A balanced school day represents an adjustment to how recess and nutrition breaks are distributed throughout the school day. The actual length of the school day remains the same but the time within the day is "balanced" between two nutrition/activity breaks.
The reasons for following a balanced school day are two-fold.
First, the balanced schedule increases instructional time by reducing time lost during transitions. In previous years, the school day followed a structure of a morning recess, lunch break and recess, and then an afternoon recess. With this schedule, instructional time was lost in order to provide students time to have snacks during the morning and afternoon as well as when students get dressed and undressed before and after recess. With the move to a balanced schedule, instructional time is less interrupted and the balanced eating times eliminate peaks and valleys in students' nutritional needs.
The second benefit of a balanced schedule is that it allows for longer periods of time for students to eat. Rather than trying to fit in a quick snack before or after recess, students are given two scheduled nutrition breaks during the day. With a scheduled nutrition break, families can plan for snacks that are nutritious, rather than focusing on snacks that are quick and convenient.
Students require a healthy snack during the first nutrition break in the morning. Students will also need their regular lunch at 12:55 p.m. Parents are encouraged to pack the food separately so that students know which food they should eat at each of the breaks and to ensure they have sufficient food for the day.
Some of the benefits of a Balanced School Day are:
- Maximized instructional time throughout the day due to fewer interruptions, especially during the winter months
- Making time for good nutrition promotes good learning
- Children are not as hungry at the end of the day
- Reduction of litter on the playground (as students have time to eat during scheduled breaks rather than trying to grab a quick snack at recess time)