Well we live in a cold climate from time to time and sometimes we do endure the 'cold weather warning'. This is done only with medical advice that it is not recommended to be outside.
What this means for students is that they get indoor recess - they still get a break from school work but they often don't have access to a gym or the ability to run around.
Now there is a lot of research that states the benefits of recess - in fact the Today Show just had a segment on how a group of students with more recess were doing better in standardized testing which seems to go against the expected.
On Debate.org
http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-kids-have-longer-recess-at-school
There is overwhelming support for more recess.
Most students do seem to benefit from running around.
The challenge is when the weather is extremely cold, there are lots of risks - frost bite, dry skin from exposure.
I have seen a lot of students that don't come to school properly dressed. As a parent we can try and get our kids to wear snow suits but that's a battle I lost many times.
I think most would agree that recess is a good thing but during the cold weather warnings we must keep them inside as it is safer for all. The decision is made at very high levels - this is not a decision a teacher makes because he/she wants to stay inside.
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