The new recess monitors at Huber Ridge Elementary started this week, quickly immersing themselves among their charges — all of the school’s first-graders.
Wearing blue sashes, fifth-grade students Kamden Canfield, Muntas Farah, Nate Miller and Zoey Prince patrolled the school’s two playgrounds with the adults to help their younger peers interact with each other and build a sense of community.
“It’s watching the kids and making sure they are not lonely, making sure no one is getting hurt,” Miller said.
The recess monitor initiative is among a host of activities fifth-grade teacher Kaylee Reese created this year to provide her students with more leadership opportunities. Before the start of the winter break, she launched a kindergarten buddies exchange with teacher Morgan Shawver, where kindergarteners were matched with a fifth-grade buddy to meet, read books, write letters and do other activities. Students met for the first time in December and plan to continue meeting each month.
After observing how her students engaged with their younger peers, Reese sought to foster more similar experiences for her students.
“This specific group of students, they are just really self-motivated and want to have that connection to both peers and staff,” she said. “I see a lot of seeking a sense of community right now which is really sweet.”
With the recess monitor initiative, students applied for the role, explaining why they thought they’d be a good fit. Principal Tyson Hilkert, Assistant Principal Roshonda Elder and counselor Amy Van Sickle provided feedback before Reese selected the four students among the applicants.
As a recess monitor, students are charged with helping first-graders navigate through social situations, bringing students to the school nurse as needed and assisting adults in reinforcing expectations to younger students. Since the first-grade recess occurs during their class time, the recess monitors are responsible for completing the work they miss.
The inaugural group of Reese’s recess monitors said they were excited to be chosen to help their younger classmates.
“I want them to know that they can tell me things if they don’t feel comfortable,” Prince said. “I want them to be comfortable with me being around.”
Farah said she knows what it’s like not to have someone to play with during recess and hopes to be someone her younger peers can count on. Canfield has the same aspirations.
“I want to comfort them,” he said. “I don’t like it when people are sad. I want them to be happy. I want to teach them how to get along.”
The first-graders quickly embraced their fifth-grade recess monitors. By the second day, a group of girls followed Prince as she walked along the courtyard, looking to her to help them with their game of Simon Says. Another girl approached Farah, asking if she’d like to play with her.
First-grade boys greeted Miller and Canfield as they monitored kids playing in the GaGa pit. The boys asked them questions and invited the two to play with them.
Reese said the students’ work has exceeded her expectations and she has received positive feedback from first-grade teachers about how helpful the recess monitors have been.
“This idea of we’ve got each other’s back and we’re a family – it’s really sweet to see that it expands not only in the classroom with each other but across the school too.”