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 Lunch Time Procedures 
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:34 pm
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Location: Sawmills Accelerated School
Our teachers voted to have 15 minutes of silence for the first half of the lunchroom period. I was not in favor of this decision. In my opinion, students need time to relax and socialize with their friends. Every minute of their day is filled with reading, writing, math, etc... They have so little time to interact with one another. I was wondering if any other schools have a similar lunch time procedure and how have your children responded?

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Nancy Mitchell


Mon Apr 05, 2004 6:33 pm
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:32 pm
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Location: Sherrills Ford Elem.
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We used to have a 10 minute rule. It sure did help the noise level in the cafeteria. I think the kids focus more on eating when they aren't talking. My students have a real hard time using a quiet, normal speaking voice. They prefer to shout across tables and such. The cafeteria gets so loud the teachers have to raise their voice at their own table to be heard by one another. I certainly can appreciate both sides. If the rule sticks, just make sure they have an opportunity in class or during activity time daily to talk. I allow talking during some seat work because I use a lot of partner, peer tutoring, and small group activities.

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Karen Darden


Mon Apr 05, 2004 7:58 pm
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Location: Bethlehem Elementary
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I agree with Karen. We have ten minutes too, and that certainly helps cut down on cafeteria noise. The students in my class have recess and snack each day to talk, as well as, the last part of lunch. And that doesn't include any talk time they have in class. I think it has helped their eating and table manners.

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Shelly Cain


Mon Apr 05, 2004 9:19 pm
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Location: Whitnel Elementary
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We have ten to fifteen minutes of silent time when they sit down with the trays. I have found that this helps them eat more. If they are talking the whole time, then they usually weren't eating much of their lunch. My students don't seem to mind it either. Some teachers have their own rule that the students cannot talk at all until they finish eating. I like having the silent time because it gives me the chance to eat as well.

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Meredith Clark


Tue Apr 06, 2004 7:58 am
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Location: West Lenoir School of Technology
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My school does not have any type of silent time rule. However, many teachers do make the students who are not on "green card" take the entire lunch period as silent. I do this also. I feel that my students are offered plenty of time to talk and interact throughout the day. If they choose to talk when they are supposed to be quiet then, they are quiet when it is time to talk. I know that this may sound harsh, but it works for our school and very rarely do I ever have anyone who has to have silent lunch.

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Amy Roop


Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:33 am
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Location: Mountain View Elementary
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At our school, teachers have duty free lunch so I am not in there at all times everyday. However we used to have cards that they flipped and timmers and when they were on red they could not talk and the timmer went off they flipped to yellow and they could whisper, however if the table got too loud then they went back to red. The teacher assistants say it gets too loud, however I am understaning both sides here, this is one time that they truly get to socialize without any "school structure" to the converstaions. Many times I let mine eat in the room or outside for that reason!

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Ashley Murray


Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:24 am
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Location: Bethlehem Elem.-Alexander Co.
At our school we have red and green cups. The red cup signals 10 minutes of eating and no talking. Then the red cup is replaced by the green cup. I was unsure of how I felt at first, but I have noticed that my students eat more of their lunch instead of cramming it down when it is time to get up.

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Dawn Yount


Thu Apr 08, 2004 7:14 am
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Location: Oak Hill School
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This year we started using the red & green cups. Like most cafeterias, the acoustics in ours is unbearable. When the kids are using their normal speaking voices it sounds as if they are shouting. I just don't think the red & green cups are effective.

It would be great to have a duty free lunch, but at our school it will never happen, therefore, we must bear the noise and get through our lunch. I believe that children need to have some down time too. We just need to find a way to deal with the acoustics problem that cafeterias seem to have.

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Janie Rickman


Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:38 am
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Location: Mountain View ELementary
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Our students have a 10-minute silent lunch period. This allows the children to eat and socialize for the 20 or so minutes afterwards. It is monitored by the TA's. On each table are colored squares. Red squares for no talking and yellow for talking. Also, on each table is a timer. The timer is one of those goo (sp.?) hour glasses. The goo (sp. ?) has to make it to the bottom before a TA turns the colored square over. It takes the goo ABOUT 6-8 miuntes to run through. The noise level has improved and more importantly, the children are eating.

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Renee Barkley


Sat Apr 10, 2004 9:36 pm
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