it differently? Especially for a volunteer club?
Another option you may get more headway with might be for running club kids to do running club, then to be provided 5-10 minutes to eat lunch after (taken out of running club time.) This would depend on some factors, though. Do most of those kids brown-bag it or eat in the cafeteria? (It would work for the former, not the latter.)
Clubs are generally sponsored by a teacher, who likely has only one tiny slot of free space in their schedule.
So, running club. My question is how is this different from PE? In all the schools I have taught in, PE and athletics classes are scheduled throughout the school day, including directly after lunch. Now, as a human being, I understand I certainly don't feel like running 5 miles after eating a big meal. But will the admin view it differently? Especially for a volunteer club?
Another option you may get more headway with might be for running club kids to do running club, then to be provided 5-10 minutes to eat lunch after (taken out of running club time.) This would depend on some factors, though. Do most of those kids brown-bag it or eat in the cafeteria? (It would work for the former, not the latter.)
Thank you for your suggestion. I did offer this suggestion, along with others, to the principal, so far nothing has been done. That is why I'm trying to find out if there are any options if the principal is unwilling to make changes.
My kids have a lunch break of 50 minutes, out of which lunch is the first 10 minutes and then they have 40 minutes of free play. During those 40 minutes, they have an optional running club 3 times a week. Most kids just walk/run a bit, but a few kids including mine take this very seriously and do run 4 and more miles in those 40 minutes.
If this an optional activity, I'm not seeing how you have a legal leg to stand on.
I understand your argument. As a former teacher, if I learned the kids weren't eating lunch because of the timing of the club, I would certainly see the need that something change.
The question is what should change. The club itself probably can't be moved. It's during recess. You asked, and they can't have them eat at the end. So that means what a few (not most, by your words) students are choosing to do is problematic. So I would address those students' behavior. Not eating=not okay. Running so much that you decide not to eat=not okay. Maybe that means they not be allowed to participate if they aren't willing to walk/run just a little like the majority of their classmates (who aren't making themselves too sick to eat)? I kind of feel like it you keep pushing this, if I were the principal, that would be the next logical step.
From the principal's standpoint: no one is forcing your child (or any other) to participate in this club. No one is forcing your child (or any other) to run so much they don't want to eat. No one is forcing your child not to eat lunch. These are all decisions being made by your child. These are all decisions you as the parent could easily stop. 1) You could tell your child no more running club. 2) You could tell your child they needed to not run so much (to the point it would make them sick if they ate--maybe they should walk most of the time like the majority of the kids, run a bit, etc) 3) You could tell your child eating lunch was not optional.
Instead, you are essentially looking for legal loopholes to twist the principal's arm.
Here's what's probably going to happen. The principal is going to say, "This activity is creating more problems that it's worth. We'll have to end the activity".
If this an optional activity, I'm not seeing how you have a legal leg to stand on.
I understand your argument. As a former teacher, if I learned the kids weren't eating lunch because of the timing of the club, I would certainly see the need that something change.
The question is what should change. The club itself probably can't be moved. It's during recess. You asked, and they can't have them eat at the end. So that means what a few (not most, by your words) students are choosing to do is problematic. So I would address those students' behavior. Not eating=not okay. Running so much that you decide not to eat=not okay. Maybe that means they not be allowed to participate if they aren't willing to walk/run just a little like the majority of their classmates (who aren't making themselves too sick to eat)? I kind of feel like it you keep pushing this, if I were the principal, that would be the next logical step.
From the principal's standpoint: no one is forcing your child (or any other) to participate in this club. No one is forcing your child (or any other) to run so much they don't want to eat. No one is forcing your child not to eat lunch.
These are all decisions being made by your child. These are all decisions you as the parent could easily stop. 1) You could tell your child no more running club. 2) You could tell your child they needed to not run so much (to the point it would make them sick if they ate--maybe they should walk most of the time like the majority of the kids, run a bit, etc) 3) You could tell your child eating lunch was not optional.
Instead, you are essentially looking for legal loopholes to twist the principal's arm.
I agree. It appears that this is more of a parenting issue.
Here's what's probably going to happen. The principal is going to say, "This activity is creating more problems that it's worth. We'll have to end the activity".
Sadly, this is exactly what will happen at about 90+% of schools.
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If this an optional activity, I'm not seeing how you have a legal leg to stand on.
I understand your argument. As a former teacher, if I learned the kids weren't eating lunch because of the timing of the club, I would certainly see the need that something change.
The question is what should change. The club itself probably can't be moved. It's during recess. You asked, and they can't have them eat at the end. So that means what a few (not most, by your words) students are choosing to do is problematic. So I would address those students' behavior. Not eating=not okay. Running so much that you decide not to eat=not okay. Maybe that means they not be allowed to participate if they aren't willing to walk/run just a little like the majority of their classmates (who aren't making themselves too sick to eat)? I kind of feel like it you keep pushing this, if I were the principal, that would be the next logical step.
From the principal's standpoint: no one is forcing your child (or any other) to participate in this club. No one is forcing your child (or any other) to run so much they don't want to eat. No one is forcing your child not to eat lunch. These are all decisions being made by your child. These are all decisions you as the parent could easily stop. 1) You could tell your child no more running club. 2) You could tell your child they needed to not run so much (to the point it would make them sick if they ate--maybe they should walk most of the time like the majority of the kids, run a bit, etc) 3) You could tell your child eating lunch was not optional.
Instead, you are essentially looking for legal loopholes to twist the principal's arm.
With all due respect, this is an activity that happens during school time and the school encourages the kids to participate. Many kids participate, and few take it very seriously because they are athletic and they have a chance to win. Yes, the school makes a big deal to award the top runners. At the end of the year their names are announced, there is a ceremony in which the top runners get prizes.
No one is forcing any child to run, but this is a big thing in school, and the top runners are awarded, as I just explained. All those who run seriously, like my kids, don't eat lunch or eat just very little. I know because I talked with the moms. Nobody can run for 40 minutes after eating a regular lunch.
I could tell my sons not to run as they have to eat lunch, but why should they be singled out? Why shouldn't the school change the way they're running this program? It would actually be enough to not offer a small prize for every mile they run, or not to have the ceremony in which the top runners are announced and they get prizes. If they stopped doing that, the running club would simply cease to exist, as the kids who run a lot do that because they're competitive and want to win.
With all due respect, this is an activity that happens during school time and the school encourages the kids to participate. Many kids participate, and few take it very seriously because they are athletic and they have a chance to win. Yes, the school makes a big deal to award the top runners. At the end of the year their names are announced, there is a ceremony in which the top runners get prizes.
No one is forcing any child to run, but this is a big thing in school, and the top runners are awarded, as I just explained. All those who run seriously, like my kids, don't eat lunch or eat just very little. I know because I talked with the moms. Nobody can run for 40 minutes after eating a regular lunch.
I could tell my sons not to run as they have to eat lunch, but why should they be singled out? Why shouldn't the school change the way they're running this program? It would actually be enough to not offer a small prize for every mile they run, or not to have the ceremony in which the top runners are announced and they get prizes. If they stopped doing that, the running club would simply cease to exist, as the kids who run a lot do that because they're competitive and want to win.
So, let me get this straight. You don’t want your kids to participate, but don’t want your kids to be the only ones not to participate, therefore you think the school should end the program for everyone. You seriously think if you object to your child doing something that no one else in the school should be allowed to do it???? Holy. Crap.
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When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.
Why don't you give your kids Clif bars and applesauce or something that could be eaten before or after a run?
My daughter has lunch immediately before tennis, but she manages.
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