APS Outdoor Lunch Needs to Be Optional

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ES I can see how schools would have everyone doing the same thing -- either indoor or outdoor. There's not enough staff to manage kids at different locations from the same classroom. I'm not worried about my kids getting covid if eating indoors, so wouldn't be upset if the schools moved lunch back inside. However, I actually do like the kids eating lunch outdoors. Maybe a certain temperature threshold needs to be set, no precipitation, no wind over X miles per hour, etc. I'm all for my kids getting more sunshine and fresh air during the day, not concerning covid at all.

APS already has weather parameters for outdoor recess. I'm sure the same holds for eating outside during lunch period.

Our school days above 32 degrees and fair - outdoor lunch
32-45 degrees and poor conditions - indoor lunch
Steady precipitation- indoor lunch

Are you parents taking your cold bag lunch outside to eat when it’s 37 degrees and sunny? Because I’m definitely not and I don’t think my first grader should have to either.

[Anonymous]

We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Properly manage risks? People are dining indoors now (without any distancing requirements) and schools are open...riddle me that. You do understand that COVID risk is age stratified right? If a 65 year old can eat indoors, why can't a 7 year old? That 65 year old, even if triple vaxxed, has a higher risk than the 7 year old. This is all illogical and irrational and so are your arguments that eating indoors last summer somehow made schools close. What a jump.

Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.

There are things we can do to reduce community transmission and you are pushing for the OPPOSITE.

Stop being spiteful and let kids eat outdoors FFS. We've had great weather so not even sure why this is a complaint.

COVID will be here forever, and there are vaccines available. Putting onerous burdens on only kids is absolutely absurd. Considering how effective vaccines are, counting cases at this point is so ridiculous.

But if people want to do these things on their own, have at it. It's the point though that you're forcing your own very warped view of morality down our kids' throats. Avoidance of a virus that will be here for the rest of our lives at all costs is a few Arlingtonian's version of bible-thumping, evangelical Christianity (both think they must force them on other people, whether they want it or not).

Gosh, is your kid really such a privileged snowflake that he or she can't eat outside in dry mid Atlantic weather? You consider being outside when it's in the 40s to be "onerous"? Get some perspective.

DP, but... why? There's no reason to keep doing it when it's uncomfortable and we have vaccines.

Have you ever been in an elementary school cafeteria? It's one of the most uncomfortable places on the planet. Many kids struggle with the noise and the smell and the lack of personal space.

Outdoor lunch is more comfortable for the vast majority of kids. They did indoor lunch because it was cheaper staffing wise. Now covid has led something else, but arguing that we should go back to indoor lunch because it's more comfortable? It's like you're from another planet

Yup. My kid has been loving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ES I can see how schools would have everyone doing the same thing -- either indoor or outdoor. There's not enough staff to manage kids at different locations from the same classroom. I'm not worried about my kids getting covid if eating indoors, so wouldn't be upset if the schools moved lunch back inside. However, I actually do like the kids eating lunch outdoors. Maybe a certain temperature threshold needs to be set, no precipitation, no wind over X miles per hour, etc. I'm all for my kids getting more sunshine and fresh air during the day, not concerning covid at all.

APS already has weather parameters for outdoor recess. I'm sure the same holds for eating outside during lunch period.

Our school days above 32 degrees and fair - outdoor lunch
32-45 degrees and poor conditions - indoor lunch
Steady precipitation- indoor lunch

Are you parents taking your cold bag lunch outside to eat when it’s 37 degrees and sunny? Because I’m definitely not and I don’t think my first grader should have to either.

Are you taking your cold bag lunch inside to eat elbow with people you don't choose to sit with, in a room so loud you can't hear yourself think that is full of food smells? I'm a teacher. I'd 100% choose to eat outside over the cafeteria with the kids.

[Anonymous]

My kids love eating outside even in the cold. I hope they keep it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ES I can see how schools would have everyone doing the same thing -- either indoor or outdoor. There's not enough staff to manage kids at different locations from the same classroom. I'm not worried about my kids getting covid if eating indoors, so wouldn't be upset if the schools moved lunch back inside. However, I actually do like the kids eating lunch outdoors. Maybe a certain temperature threshold needs to be set, no precipitation, no wind over X miles per hour, etc. I'm all for my kids getting more sunshine and fresh air during the day, not concerning covid at all.

APS already has weather parameters for outdoor recess. I'm sure the same holds for eating outside during lunch period.

Our school days above 32 degrees and fair - outdoor lunch
32-45 degrees and poor conditions - indoor lunch
Steady precipitation- indoor lunch

Are you parents taking your cold bag lunch outside to eat when it’s 37 degrees and sunny? Because I’m definitely not and I don’t think my first grader should have to either.

We know very well these parents aren't going outside to eat. The teachers aren't either. I just took out the trash at 40 and froze.

This has reached the level of paranoid hysteria if you're worried about your vaccinated kids eating indoors for a virus that will be here forever. It's well time for you to seek out mental help quickly. You're going to need to come to terms with the fact that COVID will be here forever. And then you will see the absolute futility of making kids eat outside at 32 degrees, when most of them are going to eat indoors with their parents at restaurants anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's winter time, vaccines are widely available for kids, and families having been dining indoors at restaurants since June 2020, but our kids are forced to eat outside at APS like prisoners. It's really beyond absurd.

My family dines in at family restaurants throughout Arlington, and we often see other APS families (and say hi). The vast majority of families are doing indoor playdates and birthday parties. Why is the burden being put on the least at risk members of this society (kids)? This charade has to stop.

And before you say "that's why we have cases" - COVID is never going away!! Look at Portugal, with 90%+ of people vaccinated. Most of Florida does none of these things and has the least amount of cases in the country right now. There are seasonal surges and these types of nonpharmaceutical interventions don't stop the spread of a highly transmissible virus, as is obvious. And what is the point of doing these procedures?

These Arlington COVID extremists are essentially saying our kids have to do these mitigation methods the rest of our lives, but they can stop when they become adults. There's 0 logic to this disparate (mis-) treatment of children. And newsflash - everyone will get be exposed to COVID repeatedly in their lifetime. Everyone.

This policy is simply appealing only to the most COVID extreme in Arlington. As Anthony Fauci is making clear, COVID will not be eradicated. If you're that concerned about your child getting a case of COVID (which almost everyone will in their lifetime) that you only "feel" safe if they're eating in "light rain" or with frozen hands outdoors, then you're free to have your child eat outside. But the rest of our children need to be allowed to continue doing exactly what the law allows in every other part of society and most are already doing every weekend with friends and family - eating indoors.

I want to be sympathetic to you BUT you were one of these people for far too long so nope. You can be proud of what your hysteria got you and your child. You reap what you sow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

Right like the people afraid of their kids going outside aren’t a crazy minority?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

It is a new religion, with Ventilation Woman and Lunch Petitioner as the 2 youth leaders. Kids must sit in the 35 degree cold and eat with frozen hands to atone for the non-COVIDian sinner adults in society, sitting inside the warm restaurant and returning to normal (while the moral and righteous COVIDian has not eaten inside a restaurant since February 2020). The kids must be forced to practice the COVIDian religious rituals to bring Zero COVID/COVID eradication (which isn't possible - COVID isn't ever going away), just like Scientologists doing course after course to work up the Bridge to Total Freedom. Maybe we can get a statute of the virus too in front of every outdoor eating area for the kids to face while they eat their lunch (with fingers they can't feel in the cold weather).

This is the only way to teach the kids the morals to not be like the dirty viral spreaders in society (like the majority of their parents), who eat inside restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

It is a new religion, with Ventilation Woman and Lunch Petitioner as the 2 youth leaders. Kids must sit in the 35 degree cold and eat with frozen hands to atone for the non-COVIDian sinner adults in society, sitting inside the warm restaurant and returning to normal (while the moral and righteous COVIDian has not eaten inside a restaurant since February 2020). The kids must be forced to practice the COVIDian religious rituals to bring Zero COVID/COVID eradication (which isn't possible - COVID isn't ever going away), just like Scientologists doing course after course to work up the Bridge to Total Freedom. Maybe we can get a statute of the virus too in front of every outdoor eating area for the kids to face while they eat their lunch (with fingers they can't feel in the cold weather).

This is the only way to teach the kids the morals to not be like the dirty viral spreaders in society (like the majority of their parents), who eat inside restaurants.

You are fcked in the head.

If it’s really cold, the kids eat inside. On the nicer days, they can eat outside and get extra recess time - it’s great for them.

[Anonymous]

My child reports that kids must sit on the blacktop for the lunch period and not play until lunch is over. No extra recess. Just cold sitting. I’m guessing this stuff really varies by school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

Right like the people afraid of their kids going outside aren’t a crazy minority?

No one is afraid of going outside. We’re saying it’s ridiculous to force kids to eat outside when it’s cold and everyone is vaccinated. Recess is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do not have the staffing to make it optional. All kids need to eat inside or all outside. Not enough staff to add another location to eat.

Okay. Good rule that November through end of March should be indoors. We can't cater to the crazy minority who don't eat inside at restaurants.

The COVIDian cautious can organize their volunteer drive to staff outdoor lunch in the 35 degree weather for their children (like crazy people). These are rituals taking on way more and more of a religious level significance, like Muslims only eating while the sun is set during Ramadan and Jewish people fasting on Yom Kippur.

Right like the people afraid of their kids going outside aren’t a crazy minority?

Who said afraid? It's about comfort. I don't want to eat outside in 40 degrees. And sitting on a cold blacktop? It's just not comfortable. No one is afraid expect the crazies afraid to eat inside.

[Anonymous]

The kids like eating outside at our ES. The issue is when a child was sent to school with no jacket/hat or is wearing shorts or short sleeves. I saw all of these examples today and it was 40 degrees. Parents need to make sure their children are appropriately dressed for school - and that includes recess and outdoor lunch.