Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says they're bad, but most of them are ok to me. I work in ES and have learned which ones to avoid. We don't qualify for free lunch, but this year all kids were eligible. I made my kids either pack their own lunch or get school lunch, and they opted for school lunch almost every day. Saved me a lot of hassle and I think it's good for kids to try new foods and know that this is what is being served and just eat it.

How many kids buy vs. pack varies by school. Where I teach its about 75% school lunch.

I agree that school lunch is easier, but I disagree about trying ‘new foods’. It’s a pretty standard rotation of the same several items in MCPS. It’s not like they’re serving sushi and injera. (Which is fine - just commenting that school lunch won’t expand your kid’s palate.)

New as in different than what they're used to. This summer there was some kind of pizza pocket that was weird to a lot of the kids. But eventually, they ate it because that's what's for lunch. My own kids tended to get bratty about food and wanting it a certain way, or choosing something and then trying to choose something else after it had been served. A year of school lunches was a good experience for our family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have always found the food gross. Super sweet yogurt. pancakes and syrup all over my desks since the kids think it is ok to smear on the tables and then use a pancake to wipe it up before putting in their mouths. Arguments with kids about cleaning up or not throwing food/drinks. Kids farting in class during or after they eat. Kids stealing extra food so that late arrivals have nothing to eat. Just a huge sense of entitlement from some kids who have had free food all their life and accept no responsibility.

I basically refuse to work in schools where teachers have have students eat in their rooms. Too stressful to deal with all.

It’s not a free food all their lives thing. A few years ago, I taught at a very expensive camp for gifted and talented kids. They left the cafeteria a disaster every day.

Not sure what your point is? Gifted and talented kids can feel ‘entitled’ just like everyone else.

When you make things ‘free’, they are inherently worth less. And kids (and adults) alike are more prone to wasting the food. There is an insane amount of food waste in Montgomery County.

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have always found the food gross. Super sweet yogurt. pancakes and syrup all over my desks since the kids think it is ok to smear on the tables and then use a pancake to wipe it up before putting in their mouths. Arguments with kids about cleaning up or not throwing food/drinks. Kids farting in class during or after they eat. Kids stealing extra food so that late arrivals have nothing to eat. Just a huge sense of entitlement from some kids who have had free food all their life and accept no responsibility.

I basically refuse to work in schools where teachers have have students eat in their rooms. Too stressful to deal with all.

It’s not a free food all their lives thing. A few years ago, I taught at a very expensive camp for gifted and talented kids. They left the cafeteria a disaster every day.

Anonymous wrote:When school starts in fall, anyone knows how do kids buy their lunch? Line up during lunchtime or pre-order from their home classroom? Lunch is only 30 min, and I am concerned that there won't be time to buy lunch and eat. And, are classroom going to sit together to eat lunch, or kids sit randomly? Well, even mask is not required, but we are still during covid time. I wonder what will be the policy in the fall.

Mine is a rising 1st grader, and he got free lunch or sometimes pack lunch. He has not bought any lunch yet, and he probably does not know how to.

I got email that parents can put money into account to pay school fees, is that also for pay lunch fee?

It varies from school to school but at the school where I worked it's like this:

The kids tell their teachers in the morning if they are eating hot lunch or lunch from home. Typically kids eat with their class. I think there are separate tables for kids who have severe allergies or in the event a kid is severely misbehaving and needs to sit by themself.

When the students order hot lunch they are called up by class to pick out their food and then they type in their student number into a keypad and there are staff in hand to help. I think the lunchroom staff have all the names and their id numbers on cards so they pass them out to the kids who are eating hot lunch lunch (The kids have the same student ID number throughout their years at school. )

I think you can put money on your kid's lunch account.

I agree that 30 minutes isn't much time which is why I prefer to pack lunches, however my daughter really liked school lunch so much. She wasn't concerned about the lack of time to eat lunch, I think the staff are really good about getting kids through the line quickly and varying which class goes first so it wasn't a big issue. Now that it's not free I think I'm going to let her order 2 days a week

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says they're bad, but most of them are ok to me. I work in ES and have learned which ones to avoid. We don't qualify for free lunch, but this year all kids were eligible. I made my kids either pack their own lunch or get school lunch, and they opted for school lunch almost every day. Saved me a lot of hassle and I think it's good for kids to try new foods and know that this is what is being served and just eat it.

How many kids buy vs. pack varies by school. Where I teach its about 75% school lunch.

I agree that school lunch is easier, but I disagree about trying ‘new foods’. It’s a pretty standard rotation of the same several items in MCPS. It’s not like they’re serving sushi and injera. (Which is fine - just commenting that school lunch won’t expand your kid’s palate.)

Everyone says they're bad, but most of them are ok to me. I work in ES and have learned which ones to avoid. We don't qualify for free lunch, but this year all kids were eligible. I made my kids either pack their own lunch or get school lunch, and they opted for school lunch almost every day. Saved me a lot of hassle and I think it's good for kids to try new foods and know that this is what is being served and just eat it.

How many kids buy vs. pack varies by school. Where I teach its about 75% school lunch.

Anonymous wrote:My ds will star k this fall and he qualified for free meals. He is my first to go go us public school (I’m not from us) so I do not have experience with it. Are the meals healthyish? I was planning to pack his lunch as he is a picky but healthy eater. But I also like the option of not packing the lunch. Do kids predominately eat school food or bring it from home?

pizza, packaged apple slices, chicken fingers, etc it's not great by any means but both my kids liked buying school lunch sometimes

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have always found the food gross. Super sweet yogurt. pancakes and syrup all over my desks since the kids think it is ok to smear on the tables and then use a pancake to wipe it up before putting in their mouths. Arguments with kids about cleaning up or not throwing food/drinks. Kids farting in class during or after they eat. Kids stealing extra food so that late arrivals have nothing to eat. Just a huge sense of entitlement from some kids who have had free food all their life and accept no responsibility.

I basically refuse to work in schools where teachers have have students eat in their rooms. Too stressful to deal with all.

So glad our schools doesn’t do breakfast in the classroom. I hate that also. It’s a disaster.

My kids are in HS now and pack their own lunch, but in ES, both would buy lunch only on pizza and French toast days. You can see the menu ahead of time and have your child pick and choose what they will eat and what they won't.

As a teacher I have always found the food gross. Super sweet yogurt. pancakes and syrup all over my desks since the kids think it is ok to smear on the tables and then use a pancake to wipe it up before putting in their mouths. Arguments with kids about cleaning up or not throwing food/drinks. Kids farting in class during or after they eat. Kids stealing extra food so that late arrivals have nothing to eat. Just a huge sense of entitlement from some kids who have had free food all their life and accept no responsibility.

I basically refuse to work in schools where teachers have have students eat in their rooms. Too stressful to deal with all.

Since last it was free for anybody, I have no idea what the cost for a lunch is. Is it around 3 dollars or 6 dollars? If 6 dollars, I will make a sandwich for my first grader. Anybody know?

They were talking at a recent board meeting about healthier options coming, see the later slides here:

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CF8HQG489299/$file/School%20Meals%20at%20a%20Glance%20220607%20PPT.pdf

It’s not good food nor is it tasty. My kids say it’s gross.

It’s terrible. All sugar.

It’s like really cheap buffet quality food, on a good day.