TAG — FAIR GAME IN VALLEYschools

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The age-old game of tag among kids on the playground has been banned in some areas, but local school officials say they have not had a problem with pupils at play.

Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean, Va., has told pupils they may no longer play tag during recess — setting off a flurry of debate on the matter. According to the Washington Post, she determined the game that requires kids to chase and tag one another before yelling “You’re it!” had gotten out of hand.

Poland Superintendent Dr. Robert Zorn said that district has no rules prohibiting tag and they haven’t encountered problems with the game. Nothing prohibits running either.

“If they want to run, they can run,” he said.

Unlike some school districts, though, every Poland elementary school includes a playground where children spend much of their recess time, Zorn said.

Some schools have only a paved area where children can play.

“When I come back from lunch and it’s recess, the kids are shooting basketball or they’re up and down the playground equipment.” he said.

Frank Lazzeri, superintendent of Boardman schools, said games such as tag would become an issue in elementary schools if kids were overly aggressive, but the district has not had those problems. Some games involving chase, he said, are a normal part of a child’s life.

“There is always a concern for playground safety, but playing chase games and tag is a part of growing up. We monitor kids closely, but we have not considered banning tag,” Lazzeri said. “A developmental part of being a child is movement.”

Joseph Jeswald, superintendent of schools in Girard, agreed that exercise on the playground and movement are an important developmental tool for pupils and an important part of the school’s wellness plan, but pupils do not play tag games in the kindergarten through third-grade classes.

“We do allow touch football at the intermediate school, but not at Prospect Elementary,” he said. “We really try to keep a close eye on students on the playground for safety reasons.”

At Howland Glen Elementary School in Howland, principal Gary Gawdyda said his kindergarten through second-grade pupils play tag every day.

When Gawdyda first heard the tag was eliminated at one school, he figured that was overly extreme. However, he said he won’t pass judgment because he doesn’t know how aggressive some pupils there might have become.

At Glen, the principal explained, pupils playing tag are sometime taken aside if they become too aggressive or they have to take a timeout.

Many school officials, such as Gawdyda, said aggressive behavior or rough play on the playground is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Raymond Soloman, principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Hubbard, said he has not had any problems with tag or games of chase in that school.

“As of now, we do not have a problem, but should something happen, we will make necessary changes. Should it come to my attention that the game is being played in an aggressive manner, we will take the necessary precautions,” he said.

Karen Coleman, principal of H.C. Mines Elementary School in Howland, said not too many of her third-, fourth- and fifth-grade pupils play tag.

“We try to let them enjoy themselves at recess,” Coleman said, noting most use the playground equipment or play with a ball.

“If they get too rough, we deal with it on an individual basis,” Coleman said.

James Carchedi, principal at Watson Elementary on Idaho Road in Austintown, said his kindergarten through third-grade pupils are allowed to play tag, cops and robbers, football and the like, but he has a simple rule that determines whether the game is being played too rough: “What I tell children is never touch someone in anger,” Carchedi said. As long as two pupils are not acting in anger, their behavior on the playground is generally acceptable, he said.

There are differences in the way playground monitors observe the children depending on whether the weather allows them to be in the wood-chip playground areas or football field compared with the blacktop, he noted. Pupils have to be more careful on the blacktop to keep from getting scraped up, he said, so monitors usually don’t allow a football game to be played on blacktop, only catch. Monitors require children to be more careful in general on the blacktop surface, he said.

Mark Lucas, superintendent of schools in Liberty, said there is no direct ban on tag in Liberty elementary schools, but other rules of conduct on the playground pretty much eliminate the game.

“We adopted a program called ‘Peaceful Playground’ and in that program we have between 10 and 15 games painted on the playground for kids to use,” he said. “Tag is not really an issue because one of the rules on the playground is no running for safety issues.”

In Youngstown, the game of tag is not played at recess at West Elementary School, the district’s largest elementary building.

M. Michael McNair, district spokesman, said the children at West play basketball, football and hula hoops and are permitted to use chalk at recess.

McNair had no immediate information available on the district’s six other elementary buildings but said there is no districtwide policy regarding playground games.