Favorite part of being a principal??? Recess Duty!!

One of my goals as a principal is to be with the students as much as possible. It helps me to: 1) know them better, 2) learn how I can help them, 3) understand the teachers when they talk about their class and 4) it is great to have the students see me outside of "The Principal's Office" so they can know me also.

Every month I alternate duties between Recess and Cafeteria Supervision. This month I am supervising Kindergarten through 7th grade on the playground. This is my favorite time of the day.  I love being outside and moving around. This is probably what motivated me to take an online class this month called, " Early Childhood Teaching Methods in Physical Education." I need the credits for my state certification as Director of our PreSchool Program.

On our playground, as we close out our monsoon season this month, the boys and girls are busy hunting grasshoppers and caterpillars. With the monsoon season, we have scattered green grass on our playground-a great home for an abundant crop of caterpillars and grasshoppers.

They love to show me them, let them crawl all around them and they work hard at having the most unique grasshopper and caterpillar than anyone else on the playground. It provides great conversation as they try to name the grasshoppers by how they look. And yes they find many kinds - and no I don't touch them.

The hunt is on as soon as they get through the playground gate!

 Tether ball is another hit for the non-critter students. It is one game I enjoy also playing with them. I had a high five one day from one of the boys "for having a great first game at tether ball." I didn't tell him I have played it many times before and yes, I am competitive.

To the dismay of all, the ball came off the rope and our janitor took off on vacation and forgot to put it back on. I promised them to bring the ladder out and see if we can tie the ball back up or put the new one up I just purchased.

We also have a group that loves the gym set to climb and hang from. The tinier they are the quicker they are on the bars.

The swings - a part of every playground-that never goes away-and yes, I enjoy swinging on them when one is empty.

 

Then, all of a sudden, a call goes out--" A scorpion!!" This is the season for them too.

 And wouldn't you know it.... they found this large scorpion attacking a grasshopper.  What an active insect world we have on our playground. I think they skipped religion class and did not learn the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not kill.

But-the lucky student-who can find the largest grasshopper. I believe he called this one "The Army Grasshopper."

 

Then at recess you have a group that just want to visit and sit under the shade and a group of ambitious girls who take part in our Knitting Club on Mondays after school. They are proud to show off their knit and purl.

There goes the whistle-time for lunch-and all are hungry and ready to head to the cafeteria.