Come Join Noon Play at Oak!

UpToUs Noon Play Sign-ups

If you are interested in volunteering for noon play, please contact oakptapresidents@lasdschools.org.

WELCOME to the Noon Play Program.  By volunteering on the playground, you help to provide Oak Students with a sense of comfort and safety allowing them to play and learn social skills in a relaxed atmosphere.

Check-In:

Please sign-in by 11:50 in the Oak School office. Get an orange vest and a pouch (make sure it has spoons, forks and band-aids). Pick up a Noon Day vest/pouch from the wheeled cabinet located outside the staff room portable. After sign-in please come out to the lunch tables and check in with noon play supervisor.

Lunch:

Students are dismissed from the classrooms for lunch at 12:00. Grades 1, 2 and 3 must come directly to the lunch tables until dismissed for recess at 12:15. Students need to sit down and eat something (particularly first and second graders). Volunteers help open lunch packages and remind students to stay seated. Students are free to sit anywhere at their grade designated tables.

A whistle will blow to dismiss primary grade students at 12:15. No student should be dismissed before that time unless they need to go to the office or the restroom. Both 1st and 2nd grades should raise their hands to be dismissed.  Volunteers should make sure they have eaten their lunch. Please supervise the first and second grade lunch clean up carefully so they understand the expectation that they will always clean up and put away all trash and personal snack/lunch items before they are dismissed to play during their time at Oak.

Everyone (all grades) should clean up his or her own personal lunch area and trash before leaving the tables. If a particular table looks very messy, you can ask the kids at that table to pick up a few extra pieces of trash and/or let Ms. Lisa Wong or Mrs. Attell know. 1st – 3rd return all lunch items to their line up area, 4th – 6th return lunch items to a class bucket or to their classrooms. NO lunch bags, thermoses, trash, water bottles or anything else a kid can think of to bring in their lunch should be left at the lunch tables or left on the playground where someone else will trip over it. No food or water bottles on the playground. Children should finish all food and beverages and dispose or put away all containers before going to the playground. The birds eat, destroy and defecate on the tables.  If the area is kept clean/clear of food and containers the birds are not attracted to the tables.

If a child leaves a big mess and takes off to play, you (or Mrs. Attell) should ask the child to return to the lunch area and pick up 10 pieces of trash as well as their own mess. If they leave a mess on consecutive days, the number of pieces of trash the child has to clean up will increase until they understand the consequences of not cleaning up their personal area.

Once 70% of the students have been dismissed from the lunch area, all but one of the noon play volunteers should be out walking around.

A whistle is blown at 12:32 to invite 4th-6th grade students to eat. Students who are hungry prior to this time may begin eating earlier. Hot lunch service resumes at 12:25. Once a student is seated, s/he must remain seated until the lunch bell rings at 12:48.

A water fountain is located on the exterior staff room wall. One spout is for drinking; the other is for filling water bottles. Bathroom breaks for emergencies are allowed. Students should ALL eat at the lunch tables unless they have a note from a teacher stating otherwise.

General Recess:

Volunteers should walk around the entire recess area to include play structure, black top, active play garden, field, and backstop and tree area.

GENERAL DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES:

Volunteers should be treated with the same respect they expect from their own children.  Volunteers should not have to repeatedly warn or ask a child to listen or heed a warning. If a child ignores or is disrespectful towards a volunteer you can tell them to take a time out on the nearest bench with the understanding that this is time to think about their behavior and the consequences of their actions. The volunteer should monitor the student’s time on the bench and dismiss the student after the time is over. If a volunteer thinks further discipline is necessary they should report the situation to Mr. Marcus or the principal. Staff will then follow up on the matter with either the teacher or principal.

Students should not under any circumstances: swear, hit, kick, spit, push, drag, steal, bully, harass, tease, exclude, throw any item at or take it upon themselves to inflict punishment for actions of another student.  Students in need of assistance are expected to speak with a volunteer  (during recess) or their teacher (after recess). Teachers are not to be disrupted during their lunch break.  Please find Ms. Lisa Wong or the principal if needed.

INJURIES:

The pouch you collected from the office during check in has band-aid and sterile wipes for small scrapes and scratches. If the student has a large cut or injuries, take them to the office. You may also assign ONE other student to walk to the office with the injured for support.

If a student has taken a bad fall (i.e. the top of the play structure) or a head injury (i.e. two students run into each other). DO NOT MOVE THE STUDENT. Send another student for Ms. Lisa Wong or the principal who will then assess the situation.  If you have a cell phone, you can call the office for support 650.237.3900.

CONFLICTS AND TATTLING:

Conflicts occur naturally at recess.  They are usually a result of a difference of opinion, a misunderstanding, or sometimes someone is being mean.  As adult supervisors, our goal is to assure safety and to encourage and require respectful treatment towards everyone.  Equally, we want our students to learn how to deal effectively with conflict.  We are continuing our work with the Project Cornerstone to encourage shared language of problem solving. If a child comes to you to “tattle” on someone, usually they are hoping that you will solve the problem for them.  We encourage you to listen carefully to the child’s concern and to ask the child what s/he did about it.  “Did you tell them to stop?”  “Did you say that you don’t like that and why?”  Let them know that we want them to try to solve the problem first.  (The exception is when there’s a significant safety issue.) Students may be prompted to use language of “dipping” or “filling” one’s bucket, etc., in alignment with the book of the month.

When a student has tried to solve the problem and it continues, usually someone is not listening (not giving respect).  Adult supervisors should intervene to identify the two students most involved.  Require them to take turns talking and listening.  Do this away from other students if necessary.

What happened?  (Not - who is to blame?)
Clarify: (What did you see?  What happened first? What happened next?  Who said what?)
How did it make you feel?
Is that how you wanted him/her to feel?
How can we solve this problem?
Agree on a solution.

THE LIBRARY:

Students are welcome to go to the library during their lunch hour for free reading. Students are not allowed to play in between the classrooms and must be quiet/respectful in the library.

PLAY STRUCTURE:

If a student can’t climb it without help, they should not climb it at all. Neither parents nor kids should assist a student in getting onto a piece of equipment. The child needs to be able to climb up, hold on and do the activity with no assistance. If they can get on top of the monkey bars by themselves, they can be up there.

*** Exception: No climbing on top of the rounded slides.

4 SQUARE:

Most students who play 4 square have a clear understanding of the game and the skills necessary to play with the older students by the time they graduate to 2nd grade. Official rules are posted by the bathrooms.

Most problems occur when a child gets “out” and doesn’t want to leave the game. If this happens, the kids in the square should vote (only the students standing in the squares should vote, not the students in line).  The vote is the vote and the kid must obey the vote. Voting allows them to play and have resolution. Encourage the kids to accept the vote even if they think the vote isn’t fair. A tie is replayed.

If a student playing and is not using good sportsmanship the volunteer can:

1. Send the student out and to the back of the line.
2. Take them out of the game for x minutes.  The student can watch without commenting about the game or other players.  The volunteer is responsible to monitor the student and time out and let the student know when they may rejoin the game.
3. Take the student out of the game for the duration of recess. The student can watch without commenting about the game or other players and can rejoin the game the next recess. Note: If #3 is necessary please inform the principal.

The players (including the line) should not chant or team up.

BLACK TOP:

The black top is the only place that hula-hoops and jump ropes can be used. No exceptions. Balls should not be kicked on the black top.

Wall ball and butts up:

Butts up is a game played by students with the wall and a tennis ball. If a volunteer feels at any time that a wallball game is becoming too rowdy please notify Ms. Lisa Wong or the principal.

SWINGS:

If someone is waiting for a swing, the student swinging should count 100 swings (1 back, 2 forth, 3 back, 4 forth and so on) and then give the next student a turn.

Students shouldn’t do anything (regardless how creative it may be) on the swings that could cause them to get in the way of another child (twisting, swinging sideways, having someone push you, run through the swings). If the volunteer deems a student’s use of the swings dangerous they should verbally correct the student’s actions with a warning.  If the student continues to use the swings in an inappropriate/dangerous manner the volunteer should follow the general discipline rule.

FIELD:

No students should walk, hide or play behind the green back stop areas on either side of the field; this includes the fenced dugout area. Students found behind the back stops for any reason should be reminded of this rule. If the same student(s) is repeatedly in this area after being warned then general discipline rules should be enforced.

If during the course of any game a ball of any kind goes out the back entrance gate, students must find an adult volunteer to retrieve the ball or supervise any child retrieving the ball. Students without adult supervision are not to go out the back entrance gate at anytime during lunch recess. No exceptions.

If volunteers see anyone on campus during recess without an orange vest or a volunteer/visitor sticker, please notify the office or principal immediately. Oak Avenue School is a closed campus and no unauthorized persons should be on campus or cutting through the campus during school hours.

Playing in the trees:

Students are allowed to play in and around the tree areas skirting the field. Students should not destroy, climb, break branches or harm the trees in any way. Volunteers should verbally warn students to respect and treat the trees with care. If further discipline is required volunteers should refer to the general discipline guidelines.

Trees belong to everyone, you may not claim a tree area and/or exclude others from being in the area with you.

Sticks - sticks that are longer or fatter than a student’s arm are too big to play with.

CLUBS:

1. At least one member of the club must be in 3rd grade or above.
2. 1st and 2nd graders may not start clubs.
3. The trees belong to everyone.
4. Clubs may not steal or destroy other clubs’ materials (natural) or areas.
5. No excluding other students from clubs. All students can join/play as long as they play by the rules.

No food or food containers of any kind from lunch can be used.

NATURE GARDEN and TREES:

Students should not pick destroy, damage, or climb on any of the vegetation in the garden. Students creating nests should use items from the ground. Please ask students to WALK and stay on the designated paths.

CLASS AREA:

Students should not play in the hallways or go behind the classrooms.

5th and 6th graders should not be in their classrooms.

RAINY DAYS:

Students eat in their classroom on rainy days from 12:00 to 12:10 and the same rules for lunch apply. After the dismissal bell has rung the students have a choice of the following activities.

1. Movie in the multi
2. Use teacher-approved games & materials in the classroom.

Students can choose any of the above activities. However, this should not be taken as an opportunity to run around the school. Students may walk from each activity. No running, tag or general goofing about in the halls.

Volunteer Note: One volunteer will be assigned to each activity for supervision. Amy or the on duty staff member will walk the halls checking each classroom.

5th and 6th grade students are assigned as rainy day helpers. Two 6th grade students are assigned to each lower grade classroom. They are there the entire recess and eat lunch with the younger students. They will lead activities and keep the younger students engaged. Volunteers should do the heavy supervision. The 5th and 6th grade classrooms have no supervision thus volunteers will need to walk in and out of those classrooms..

GENERAL Rainy Day Behavior Guidelines:

Please judge each situation as if it were your own home. If you would allow students to play the game/activity in your home and feel it is safe please allow the students to keep playing.  IF you think a student’s actions are unsafe, too rowdy for inside or just plain out of hand please make the necessary warnings and changes to the game or activity.

Volunteer Notes: Hope the sun will come out so we can let the kids out.

Unable to work your scheduled shift?

Please try to trade shifts with someone or secure a substitute.

Remember that the purpose of the noonday volunteer is to ensure the playground is a place where students feel safe, have fun, and show respect for each other and property.  Although this is an excellent opportunity to see your child at school, your responsibility is for the welfare of all the children.