Montrose Elementary School students jumped rope, played hopscotch and participated in games of foursquare recently on their newly painted blacktop during recess. But now, recess for Montrose students is a bit different. With the help of a grant from Capital One, Montrose was able to launch “Organized Recess,” a time of day where students can participate in cooperative games that double as “teachable moments” in the areas of social skills and good citizenship.

“We have done some research and gathered that organized recess decreases discipline incidents,” said Montrose Principal Dana Baldacci. “So we decided this year we’d do several days a week of organized recess, and through this grant, we are able to do it.”

Capital One volunteers came out early in the week to repaint the blacktop and then again later in the week to show students how to safely use the equipment in a variety of games that aimed at fostering participation and fair play (pictured). Each classroom also received a bucket full of new recess materials that encourage students to interact and play with one another in a collaborative way.

“This is a great opportunity that Capital One gives us to give back to the community and the neighborhood,” said Tim Gunn, a Capital One employee. “It’s been a great experience, one of the kids even said it was better than field day, so that’s just sort of the icing on the cake for us.”