Roanoke County elementary students will get more recess time

School Board approved recess extension Thursday night

ROANOKE Co., Va – Roanoke County elementary students will soon be getting more time out on the playground.

The school board voted Thursday night, approving a plan to extend recess. Instead of one, 25 to 30 minute block, students will now get two separate 20 minute play times.

This comes following a shift in the way educators view recess as part of instructional time. Now there's an emphasis on having playtime too.

"The fact that they get to have the opportunity to work with each other, socialize with each other, have the downtime from class and some of the drill and activities that they're doing, so this would allow them the opportunity to be apart of being with each other," Roanoke County Assistant Superintendent Rebecca Eastwood said.

Lawmakers in Richmond recently changed education laws, paving ways the way for this to happen.