On any given morning when there’s beautiful weather, you’re likely to see a line of Chapin Lower School girls crossing East End Avenue to go to Carl Schurz Park for recess. They take turns on the monkey bars, build imaginary houses beneath the trees and play every variation of tag known to children. For many girls, such play times are likely to become their fondest memories of their early days at Chapin.
Many Chapin alumnae have similar vivid memories of recess, though from a different setting than Carl Schurz Park. Until the construction projects of 1998, which included the Annenberg Center, the redesign of the Gordon Room and the building of a new gym and play deck, recess at 100 East End Avenue occurred at different times in two enclosed outdoor play spaces. There was “the roof” and “the yard,” as they were known to students.
Click here to view images from the archives depicting Chapin girls from the 1950s on enjoying a moment in the sun — or the snow — during recess on “the roof” or in “the yard.” The settings may be different than they are now, but the joy of play remains the same.