help-primary scheduling

[Melisa R <melisa_r@MAIL.PPINC.COM>]

I am in need of your policies on scheduling grades 1 & 2.For a long, long time-
many, many years (this is my second year at this K-8 Catholic school of 340
students) primary classes have come into the library during what is called
"rotation". Rotation takes place 4 days a week-immediately after their lunch
recess.  There are several classes they take, in 2 back-to-back 25 minute
periods. They are shuttled from rotation to rotation by their teacher. This is
the also their teachers' break time. Spanish and computer are attended by 1/2
of a class, library by one entire class, music and P.E. by the other two entire
classes. And then they switch!  In other words, there are 2 first grades and 2
second. My dilemma is shared by the music teacher; it is EXTREMELY hard to have
a successful lesson with 22 kids who have just come in from recess-and after
lunch, and then to see 2 groups a day like this is very wearing on both me and
the kids. The teachers are reluctant (refuse) to change this scheduling because
they feel the students must have their "core, important subjects" in the
morning, when they are at their best. In talking to other library media folk,
nobody has this nightmare schedule with their primary. This means that I see
each class twice a week. Also, this schedule makes it so that I cannot be there
for the junior high (or anyone else).
So, what I want is for you to write a brief note telling me how you schedule
first and second grade classes. All the other grades (including the 2
kindergartens) see me in the morning-or schedule in a time. I would love to go
to flexible scheduling, but this is more pressing right now. I thought if I had
some ammunition from some of you, it might help when I go to the (new)
principal. THANK YOU.
Melisa Reese
melisa_r@mail.ppinc.com