Why do some high schools allow open lunch and others do not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids really sit on the floor to eat??!?

Where are the cafeteria tables?

The cafeteria might have space for like 200 kids, if that. What is a school of 2000 going to do, have 10 lunches? Of course kids eat elsewhere. I ate sitting on the floor in the hallway with my friends at RMHS 20 years ago, with one open lunch for everyone, and we thought it was absolutely fine.

Eww that is nasty af

I guess large overcrowding schools are no big deal here. We had grade level lunches and there were tables for everyone. Definitely looking into private schools for middle and high school.

That’s rich. Good luck with that. But, if you want the slow math track and dumb down your kids, private is the way to go.

What makes you believe private schools have slow math tracks?

To feel better knowing that they paid a crap ton of money in real estate to go to a public school that is sub par. Even if you are in excelerated in math, there is little to no writing and no real good teaching at MCPS. And before you bash, yes my kids go here and yes we have moved twice. From Montgomery County, PA to Howard County PA to here. And so far MCPS is by far the worst of the public schools. And yes, the overfilling of kids and lack of nutrition for them is appalling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why some high schools allow their students to go off anywhere during lunch and others claim “for security purposes” they can’t leave campus or have food delivered.

Then don’t allow lunch for all 4 grades in one period. There isn’t enough room, there is no seating, the lines are too long, there are no lockers for lunches so kids have to carry them all day if they bring them. Most kids just aren’t eating all day.

As a student with an 8th grader, it is concerning to hear about inconsistencies among the schools. What schools do not give lockers? Are any of them in DCC?

Most DCC schools allow kids to opt into lockers but kids typically do not do so.

Einstein assigns lockers to all freshmen and students in special high-needs programs, and 10-12th graders can request one if there are any available. But the reality is that with 5 minutes between periods, they can barely get to class, let alone visit their lockers. My kid seems to be an anomaly, though, because they do like to have one to deposit their lunch and winter coat in.

Einstein nominally has a closed lunch, but they allow neighborhood kids to “go home for lunch” with parental permission. Given that there’s no formal permission slip or anything, I think they’re just tacitly acknowledging that they’re not enforcing the closed lunch, and the “with parental permission” is just a CYA in the event something goes wrong.

There aren’t any restaurants close enough to sit down to eat and be back for 5th period, but my kid says there are always people running into class at the last minute with takeout food or drinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids really sit on the floor to eat??!?

Where are the cafeteria tables?

The cafeteria might have space for like 200 kids, if that. What is a school of 2000 going to do, have 10 lunches? Of course kids eat elsewhere. I ate sitting on the floor in the hallway with my friends at RMHS 20 years ago, with one open lunch for everyone, and we thought it was absolutely fine.

Eww that is nasty af

I guess large overcrowding schools are no big deal here. We had grade level lunches and there were tables for everyone. Definitely looking into private schools for middle and high school.

That’s rich. Good luck with that. But, if you want the slow math track and dumb down your kids, private is the way to go.

Give me a break on the bashing of private schools. My DD graduated Holton taking multivariable calculus as a senior. She also knew how to write papers, won the state chemathon and got a huge scholarship to her top college.

She had breakfast, lunch, and snacks served at Holton as they were not allowed to bring food from home in. They had enough tables/chairs in the cafe or courtyard so the girls could sit and eat. And since they didn't allow cell phones in school, it was a nice environment with healthy food and conversation. Here is the menu this week. https://mgdining.com/holton-arms/menus/

So give me a break on the "must eat on the floor to get a high math class" crap.

How is a burger and fries that great? Especially for what they charge?

As a public school parent, I have no reason to fight this, but even at full price tuition, getting warm breakfast, lunch, snacks, and uniforms would save me A LOT of money, headaches, and time. I absolutely hate shopping and packing lunches as a working mom and I know food is going to waste. It is a lot of money and wasted time each week. And then the clothes. I would do anything for public school to have uniforms.

And I was just curious about the menus so I googled Holton lunches and this came up. So I am guessing you can slam them for one burger options but the menus looks amazing and this is article kinda shows how important it is to the school. https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/02/29/washington-dc-cafeteria-meals-school-lunches-photos/

[Anonymous]

Is there any reason, the schools don't have larger courtyards or more tables outside then. That could not possibly cost that much to offer outside seating so kids don't have to sit in hallways.

And I think eating on the floor where kids walk in and out of the bathrooms, pee on the floor and walk out is not the best place to put your food down and eat it. And I can't imagine the pest issues with food/trash all over the place.

[Anonymous]

Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

?

The kids don't eat
The kids leave campus anyway
The cafeteria can supply enough food for them

What

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

?

The kids don't eat
The kids leave campus anyway
The cafeteria can supply enough food for them

What

All of the high schools do it this way, and have been doing it this way for years. What do you know that none of the administrators at all of these high schools know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

?

The kids don't eat
The kids leave campus anyway
The cafeteria can supply enough food for them

What

All of the high schools do it this way, and have been doing it this way for years. What do you know that none of the administrators at all of these high schools know?

You think the administrators care if the students eat or not?

The OP asked why some schools you can not even leave campus or delivery food and claim it as security reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

?

The kids don't eat
The kids leave campus anyway
The cafeteria can supply enough food for them

What

All of the high schools do it this way, and have been doing it this way for years. What do you know that none of the administrators at all of these high schools know?

You think the administrators care if the students eat or not?

The OP asked why some schools you can not even leave campus or delivery food and claim it as security reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

It’s probably the admin’s lack of interest at the schools that don’t have open campus. They don’t want to have to deal with students leaving the cafeteria at lunch. Security is the excuse. If parents and students push for open campus in terms of parity with other MCPS schools, then it may happen. But it will take a lot of effort. (FCPS high schools keep all of their students indoors in cramped cafeterias at lunch. Seniors in some cases have the privilege of using enclosed courtyards. So MCPS schools have it better than FCPS.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids really sit on the floor to eat??!?

Where are the cafeteria tables?

The cafeteria might have space for like 200 kids, if that. What is a school of 2000 going to do, have 10 lunches? Of course kids eat elsewhere. I ate sitting on the floor in the hallway with my friends at RMHS 20 years ago, with one open lunch for everyone, and we thought it was absolutely fine.

Eww that is nasty af

I guess large overcrowding schools are no big deal here. We had grade level lunches and there were tables for everyone. Definitely looking into private schools for middle and high school.

That’s rich. Good luck with that. But, if you want the slow math track and dumb down your kids, private is the way to go.

What makes you believe private schools have slow math tracks?

To feel better knowing that they paid a crap ton of money in real estate to go to a public school that is sub par. Even if you are in excelerated in math, there is little to no writing and no real good teaching at MCPS. And before you bash, yes my kids go here and yes we have moved twice. From Montgomery County, PA to Howard County PA to here. And so far MCPS is by far the worst of the public schools. And yes, the overfilling of kids and lack of nutrition for them is appalling.

Not our experience. Lots of writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus lunch has worked for decades in many Montgomery County, Arlington, and DC public schools. It started in the late 60s and early 70s as students gained more freedom from then overbearing school administrations. MCPS, APS, and DCPS kept the open campus lunch policies in place because they worked so well over the years. Local businesses also benefited from the lunchtime rush. Student clubs, extracurriculars, and other activities are scheduled in coordination with the lunch periods. Also, notably, the public high schools with open lunches are within walking distance of homes, fast food joints, and businesses. The campuses also tend to be urban: B-CC, Walter Johnson, the former Blair, Jackson-Reed (Wilson), H-B Woodlawn, W-L, Yorktown, etc. Seniors in APS have open campus driving privileges.

I understand that. But why do other schools say they can NOT leave campus for security reasons, they can't have food delivered, and they need to stay indoors. But yet, those same schools also have small cafeterias and thousands of kids that need to eat at the same time. If no one brought food from home or even 35% of the kids are on FARMS, there is no way you are feeding all of those kids in under 50min

But in reality...

?

The kids don't eat
The kids leave campus anyway
The cafeteria can supply enough food for them

What

All of the high schools do it this way, and have been doing it this way for years. What do you know that none of the administrators at all of these high schools know?

You think the administrators care if the students eat or not?

The OP asked why some schools you can not even leave campus or delivery food and claim it as security reasons.

The security reason is they don’t want to have to get involved in food delivery disputes. Lunch is late and kid can’t pick it up because kid needs to be in class for a test. Someone else picks up a lunch ordered and paid for by a different kid and a fight breaks out. So many issues with food delivery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids really sit on the floor to eat??!?

Where are the cafeteria tables?

The cafeteria might have space for like 200 kids, if that. What is a school of 2000 going to do, have 10 lunches? Of course kids eat elsewhere. I ate sitting on the floor in the hallway with my friends at RMHS 20 years ago, with one open lunch for everyone, and we thought it was absolutely fine.

Eww that is nasty af

I guess large overcrowding schools are no big deal here. We had grade level lunches and there were tables for everyone. Definitely looking into private schools for middle and high school.

That’s rich. Good luck with that. But, if you want the slow math track and dumb down your kids, private is the way to go.

Give me a break on the bashing of private schools. My DD graduated Holton taking multivariable calculus as a senior. She also knew how to write papers, won the state chemathon and got a huge scholarship to her top college.

She had breakfast, lunch, and snacks served at Holton as they were not allowed to bring food from home in. They had enough tables/chairs in the cafe or courtyard so the girls could sit and eat. And since they didn't allow cell phones in school, it was a nice environment with healthy food and conversation. Here is the menu this week. https://mgdining.com/holton-arms/menus/

So give me a break on the "must eat on the floor to get a high math class" crap.

How is a burger and fries that great? Especially for what they charge?

As a public school parent, I have no reason to fight this, but even at full price tuition, getting warm breakfast, lunch, snacks, and uniforms would save me A LOT of money, headaches, and time. I absolutely hate shopping and packing lunches as a working mom and I know food is going to waste. It is a lot of money and wasted time each week. And then the clothes. I would do anything for public school to have uniforms.

And I was just curious about the menus so I googled Holton lunches and this came up. So I am guessing you can slam them for one burger options but the menus looks amazing and this is article kinda shows how important it is to the school. https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/02/29/washington-dc-cafeteria-meals-school-lunches-photos/

Look at the Holton uniforms. The girls skirts are so short it defeats the purpose of them and many pictures the girls look very messy. I would not want uniforms