Outdoor lunch?

[Anonymous]

SWS switched to outdoor lunch.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids classes at ITDS have had outdoor lunch as well. Not sure what the plan will be with bad weather but so far so good.

[Anonymous]

Our DC’s 5th grade teacher at Shepherd will be taking the class outdoors for lunch, science, and social studies. The rest of the school will be eating in their classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Im glad many ES in Ward 3 are able to operationalize outdoor lunch. Our ES charter is starting off with indoor lunch and says they’ll work to move it outdoors. I’m doubtful. I’d appreciate anyone with outdoor lunch sharing their school’s logistical approach so we can get some ideas to take back them back to our charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deal is doing indoor cafeteria lunch in 20-minute shifts, with assigned seats. I know it is very difficult to cope with the number of kid that they have. But this seems both miserable AND unsafe. I wish they would just use the very large park across the street, where everyone could eat outside. Probably they can't, because they are expected to surveil all 1200 kids and prevent them from running away at all times. In my day (the olden days), middle and high schoolers were just expected to not run away during lunch and did not have to be monitored every second of the day.

Tonight they confirmed they are working on an outdoor lunch option to be relayed in further detail this week which is positive...

Principal foreshadowed that they may be asking PTA and families for supplies (blankets, etc.) to help make it happen. It is clearly a priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deal is doing indoor cafeteria lunch in 20-minute shifts, with assigned seats. I know it is very difficult to cope with the number of kid that they have. But this seems both miserable AND unsafe. I wish they would just use the very large park across the street, where everyone could eat outside. Probably they can't, because they are expected to surveil all 1200 kids and prevent them from running away at all times. In my day (the olden days), middle and high schoolers were just expected to not run away during lunch and did not have to be monitored every second of the day.

Tonight they confirmed they are working on an outdoor lunch option to be relayed in further detail this week which is positive...

Principal foreshadowed that they may be asking PTA and families for supplies (blankets, etc.) to help make it happen. It is clearly a priority.

8th grader said they were told at orientation yesterday that lunch would be outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deal is doing indoor cafeteria lunch in 20-minute shifts, with assigned seats. I know it is very difficult to cope with the number of kid that they have. But this seems both miserable AND unsafe. I wish they would just use the very large park across the street, where everyone could eat outside. Probably they can't, because they are expected to surveil all 1200 kids and prevent them from running away at all times. In my day (the olden days), middle and high schoolers were just expected to not run away during lunch and did not have to be monitored every second of the day.

Tonight they confirmed they are working on an outdoor lunch option to be relayed in further detail this week which is positive...

Principal foreshadowed that they may be asking PTA and families for supplies (blankets, etc.) to help make it happen. It is clearly a priority.

Seems like extra garbage cans would be good. Blankets seem dumb — who is going to wash them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both of my kids classes at ITDS have had outdoor lunch as well. Not sure what the plan will be with bad weather but so far so good.

Yes they’ve said in emails and that meeting last week that their intention is to have lunch outside as much as possible. My kid said they had some classes and meetings outside too. i gotta start doing sunscreen and bug spray before school!

[Anonymous]

At Shepherd, I know there is a move underway to try and offer more outdoor lunch space, but DCPS hasn’t delivered all the pieces for the outdoor picnic tables and benches. Hopefully the moment they are in, there will be a call out asking for volunteers to build them quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both of my kids classes at ITDS have had outdoor lunch as well. Not sure what the plan will be with bad weather but so far so good.

Other than thunder/lightening and ice storms (very rare here), there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.

DCPS should however start encouraging community drives for proper winter gear. I have a ton I'll be donating to our pre-K classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of my kids classes at ITDS have had outdoor lunch as well. Not sure what the plan will be with bad weather but so far so good.

Other than thunder/lightening and ice storms (very rare here), there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.

DCPS should however start encouraging community drives for proper winter gear. I have a ton I'll be donating to our pre-K classroom.

I am with all of you who want outdoor lunch for your kids as much as is feasible. But please, please understand that in your community, there are probably also parent concerned about outdoor lunch because their kids have asthma, allergies, or other weather/outdoor affected health concerns. NONE of the decisions schools are making and implementing right now are simple or “universal.” And the bad gear argument really puts a bow on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deal is doing indoor cafeteria lunch in 20-minute shifts, with assigned seats. I know it is very difficult to cope with the number of kid that they have. But this seems both miserable AND unsafe. I wish they would just use the very large park across the street, where everyone could eat outside. Probably they can't, because they are expected to surveil all 1200 kids and prevent them from running away at all times. In my day (the olden days), middle and high schoolers were just expected to not run away during lunch and did not have to be monitored every second of the day.

Tonight they confirmed they are working on an outdoor lunch option to be relayed in further detail this week which is positive...

Principal foreshadowed that they may be asking PTA and families for supplies (blankets, etc.) to help make it happen. It is clearly a priority.

8th grader said they were told at orientation yesterday that lunch would be outdoors.

This..have parents sign waivers . If a kid is biologically incapable of not running away, they sit next to the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Sojourner Truth is continuing to do all meals outside (they offered in person for most of last school year and did it then too). Picnic tables in courtyard, masks required until they are seated and actively eating/drinking.