‘R’ is for recess at Madrona School. Enough said, really.
Students of all ages at Madrona School really know how to do recess well, and it is a natural outgrowth of the emphasis on outdoor play in our early childhood program. In our grade school, all of the classes go out to the play yard after morning snack and after lunch. The grades mix and there are many, many games in progress at any one time. The children play four square, basketball, dodgeball, tetherball, "squirrel tag", jump rope, turn cartwheels, dig moats, swing from the monkey bars, and congregate in the apple trees or on top of the ‘ark’ to chat. They even get some non-tackle football in with a game someone dubbed "catch ball". Always supervised by three teachers or office staff, it is a joyful and inventive time, an opportunity for blowing off steam and getting those extra wiggles out before returning to the classroom. And, middle schoolers have a chance each week to have their own recess at Waterfront Park, for that big-kid-off-campus time they so want at their age.
When we give tours to prospective grade school families, we often walk through the hallways as morning recess is in progress. Many parents comment on our two recess periods rain or shine, on how our grades play together, and on the natural setting that our children enjoy. Recess can really show off the sweet, natural, and community nature of our school.
— adapted from our school newsletter
