By Jackie Pollack
Earlier in the week, I had a virtual meeting with Ms. GM and Mr. Samuelson to discuss the new regulations in regard to lunch. Given the unusual circumstances, lunch looks a bit different this year.
First and foremost, Mr. Samuelson emphasized that the administration built the entire reopening on the premise that they have to keep the students and staff safe. Students are fortunate to be attending school again, even though the changes take some getting used to.
The circular tables that used to seat six students in the cafeteria have been replaced with individual student desks in order to socially distance everyone. To avoid having students breathe in each other’s faces, the tables are lined in rows facing one direction. The positioning of the tables are marked on the floor with blue tape, so they can be replaced to their “spots” if the desks shift during the day.
The process of buying lunch is orderly and organized. The one-way entrance to the food section of the cafeteria begins on the high school side and exits towards the science side. Markings of tape on the ground indicate where students should stand in line.
As of now, cafeteria lunches are free as long as students take a milk carton and a piece of fruit. The cafeteria still has hot food, and everything is prepackaged. Ms. GM noted that even the apples are individually wrapped!
Ms. GM said, “It is encouraged to get lunch from school, rather than bringing from home because you can only go to your locker at the start and end of the day.”
The same amount of staff as usual will be present in the cafeteria for lunch duty. Since there is a smaller capacity of students allowed in the lunchroom than in previous years, the student to staff ratio has improved.
There are also staff members present in the quad, where many students are choosing to eat on nice days. Students may sit within the painted squares on the grass or on a bench (one person per bench). Signs are posted in the quad indicating where people are allowed to sit.
The quad is divided into two sections with the path from the Maher Gym to the science wing as the “equator.” The high school side is considered to be the side that is closer to the high school, which includes the concrete area that normally holds our annual barbecue. The middle school side is closer to the middle school and contains the more grassy area.
In addition to the quad and cafeteria, the atrium is still available for students to eat in. However, there is limited seating with only one chair per table.
Mr. Samuelson said, “the general rule is that locations have the number of seats that the location can sustain.”
Because safety is of the utmost importance, students who do not have a lunch or free period are unfortunately not allowed to eat in class. Masks must be worn at all times inside the building aside from eating in the cafeteria.
Ms. GM and Mr. Samuelson suggested that students without lunch should first take a look at their schedules to see if every class they are taking is absolutely necessary. Students may eat a quick snack outside during scheduled mask breaks, given that they are socially distant. Also, Ms. GM noticed that some students are stopping by the cafeteria to eat in between classes if the lunchroom is on their way to class.
Students are still permitted to order lunch and leave campus if they are an upperclassmen. Ms. GM personally spoke with the owners of Geordanes, Tony’s, and Capri over the summer to confirm that students can order lunch from these places without using cash. All deliveries must be paid in advance through a credit card or a house account.
Ms. GM and Mr. Samuelson both emphasized that leaving campus is a privilege that can be revoked if students are not responsible.
Mr. Samuelson said, “We insist that the students continue to follow the social safety guidelines on and off campus.”
Though lunch has a new look this year, it is completely manageable and helps keep students and staff safe.
