https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 04:21:32 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924822 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 16:01:57 +0000 bhbee 2924822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh … first school in our district got closed today! An elementary where the county health dept asked them to close because of strong evidence of in-school spread in multiple grades and over 25% positive or quarantined. Have to wonder if lunch is a part of it. We have masks in classes but all eating inside. Yesterday my 9yo said every girl (and some boys) in her math block were quarantined or isolating … this is going to be a long fall! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924821 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 15:00:58 +0000 catgirl 2924821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our elementary school decided to have everyone in the cafeteria this year. They brought back the regular tables. The tables normally hold 8 kids but they are putting 3 or 4 at a table and having them sit in every other seat. One grade at a time in the cafeteria, which means 6 lunch periods. They have assigned seats that they will use every day. Snack is outside but if that is not possible for some reason, the will use the cafeteria. Each grade has an assigned snack time that does not interfere with any lunch periods. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924820 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 14:53:09 +0000 Mama Bird 2924820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids were in different schools last year. In one school everyone ate in the classroom, in the other one kids ate in the cafeteria with plastic partitions. No problems either way. I think both schools will go with the same idea this year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924818 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 11:01:56 +0000 Chuckles 2924818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: Maybe we're in the same area :) Our kiddo's school is also having trouble with bees at lunch. I don't think there's a good solution at this point unless they switch to eating inside. It's just that time of year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924815 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 14:42:32 +0000 Corduroy 2924815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids are outside and I think they're pretty well spaced but a different issue has popped up, yellow jackets. My kids have almost completely stopped eating lunch. I thought it was just my kids being sensitive since my daughter has always been sensitive to bees/wasps. I crossed paths with a noon aid and she was complaining to a friend. I asked her about it and she confirmed it wasn't just my kids. She called lunch a 'screaming mess'. Just one more layer layer of difficulty for lunch time (+ smoke from the wildfires). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924814 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:36:51 +0000 Chuckles 2924814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS's school has been having kids eating outside in the courtyard which is definitely better than eating inside. But they were supposed to have assigned tables at least by class, and yesterday DS said that the tables numbers "blew away" and so the kids just sat wherever they wanted. :shocked: I don't understand why they didn't just direct kids to sit at specific tables. At least it was outside, but it's still ridiculous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924813 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:48:53 +0000 caitcat 2924813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: This sounds like such a great plan! I wish my daughter's school could pull something like this off. I'm encouraged to hear that some places are working this out. </p> <p>I'd been so concerned about lunch in the cafeteria as normal, only to find out that the kids all get breakfast and snack together (in the small classroom of 30 kids...) too. I really feel like the school's plan is to just hope that no kids are sick, because I don't see how it won't spread if they're all eating together inside that much. So far, so good...but it feels like a "hope and prayer" kind of plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924812 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:01:08 +0000 wrkbrk 2924812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caitcat: Yes. Masks are worn all day indoors and out for all kids and staff, and they moved lunch to the playground with just your own cohort (12 kids) so at least everyone is outside when they eat and take their masks off. They will do this in all weather they said! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924585 Sat, 07 Aug 2021 10:43:15 +0000 Chuckles 2924585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just got an email from DS's school. The kids will be masked in school, but they are eating in the cafeteria. They said they will use other spaces and classrooms if needed to spread kids out, but that makes no sense to me. Kids were packed in to the lunchroom pre-covid, so I don't know why the district is making it sound like other spaces are a plan B. Either they are spaced out or not. And the email also said that kids will be told not to talk during lunch as much as possible- who is going to police that? The one good thing is that there will be assigned seating for contact tracing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924584 Sat, 07 Aug 2021 10:18:23 +0000 DesertDreams88 2924584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a teacher, I think many schools should be trying the idea of outdoor lunches as much as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924510 Tue, 03 Aug 2021 10:21:54 +0000 bees_knees 2924510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were in person all of last year (in a rural community with low numbers). Kids masked in the classroom and hallways but ate lunch in the cafeteria with assigned seating for contact tracing. They also ate breakfast at their desks (also assigned seating) I’m not aware of a single school-transmitted case in the elementary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924500 Tue, 03 Aug 2021 09:03:18 +0000 ineebee 2924500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our school had in-person learning most of the year last year, with masks, and they ate lunch in the cafeteria, but they were spaced out - no more than 4 kids at a table. There was almost no in-school Covid transmission! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924484 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:22:35 +0000 Corduroy 2924484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids' school just sent out the lunch plan. "Outdoor spaces will be utilized as much as possible. We will maximize spacing between students and utilize other measures as feasible.". I'm hoping outdoors is feasible for everyone since we generally have good weather. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924480 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 15:57:27 +0000 caitcat 2924480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all for some perspective! I asked our school about it last week and haven't heard anything back...a friend said her school's principal said they were planning on the cafeteria as usual or maybe they'd have kids eat in classrooms to at least be in smaller groups overall. But I have a hunch that many plans are still in flux at this stage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924474 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 08:17:00 +0000 krispi 2924474@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Masks will be required inside at our school, except at lunch, and are optional outside. For lunch, they are spacing kids 3 feet apart and have shields on the tables for when they take their masks off. They are reworking the lunch schedule to have only 1 grade in the cafeteria at a time. They did something similar at the end of last year, and it seemed to work well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924473 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:44:42 +0000 erinbaderin 2924473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids were in school off and on all last year and they did lunches in their classrooms, sitting at their desks. Which, on the one hand, at least isn’t hundreds of kids but on the other hand yes, absolutely undoes wearing a mask the rest of the day. It was a big argument of people pushing for safer schools - indoor dining was closed everywhere but schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924472 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 06:22:29 +0000 Anagram 2924472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caitcat: can you email the principal and ask the plan? Last year our kids were in their public school full day, and they moved tables into the bigger gym, with the clear plexiglass dividers. Kids sat every other chair. </p> <p>That meant that gym was outside the whole year, in all kinds of weather. When it was heavily raining, the gym teachers would do gym inside the individual classrooms, and they’d do fitness videos or dance parties. So there were several “pivots” as the year went on, but the gym was used for lunch the entire school year. </p> <p>I’m not sure how this year will work, but I’m hoping it’s similar. Our kids don’t go back to September so we haven’t see anything regarding this year yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924471 Sun, 01 Aug 2021 19:51:33 +0000 ChitownRo 2924471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sorry about this cafeteria stressor! The last quarter of the year was full day in person here, so they did have some experience with lunch at school. They had the kids stay in their classrooms, at their individual/plexiglass surrounded desks and be quiet during lunch to try to minimize droplets. I think they normally listened to an audiobook. I hope it's the same this next year, at least until they can be vaccinated. Our school also added HEPA filters in each classroom. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924470 Sun, 01 Aug 2021 19:50:16 +0000 catgirl 2924470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When DD's school went back full time at the end of April and the kids started eating lunch at school they completely reworked lunch. They divided the cafeteria in half, to create two lunch spaces, and also used one of our gyms. They got rid of all tables and used individual desks. The desks were spaced six feet apart and all faced the same direction. Two of the spaces could fit two classes and one space could fit three classes. Kids weren't allowed to talk at all, so they played music for them. It meant having 7 lunch periods, which was obviously not ideal time wise. But it all worked out. </p> <p>For snacks, they ate outside whenever possible but if they had to be inside they were spaced out at their desks with plexiglass shields. Again, no talking. But they watched 15 minutes of a PBS show. </p> <p>We haven't heard anything about this upcoming school year yet. So no idea what lunch will look like. Or if masks will be required. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924469 Sun, 01 Aug 2021 12:59:41 +0000 caitcat 2924469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: My sister lives in TX and she's so stressed about the lack of mask requirements too...I feel for y'all so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924468 Sun, 01 Aug 2021 07:54:00 +0000 bhbee 2924468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think this year our school will do nothing. Mask mandates are against the law here in TX 🙄 so we won’t have many precautions in general ..: but I will say that they ate in the cafeteria last year (with masks in classrooms) and it seemed to be ok, most cases came from behavior outside school. With delta being more contagious I don’t know, but perhaps the limited time (they have a pretty short lunch) helped. </p> <p>I totally feel where you are coming from though. We did virtual + some homeschool all of last year but now virtual is gone. I don’t want to commit to true homeschool, and I think they need normal school after a year off, but it’s pretty scary to throw them back in knowing only some will wear masks and we’re in a red county. I know two families whose preschoolers got it from school exposure and gave it to the rest of the family even with vaccinated parents! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-at-school#post-2924467 Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:44:50 +0000 caitcat 2924467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do your kids' schools have any covid precautions in place for lunchtime? My daughter's elementary school will require masks through the day (and I'm feeling so grateful for that), but it sounds like their plan is to eat lunch in the cafeteria as normal...and obviously, kids won't wear masks while eating. And it's a lot of kids in tight quarters. </p> <p>There's this part of me that feels like this undoes the safety I'm feeling from wearing masks through the rest of the day...I totally understand the logistical nightmare of spacing out kids when a school is at full capacity, so I empathize with the school's dilemma and realize there's not a whole lot that can be done. I guess I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing? Is this safer than I'm feeling and is working out elsewhere? We homeschooled last year and our schools were mainly virtual or a hybrid in the spring, so I'm a little out of touch with how meals at school were handled when all kids are back. How are your schools handling lunchtime? </p>