It was a return to the great indoors. As the heat index reached the mid nineties the week–the first week of school, Brewster Central School District had to pivot on recess. A message was sent out across the community: “Good morning! Due to the excessive heat, C.V. Starr will be having indoor recess today. Thanks, Principal Maggie Andriello & Vice Principal Paul Stellacci.”
The third grade hallway at C.V. Starr Intermediate School–cooled by a humming air conditioner–was filled with students from Jacquelyn Fego’s class sprawled out on the ground in groups playing old fashioned games: Connect Four, Jenga, Lego, K’Nex, and Re-Tec–a puck hockey game.
“All you need to do is flick the puck through the slot, “ said Mathew Hart. He and his partner, Mason Ayin,were facing each other, shooting black and white pucks through a small hole on a wooden game board.
A recess aid, June Riley, said other classes were inside their classrooms but she liked the idea of moving out into the hallway. “They have room to play and it’s nice and cool here,” said Riley.
Two boys had set up wooden Jenga blocks into a kidney shaped maze. “One, two, three!” said Denis Gjerji. On three, David Ohajaca Mantilla pushed the front block and they fell like dominoes, making a satisfying clicking sound. They quietly cheered as the last block dropped.