Is any ES offering or planning to offer any form of outdoor lunch this year?

[Anonymous]

I've just heard that our ES principal said 1) there will be no outdoor lunch option this year, 2) they won't be discussing the reason and 3) they won't discuss a solution, period. For the record, we had an outdoor lunch option most days last year. Obviously I will be speaking with the principal myself about this, as many are interested in that option. But I wanted to know if anyone had heard that this was a county-wide decision, or any reasons given for it.

I am an intelligent person and can think of a couple of possible reasons. Fine. And I can accept the decision not to offer it if this is a county-wide policy and there truly is no legal way around it. But I would like to know what the reason is.

[Anonymous]

OP here, and that wasn't too hard. It's not MCPS policy, per se.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedfiles/reopening/MSDE-Fall2022-ReopeningGuide.pdf

Access to All Eating Areas

Students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch in cafeterias and other available eating areas. Schools are encouraged to take advantage of outdoor spaces when possible so that students can eat in areas that pose a lower risk of virus transmission. High schools may return to open campus lunch.

--

So I'm sure there is an argument that it's not "possible" for our school for a reason or two I can imagine (even if it was "possible" last year). But at least it does not seem to be a countywide thing.

[Anonymous]

They can’t keep the teachers they have and you want them to add more teachers to lunch duty so your kid can eat outside? Go sign your kids out for lunch if you’re scared of the cafeteria.

[Anonymous]

Name and shame the school, OP.

I pushed hard last year for Westland MS to offer outdoor seating options, which they finally did after dragging their feet, and this year they continue to do so, because of overwhelming demand. Today and yesterday, despite the heat, all outdoor tables were full and DD had to sit on one of those tree boxes with her friend.

So organize, get your group together, post on the listserve, talk to everyone you know. Force the issue.

[Anonymous]

Are you able to volunteer for lunch duty?

[Anonymous]

And also support building services in setting up and cleaning up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can’t keep the teachers they have and you want them to add more teachers to lunch duty so your kid can eat outside? Go sign your kids out for lunch if you’re scared of the cafeteria.

This.

OP, MCPS continues to offer Virtual Academy for anyone who is nervous about Covid. Or you can go private. Or, you can check your kid out of lunch each day.

Our schools are over-crowded and understaffed. It is not reasonable to expect schools to organize supervised, outdoor lunch forever.

[Anonymous]

Why do you need outdoor lunch when there is no masking or other basic precautions? Pull your kid out every day at lunch. Reality is they will get covid.

[Anonymous]

I think letting the kids spend more time outside is great. I would push it.

[Anonymous]

They are not even distancing anymore at our elementary school. DS said that they're back to being scrunched in - 2 tables per class.

[Anonymous]

The county no longer pays for monitors and we don’t have enough staff to cover outdoor lunch. It’s a logistical nightmare to shift gears when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor lunch; unless parents actually want to volunteer (and they don’t). So go ahead and waste your principals time complaining about something they have obviously considered and dealt with for the past two years.

[Anonymous]

OP has never volunteered at a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The county no longer pays for monitors and we don’t have enough staff to cover outdoor lunch. It’s a logistical nightmare to shift gears when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor lunch; unless parents actually want to volunteer (and they don’t). So go ahead and waste your principals time complaining about something they have obviously considered and dealt with for the past two years.

MCPS still has federal covid money that is unspent. It was literally designed to support initiatives such as this. I get that it’s hard to hire people (everywhere), but just because some people are over covid does not mean these funds should not be allocated to support the one part of the day that is highest risk to students who are otherwise masking.

[Anonymous]

Every time a post is made on DCUM that even remotely hints at Covid precautions, it attracts hateful people who reflexively attack the OP.

If this had nothing to do with Covid, people would find alfresco lunch wonderful! Like 19:37 does, actually.

So keep pushing for outdoor lunch, but sell it as a mental health measure - lots of sheeple falling for the mental health angle, these days. Point to studies proving that kids benefit mentally and physically from spending more time outdoors. Tout the physical benefits to luring kids with playground equipment and getting them to exercise and breathe fresh air.

And keep mum on the Covid front. All the cautious people will be on your side, and all the outdoor-loving people will be on your side. And you'll avoid the weirdos who think that worrying about Covid is a crime.

When there's a will, funds will be found...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are not even distancing anymore at our elementary school. DS said that they're back to being scrunched in - 2 tables per class.

If you look at the pictures posted by MCPS and the schools there is zero distancing.