Those kids will be much worse off if they close open lunch. If they are avoiding going out to RTC or Georgetown Square because they are scared of crowds and bad behavior, what do they think will happen when open lunch ends? All those kids will be piled on top of them, making wherever they are currently eating more crowded and rowdy. One of the reasons my kid likes to get out for lunch is that they are introverted and hate the constant jostling and crowds at the school. People are always pushing and shoving because it’s so crowded, and the noise volume is overwhelming. The great thing about open lunch is that it gives kids options, so your kid that doesn’t like it is welcome to eat in the cafeteria and it will be a better experience because it is less crowded. |
Single lunch has allowed our school to give kids a ton of curriculum choice, allowing freshman to take classes with seniors. I will really stink to lose that flexibility especially for advanced kids that want to be able to take APs as freshman and sophomore, or for kids who take less popular courses where there might not be multiple sections offered. People are talking about this just as a quality of life issue — which it is — but it’s yet another way that MCPS is taking away options for advanced learners. |
You just keep making up more and more things. If kids don’t want to leave for open lunch, they can stay inside! Many do! And it’s appalling that you made a racial assumption about me based on nothing, weaponized your assumption in a derogatory way, and spoke for all introverts and children of immigrants as though they are a monolith. |
So you admit there are already kids who don't go out during Open Lunch and therefore would not be opposed to ending the Open Lunch policy? |
Exactly! |
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"Many kids don't like to go out for Open Lunch due to the crowds, fights and bad behaviors that happen during Open Lunch. Some of that is because those kids are more introverted and/or shy and some of that is because their parents warn them about such things. Especially if your child is of an immigrant background." This is a non-issue because no one is forcing anyone to leave campus during open lunch. Kids can choose to stay at school and eat in the cafeteria (school lunch or packed lunch). In fact, it's probably much more pleasant for these students to remain in the cafeteria or another part of the building when a large number of other students are off campus because it is much less crowded. It seems to me that the fights and bad behaviors you speak of that occur during Open lunch would simply happen inside the building if all students were trapped inside the building. Open lunch in no way prohibits or stigmatizes shy students who do not wish to partake in the privilege of going off campus for lunch. |
| I'm fine with Open Lunch as long as the doors to the school are locked the second lunch is over and those students not back in the building are told to go home and try again the next day |
I said nothing of the sort. I said if there are kids who wish to eat inside, they have that option. I did not say that kids who choose to eat inside the building would want to end the option for open lunch. I don’t think that’s true at all. I have a kid in an open lunch school who goes out maybe once a month, but is a huge proponent of keeping the privilege/option. |
It does when kids cannot afford it. |
You might be surprised to learn that MANY high schoolers have jobs and earn spending money even if their families are lower income. You might also be surprised that kids can bring a homemade lunch or a free school lunch and can sit somewhere near the school. You might also be surprised that kids find all kinds of cheap options like stuff from Aldi. And some might only buy a cold drink and not an entire meal if they go out. |
WJ is having a reduction in students. |
You might be surprised that some of us teach our kids about the value of money. My kids work summers and it goes into their Roth and for college. Most low income aren’t. Be real. |
My WJ kids bring lunch from home every day, but leave school during lunch break with friends who may or may not buy lunch. There is no stigma either way. They appreciate being able to walk outside and get away from the crowded school for a bit. |
You are tying yourself up in knots like a pretzel. You made the claim that ALL students want to keep open lunch. I challenged you on that absolutist claim as there are indeed kids who would be fine with MCPS ending open lunch, as evidenced by the fact that many kids already make the decision to operate under a closed lunch model by not leaving the school during the lunch period. You argued that was a lie. Parents, students and teachers are a monolith on nothing when it comes to MCPS. There are people on both sides of every debate. That you pretend otherwise makes you disingenuous in your argument. |
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I don’t understand why we would want a one-size-fits-all policy. This can be handled at the school level. And I am hearing that Taylor is pushing for multiple lunch periods at all schools, which really concerns me — that would make it really hard to hold clubs during lunch and would mean that some teachers aren’t available for make-up work and support. My kid depends on that for his extended time
accommodation. |