Lunch & Playground Supervision

Our primary concerns are both the physical & emotional safety of the children. Specific rules for the lunchroom and playground are found below, but please use your best judgement about safety and don’t be afraid to be too cautious. Students should comply with any parent volunteer request immediately and ask questions later. Find Jean or a teacher if questions or problems arise.

Lunchroom Supervision:

We use the ICS Lyceum upstairs for most of our lunches.

All volunteers must sign in at CS & pick-up a yellow volunteer vest & badge before coming to the Lyceum.

At lunch, students are expected to choose a seat and cannot switch seats. They are not to save seats for friends.  They should stay seated until their table is dismissed by staff. If they need to get a utensil or napkin, they may get up & do so then return to their seat. They may also leave their seats to dispose of any trash/recycle/compost. You can help children by reminding them to focus on eating their meal.

The upstairs bathroom is only to be used if absolutely necessary. Students have been told to use the bathrooms downstairs either before or after lunch. In the case they really need to use the upstairs bathroom, they are to get permission from an adult. 

When lunch is over, they will be dismissed by table by a staff member and WALK through the door directly to the playground. If they have a lunchbox, they can go outside, across the blacktop and back into Community School to put their lunch box away. If students need a few more minutes to finish up, a staff member will stay with them while the parent volunteers are outside with the rest of the students.

Due to concerns about food allergies, we expect everyone to eat their own lunch without trading or sharing with others. Not touching other students’ food or criticism of other students' lunch choices. On days there are Lunch Buddies, which are assigned by the teachers, the Buddies are expected to eat lunch and play together with their assigned buddy.  Part way through recess a bell may ring (this is called the “half bell”). This is a signal to the Buddies that they can go separate ways if they choose. We also use the half bell to signal that children may switch games for example, leaving Capture the Flag to play soccer.

Playground Supervision:

The Habitat:

The Habitat is intended for quiet play and nature observation – no running or loud games. Since the dense undergrowth in the Habitat makes it difficult to monitor, parents may be asked to station themselves nearby. Children should ask the adult if the Habitat is open. The children have been instructed to ask before using this area, fi we don’t have enough volunteers, this area will be closed. Also, the Habitat is closed before and after school. 

Big Toy:

• Children may go up or down a slide if no one else is using that slide. Sliding down headfirst or backwards is never OK. There should only be one person sliding down a slide at one time.

• Kids play tag on the Big Toy. It’s very active but can become chaotic quickly when lots of kids participate. Children should be courteous and wait if someone is climbing up.

• Children may not climb on the structures over the top of the slides.

Rainbow Climber:

• There is a limit of 5 children at a time on each side, or a total of 10 on the structure.

• Students may climb up or slide down the two large curving support legs of the climber only if there is no one else on the pole. No tag games are played on the climber - injuries can happen when they are trying to quickly get away from the tagger.

• Children may hang upside down only if they are also using one hand for support. They should stay alert for other children when dropping down.

Spider Climber:

• No more than 10 kids at a time should be on the climber.

• We ask that no tag games of any kind be played on the climber or around the base.

• Kids may jump down from the 3 lowest large metal “joints”, but none of the upper ones.

Big Games:

• At Community School, we emphasize that we play all these games FOR FUN –to run around, build new skills, try something new. These games are for all ages; no one may be excluded. For games that involve tagging, the most important rule is that we “believe the tagger”! If the tagger says you’re tagged, you may ask “are you sure?” but you may not argue. In turn, the tagger must be honest.

• As the adult supervising, you don't need to know all the rules. Your job is to watch to make sure that all are included, and no one is playing too roughly. If there is a question about rules, students can speak to staff.

• For games involving children on teams, we have sets of colored “scrunchies” for the kids to use. Adults use these to assign kids to the two teams, keeping a balance of mixed ages on each team.

Indoor Recess:

If staff decide Indoor Recess is an option, they will announce it to the students and parent volunteers. Unless it is announced, students are expected to play outside and only come indoors if they are injured, need a drink, to use the bathroom or are asked to do so. If there is Indoor Recess, students may do a quiet activity in the commons area such as games, scrap art, stencils, Legos, Castle Blocks, etc. Classrooms are closed and the library area is for reading only. A parent volunteer is to supervise Inside Recess, about 5 minutes before the end of recess, the volunteer asks students to clean up. Students are expected to clean up, not parent volunteers. 

Miscellaneous:

• Please feel free to play with the children when there is adequate supervision!  As always continue to stay alert and aware of all activity around you.

• We expect play that is safe and considerate of others. Students may not play any games with the implication of hurting another person (e.g. no “shooting” with fingers, no “sword” play with tree branches or sticks, no pretend fighting of any kind). Students may not wrestle, push, or pull others around. Teasing by grabbing another's belongings is not allowed. Kindness, respect, inclusion and empathy are expected.

• Climbing trees or swinging from lower branches is not allowed.

• The steep bank behind the green gymnastics bars is off-limits at all times!

• Students may not throw woodchips, pinecones, sticks, branches, rocks, etc.

• If a ball goes over the fence, kids will have to play another game until an adult can safely retrieve the ball.

• If it is raining students should wear waterproof jackets with hoods or they may be asked to play under cover.

• At the end of every break, the students should pick up all the equipment and trash.

• Handrails are handrails only, not toys. No riding, spinning or sliding down.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for spending time with us outdoors!