I'm a noon supervisor at a local elementary school, since it was fun to do that when my kids were there. Now, my kids have both moved on, but I'm still there! LOL! yeah, I just bonded with other kids that were there and I do have my little buddies!

Anyway, the principal wanted the kids to have 5 minutes of quiet time everyday at lunch, to encourage some of them to eat more. Apparently, the noise was bothering some of the kids. So, that was bad enough, even though, I think lunch should be a break from the activities of the morning and they should be allowed to talk to their friends. Then she started coming in to teach them sign language. This ends up going longer than the 5 minute time and many kids are practicing the sign language, instead of eating.

I really have no objection to kids learning sign language. My gripe is that the kids have spent all morning being quiet and learning stuff. Why do they have to do it at lunch, too?

Today, she told one of the first grade tables that if they weren't quiet, they were going to have to put their heads down. Now, how are they supposed to eat with their heads down. It didn't actually happen, though. Now, after being quiet all morning, why do they have to be quiet and listen to a teacher at lunchtime, too? I don't get it!

One day, she told the 5th graders that if she saw them being disrespectful of the sign language, she was going to write discipline slips! I thought she should start writing one up for me, because I was being very disrespectful in my head.

One of my co-workers was getting feedback from parents at a basketball game. Some of the parents didn't like it, and told them to talk to the principal. I don't know if anyone has, or not.

My own children are really glad they don't go there anymore, because they would have hated the quiet time. The 5th graders don't like it and tried to petition that it be stopped, but nothing happened.

I guess it would be less irritating if I didn't have to listen to the same lesson, three different times, for that matter! Once, for each lunch period. Yikes. Yesterday was nice, because the principal must have had a meeting and wasn't there.

I guess I would find it hard to practice signing and eating lunch at the same time!

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 05:31 pm:

That is unbelievable. I swear, it is getting worse and worse for these poor kids.

Not only are their recesses being slowly taken away, but fun activities, and now lunch time, too?

These people wonder why there are discipline problems and why children won't sit still or be quiet in class, but it is because there is no time or place for release of all that energy children have.

Lunchtime is definitely no time for quiet time or learning. I would definitely be complaining to the principal and insisting that my child not have to participate. More parents need to get involved and realize that these children need their time to socialize and have a much needed break.

By Vicki on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 06:09 pm:

Well, I can see both sides of this. I have been in the cafateria at lunch time and I think allot of kids talk more than they eat. I have heard of schools having a 10 minute silent time during lunch and I think it is a great idea. Yes, the kids have been quiet all morning, but they also need to eat. At our school lunch is set aside as 30 minutes and then they get 30 minutes outside for recess. But, they will start dismissing tables as early as 20 minutes if the kids are done eating. Once those first kids are dimsissed to go outside, it is a chain reaction. All the kids want to go out then and sooo much lunch ends up in the trash it isn't even funny. I would be tickled pink if the kids had to stay in the cafateria for the full 30 minutes and 10 of those had to be quiet and eating time. I don't think the entire 30 minutes should be silent, but 10 minutes...I think much more lunch would actually be eaten!!

By Vicki on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 06:10 pm:

oops, forgot to add that I think learning sign language is a silly idea for lunch time. Your right, how can you eat if your using your hands for talking!!

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 06:46 pm:

I also do "Lunch Bunch" at my DK's school. Thankfully, they believe kids should be able to socialize while eating. We keep it down to a dull roar.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 12:06 am:

Wow, these kids get about 20 minutes to eat and only 15 minutes outside and since it's the bundling-up season, by the time they get outside, it's probably only 10 minutes to play. (Some kids are sooooo slow to get ready to go outside. Some just fly into their winter clothes and race outside!)

I don't really object to the quiet time that much. I just don't think that sign language had to be added. We have the same problem, that people were probably talking too much and not eating, too.

On hamburger days, we sometimes forget to do quiet time. It's a popular entree and we have lots of condiments to hand out, so it gets busy!

By Palmbchprincess on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 02:13 am:

Through middle school, the 5 & 6th graders had one lunch period, and the 7 & 8th graders had another. Teachers would supervise, and there was an 8th grade teacher whom everyone respected (and feared if they didn't know him) who sat over the "upperclassmen" lunch. We had certain periods of silent time, usually if we were acting up, or being rowdy, and we all had to sit at tables according to homeroom. On Fridays we could sit wherever we wanted, and enjoy the company of our friends. I remember it being more lax when we were in the lower grades, 5th graders are still pretty young to be structured all day without break. To have to learn something, especially like sign language, while in lunch is over the top. Having 5 minutes of quiet time isn't too bad, though I can definitely understand why this can be difficult. The funny thing is, teaching them sign language lets them talk during quiet time. A few of the girls I hung out with learned some basic sign so we could all talk when we weren't supposed to in middle school. Can the people who supervise the lunch talk to the principal? Someone needs to speak up, it's just not helpful to the kids to be taking away from their eating and unwinding time.

By Debbie on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 11:14 am:

I also help at my ds's school during lunch. They get 25 minutes for lunch and then 30 minutes for recess. They are allowed to talk, but they do have to keep it at a reasonable level. If they get really loud, we just flicker the lights and they know to quiet down. There are 3 helpers in the lunch room, and we are told to walk around and encourage the kids that are talking too much to eat! Now, they have gotten in trouble a few times and had silent lunch, but that rarely happens. It is usually for really bad behavior. I think the sign language is ridiculous. Especially, since she seems to have a problem with them eating!!