Playworks founder Jill Vialet, of Chevy Chase, Md., attends the reception to welcome Playworks to Virginia. She said that she was inspired by a childhood that included unsupervised time, informal education where older children teach younger children about teamwork. Photos by Abigail Constantino/The Connection
A reception for Playworks, a nonprofit organization that aims to change play in schools and recess, was held on Sunday, March 1 at the home of of Jim and Patrice Angle in McLean. Jim Angle is the former chief national correspondent for Fox News. The event was presented by the Angles and Chuck and Kristian Todd. Chuck Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC.
Founder Jill Vialet, Playworks board members, coaches and volunteers, and guests attended the reception, which announced the arrival of Playworks in Virginia. Eighteen elementary schools in Washington, D.C. have already participated in its direct service program, which places coaches in the schools. It is now venturing in Virginia to offer training services to schools and teachers on how to effectively use play to bring out the best in every child, said Rachel Hustedt, a program manager at Playworks.
One of the programs Playworks offers is Recess 360, a comprehensive program comprising of workshops and consultations that teaches how to prevent exclusion and exclusionary behavior.
“It’s a good time for people in Virginia to realize what Playworks is so they can begin to support it,” said Jim Angle. “Ultimately, it is about making kids good citizens and to learn how to make good decisions. It makes a better society,” he said.
Ed Poe, of McLean, was invited by the Angles and remembered his own experiences in school, “I’ve been out of school for a while but I remember there was a bully in every class and so many children were intimidated and would not even go out for recess because they were afraid they were going to get beat up or assaulted. Bullying is so destructive today. It affects you the rest of your life.”
Mo Abdullah, a Playworks coach at Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C., said that with the use of games, students learn conflict resolution skills and gain confidence that translates in so many different areas.
Mike Isman, of Arlington, a board member at D.C. Playworks, attended a recess session and was immediately drawn in. He played jump rope with kindergartners and after praising them for doing a good job a five-year old girl came up to him and reminded him to give the players a high five. “She said I forgot to give a high five to a girl who did a good job. Immediately I went to the playworks director and said I’m in,” he said. He also recruited his co-worker Shana Yearwood, of Alexandria, who now volunteers with the volleyball program and is also a board member. “Kids create structure…they are more focused on working as a team and improving skills than beating the other teams. I think it’s awesome,” she said.
“I’m impressed about how they teach children how to resolve their conflict on the playground…how to have self-confidence. I think it’s really important,” said McLean resident Judith Poe.
Go to http://www.playworks.org/ for more information about Playworks.