My dd is in 3rd grade and she gets 3 recesses-1 in the am, one at lunch, and one in the afternoon. She says her first recess is 15 min, the second one is 30 (combined with lunch), and the last is only about 10. She does not get 1/2 days-our school systems do not count 1/2 days. They do get pajama days a few times a year. She does not get "real" grades either-she gets 1-4. 4 is essentially above average consistently, 3 is occassionally above average, 2 is average-meets standards, 1 is does not consistently meet standards.

HA! Welcome to the "new" world of education, where children don't get real grades, everyone is made to feel "good" and things like learning how to read are shoved aside for club day.

I'm sorry if I came off too snotty on that, I just have a real issue with some of the avenues our school systems are travelling down. I read an article the other day that the first wave of these "children" are hitting the workforce post college graduation, and are nothing more than a bunch of over-entitled spoiled brats. Many are finding that the "real" world doesn't give "S" for "good enough" -- they only give RAISES for OUTSTANDING, and sometimes, well not even raises are in anyone's future. Life sucks, get over it.

My children are in elementary and middle school, so I know of what you speak.

Each state is a little different. Where I teach, official "A,B,C" grades don't begin until 4th grade. k-3rd still has performance grades, and three recess. 4-5th grades get letters and one recess. 6th grade- no recess because of band. Our district does get out early every Wednesday. We are a Professional Learning Community (PLC) school. During the hour and half that the kids get out early, teachers attend meetings and trainings in which we learn better teaching practices.

My SS is in 3rd grade in Texas he's been graded with A, B, C rather than E, S, N since 2nd grade.

A-F grading hasn't been common in elementary schools for a very long time from my experience. I was in 3rd grade 20 years ago and didn't receive A-F grades.

My DD's school grades on a 1-4 scale which makes sense. There is more focus on progress in elementary school than failure/success. I think almost all school systems move to the A-F model in middle school once kids have the basics down.

Our school does 2 recesses. I only got 1 when I was in elementary school but I don't begrudge them the extra 15 minutes. I think it's good for little kids to have a chance to let out some energy and then get back to work.

I think a lot of schools moved to half days once a week because of budget constraints. We don't do that here and I think it's silly.

Wow. Where I live and where my mom teaches (different towns, but both in TX) we are lucky if we have one recess! There is so much teaching to do that one recess is about all they get. My dd has recess after lunch and PE (physical education) once a day too. Pajama days are fine. It doesn't distract from learning. As far as grades, most schools that I know of here in TX are still A-F grades. I think they start in 2nd or so? My dd is in kinder so I'm not sure when it starts, but def by 3rd grade. TX is big on state exams. So kids have to take it and a school's ranking is bases on rhe school's success on that test. Does your sd school have something like that so you can determine how well she ia doing in school? As far as half days, we have them on occasion (not every week) for teacher work day/conference time, etc. We also have days off for teacher work days. My nephew in another state has half days every week for rhe same thing. But I hinkle it evens out because they don't have some days off that we do.