Attention Amity Elementary school parents: Are you aware that our children are no longer allowed to sit by their friends at lunch? Please see this exchange below, and contact the principal as I have. This is a new principal to Amity, and this is move is, in my opinion, overreaching, and not the right thing to do to our young children. Its more like a prison than an elementary school cafeteria.... Oh wait, even prisoners can freely choose who to sit by when they eat. I have not yet received a response to my additional questions. I have included his email for your use, as well. : Hello Tim! I was just made aware of a new policy at Amity Elementary, and I wanted to confirm that with you. Is it true that the kids are no longer allowed to sit by friends in the lunchroom anymore? If this IS true, I am very interested in finding out all the reasons you chose to implement this policy in our school. Thank you in advance for your communications, Lori Shewmaker Parent On Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 10:42 AM, Tim Lowe wrote: Hi, Lori. We recently implemented some changes to the lunch room, but they are not nearly as dramatic as they sound. The kitchen staff came to me a little over a week ago. They were frustrated because the cafeteria was getting so noisy that it was difficult to communicate with students coming through the lunch line. When I observed what was going on, I asked about prior procedures and routines in the cafeteria. Apparently, there havent been any. Students were sitting where every they wanted, getting up and moving around the cafeteria if they saw someone else they wanted to sit with, and there werent any expectations for voice levels. Anyway, I asked the cafeteria staff to start seating students, by classrooms as they come through the line, in the first available seat. There was a little bit of confusion, at first, so I made an announcement to all students over the PA explaining what were trying to accomplish. I wanted them to understand that it isnt a punishment. The teachers then facilitated discussions in their classroom. I have been in the lunch room nearly every day since this practice started last week. Children are still smiling, laughing, and having good conversations with the people at their tables. I know there has been some grumbling, but I sincerely believe its just an adjustment to a new system. Students are only in the lunch room for about 15 minutes. They are visiting with their classmates, and surprisingly, the custodian has reported that there has been a significant drop in food waste. (Im not sure what the correlation is, but I think thats a positive thing.) I have asked other staff and parents to walk through the lunch room and give me their perspectives, and they have had the same impressions. Ultimately, we are trying to make the lunch period in the cafeteria more orderly and efficient. The noise level was so high that it could easily be heard clear down in the office. That is difficult for the three classrooms located directly across the hall. Things are settling down in the lunch room, and I anticipate adding an incentive - Free Sit Fridays - or something like that, as long as they continue to keep things under control. Thanks for your inquiry. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Tim wrote: Oh! One more thing, Lori. I forgot to mention that most of the teachers, including Mrs. Schwer (I think), have encouraged students to line-up next to their friends when they are getting ready for lunch in their classrooms. That way, when they get to the cafeteria, they do get to sit next to their friends of choice. The only difference is that the jockeying for position happens in the classroom rather than in the lunch room. -Tim I responded : So, to check that I understand correctly what you are telling me, is that Amity cafeteria staff complained about noise levels, and you thought it was loud, in the office. Did you actually get complaints from the teachers near the lunchroom, as well as the office staff, or just the cafeteria staff? You indicated that the staff said the noise levels were increasing. Thats hard to fathom, that this year, all of the sudden, the cafeteria staff cant handle the noise level. Is there significantly more kids, or what is the actual cause of increased noise? Are we expected to believe that simply, they are louder than in past years? Also, was it certain classes that were unbearably loud, according to the complaint, or were all lunch groups similarly boisterous? With all due respect, Lori
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 22:59:31 +0000
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