WJ students taking over Wildwood shopping center at lunch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I’m reading you correctly, these kids bring their home lunches and use the restaurant seating. Correct?

If so, it’s up to the restaurant to enforce that the seating is for paying customers only or however, they want to word it.

No. That is not the case. I too have been there, unfortunately bad timing for me. That said, the bagel place and CVS are packed with HS buyers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Store owner: consents

Diner: consents

DCUM mama: aren't you forget someone?

Yes, she is the PAYING CUSTOMER who wants a table to eat her lunch but can't because they're being used by high school kids who are sitting at them eating sour patch kids (bought at CVS) and coffee from another restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I’m reading you correctly, these kids bring their home lunches and use the restaurant seating. Correct?

If so, it’s up to the restaurant to enforce that the seating is for paying customers only or however, they want to word it.

+1 exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WJ has an open lunch. This is not a new thing. There are over 3000 students in that school; that is on MCPS. There will be fewer once Woodward is available, but still many students, who will be hungry and eating lunch out. No one is standing in the WJ cafeteria line, getting bagels and pizza and walking over to sit at Wildwood. Have you ever been in Bethesda Bagel at lunchtime? Business is booming! I never run errands over there 11-12.

Btw, 12:30, also a normal time to grab lunch out and lounge around, is just fine.

Well a lot of them have slices of pizza and they aren't getting them from Wildwood (they aren't on Flippin Pizza plates either). Most kids get coffee, candy at CVS, donuts at the Giant, or a bagel at Bethesda Bagels. I went to Piccolo last week and about a quarter of the indoor tables and nearly all of the tables outside had students at them. Not ONE student had a purchase from Piccolo with them.

This doesn't happen at the other shopping center where the Giant is. Last year they had a security officer at the Giant make the kids make a line and go inside in limited quantities. Why can't they enforce something on the WW side?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ has an open lunch. This is not a new thing. There are over 3000 students in that school; that is on MCPS. There will be fewer once Woodward is available, but still many students, who will be hungry and eating lunch out. No one is standing in the WJ cafeteria line, getting bagels and pizza and walking over to sit at Wildwood. Have you ever been in Bethesda Bagel at lunchtime? Business is booming! I never run errands over there 11-12.

Btw, 12:30, also a normal time to grab lunch out and lounge around, is just fine.

Well a lot of them have slices of pizza and they aren't getting them from Wildwood (they aren't on Flippin Pizza plates either). Most kids get coffee, candy at CVS, donuts at the Giant, or a bagel at Bethesda Bagels. I went to Piccolo last week and about a quarter of the indoor tables and nearly all of the tables outside had students at them. Not ONE student had a purchase from Piccolo with them.

This doesn't happen at the other shopping center where the Giant is. Last year they had a security officer at the Giant make the kids make a line and go inside in limited quantities. Why can't they enforce something on the WW side?

Why don't you complain to them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP when did you see this change? I thought WJ has had open lunch forever.

OP here. I noticed them last year but they were (mostly) really good about buying lunch and taking it back to school or eating while they walked back. I think the businesses complained last year and WJ admin started reminding them not to sit down and eat outside the school. This year they are sitting at indoor and outdoor seating almost as an extension of their cafeteria. Maybe it's just the good weather? Or they need a reminder they shouldn't do it? I don't want to go out to eat there because there aren't any seats left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

I don't know the schedule, but if they are doing 11-12, why can't they do an 11-12 for 9th and 10th and 12-2 for 11th and 12th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

I don't know the schedule, but if they are doing 11-12, why can't they do an 11-12 for 9th and 10th and 12-2 for 11th and 12th?

Because unlike ES/MS, in HS, classes have a mix of grades. So trying to coordinate class schedules and split lunch would be difficult, not to mention the loud noises from those who are in their lunch period. Do you have a HS kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

I don't know the schedule, but if they are doing 11-12, why can't they do an 11-12 for 9th and 10th and 12-2 for 11th and 12th?

Because unlike ES/MS, in HS, classes have a mix of grades. So trying to coordinate class schedules and split lunch would be difficult, not to mention the loud noises from those who are in their lunch period. Do you have a HS kid?

I don't, but I did go to an MCPS high school and we had lunch based on year. We were also allowed to go out for lunch once we were seniors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

I don't know the schedule, but if they are doing 11-12, why can't they do an 11-12 for 9th and 10th and 12-2 for 11th and 12th?

Because unlike ES/MS, in HS, classes have a mix of grades. So trying to coordinate class schedules and split lunch would be difficult, not to mention the loud noises from those who are in their lunch period. Do you have a HS kid?

I don't, but I did go to an MCPS high school and we had lunch based on year. We were also allowed to go out for lunch once we were seniors.

That must've been eons ago when the HS were smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to get lunch at Wildwood during the week, sitting at FlowerChild or Piccolo Piatti, but it's become impossible with the high school students. They buy bagels/starbucks/pizza at the cafeteria and sit at the tables outside of these restaurants. They go inside the restaurants, don't order there, but bring outside food in. The lunch is 11-12 it seems, so nearly peak lunch time. They aren't rude, just annoying and messy. WJ has a security guard and maybe a VP stand outside of Chipotle on the other side of Old Georgetown, but not in Wildwood.

Is it up to the restaurants to tell them to leave? WJ to tell them to stop? I think all four grades have one lunch period when any students are allowed to leave campus, but they have to buy their food and bring it back to the school.

No, they're allowed to eat wherever they like. There is no room inside the school cafeteria for even a fifth of the students. WJ has been overcrowded for YEARS, hence why they built Woodward HS nearby. These are kids who need to breathe fresh air at lunch!

I have a senior. The official rule is they are supposed to "purchase and go" back to campus. They are not supposed to stay at Wildwood, G Square, etc. They are not supposed to go to the mall (but they certainly do).

In the past, there has been security at Wildwood and Giant. They are supposed to shoo them back to school I believe. At Giant, they limit the number of kids in the store at a time. There have been times with more security/staff after incidents, but it sounds like maybe staffing is less right now, and kids are generally well-behaved (until the next fight). There is an established relationship between the school administration and the property management at the business areas. They want their money, they want kids safe, and they don't want to drive away other business. I never go over there before 12:15

In response to others comments regarding the schedule - lunch is for the entire school at once. One of the purposes is for teacher availability. That is when they are expected to meet with teachers, make up work, maybe some clubs meet as well. The cafeteria doesn't have space for the kids, so the other reason they publicize is that kids need enough time to get to the lunch businesses and back. I am sure the post lunch tardies were a nightmare and giving everyone an hour was part of the solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS says it’s nearly impossible to get lunch at school. The cafeteria at school is full and there is no sitting room. Let the poor kids eat lunch!

Do they have one lunch period for the whole school? Why not do 2 or 4 lunch periods?

You want kids to have lunch at 9:30am, or 1:30pm? Do you know what time HS starts? This isn't ES where they have snack breaks.

I don't know the schedule, but if they are doing 11-12, why can't they do an 11-12 for 9th and 10th and 12-2 for 11th and 12th?

The cafeteria is tiny so kids need to eat in classrooms, hallways, etc. they do all the lunches at the same time so space is available for kids to sit and kids that need to meet with teachers will know the teacher is also free during lunch time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to get lunch at Wildwood during the week, sitting at FlowerChild or Piccolo Piatti, but it's become impossible with the high school students. They buy bagels/starbucks/pizza at the cafeteria and sit at the tables outside of these restaurants. They go inside the restaurants, don't order there, but bring outside food in. The lunch is 11-12 it seems, so nearly peak lunch time. They aren't rude, just annoying and messy. WJ has a security guard and maybe a VP stand outside of Chipotle on the other side of Old Georgetown, but not in Wildwood.

Is it up to the restaurants to tell them to leave? WJ to tell them to stop? I think all four grades have one lunch period when any students are allowed to leave campus, but they have to buy their food and bring it back to the school.

No, they're allowed to eat wherever they like. There is no room inside the school cafeteria for even a fifth of the students. WJ has been overcrowded for YEARS, hence why they built Woodward HS nearby. These are kids who need to breathe fresh air at lunch!

Well, no... if they are not purchasing food there, they should not be sitting there.