The School Lunchroom

by Nightingale

In my opinion, some changes need to be made to the lunchroom in order to make sure students are safe. (This is my opinion report on lunchtime in the cafetorium.) There are cardboard barriers that are at every lunch table at each designated seat. The Center for Disease Control is a health organization that informs us on the latest COVID updates to keep us safe. The barriers are not following the CDC’s recommendations for COVID spreading in the air. They are filthy because they cannot be cleaned and they are unsafe because they prevent the air from moving around the room. The barriers are doing the opposite of keeping us safe. Also, they are making it harder to see friends so people lean in which makes their faces even closer instead of farther.

There are reusable rags that kids are expected to use to clean up their spot. Even though COVID mostly spreads through the air, the rags are unnecessarily unsanitary and even have food on them. Cold and flu season means that other germs are a concern as well. Lunch spots are also frequently left uncleaned. The school is giving too much responsibility to elementary school students during a pandemic.

The children are also too close together because they are only three feet apart. The CDC recommends that unmasked children should be 6 feet apart in the lunchroom. I hear constant talking. The barriers are making it harder to see friends so people lean into the spaces in between the barriers. This leaves even less space between kids. Kids are not listening to adults, which is unbelievable. I have not seen the principal or superintendent watch my lunch period to check in on kids or their behavior. Considering all of these facts, we are NOT SAFE in the lunch room.