I know that this issue has been discussed in the past. I'm guilty of just putting it out of my mind instead of doing something about it. My son ran out of lunch money. Of course, I know the "lunch policy." He did not get a vegetable tray and the lunch that he had fixed was taken from him and thrown in the trash. He wasn't allowed to call or to get the $5 from his backpack to pay for lunch. I was upset, but fed him something immediately after school. It's the first time that's ever happened to him and he's in 6th grade. My concern in this issue is how the lunch staff treated him. They were hateful. I've spoken with several other children who have given similar accounts. One little girl was not allowed to put ice in her water or get a pack of dressing for her 4 pieces of lettuce. She had some sweet potatoes on her plate and the lettuce and the cup of water. Why do the lunch staff treat the kids badly because their parents didn't send lunch money. I could not take food from a kid and throw it in the trash even if I hated their parents. Regardless of why the child doesn't have money, he or she sits in a lunchroom full of food, treated like dirt, and hungry. It's not right. What about the kids who NEVER have lunch money. How can our county justify not feeding the kids and letting the lunch staff treat them that way. I talked with some parents and most of them send either an extra lunch or extra lunch money every day for a child that never has money. I'm going to do that too. It doesn't matter why the parents don't send money; a kid sits there hungry in a LUNCHROOM with mean lunchroom ladies acting like it's the kid's fault. Just had to say that. Maybe some of you might send extras for somebody. Maybe some nice lunchroom ladies will read this and jump all over their hateful coworkers.
Yes, children are turned down from getting a lunch if they do not have money. The problem needs to be fixed by the parents, lunchroom staff and administration. We ran across times when it showed that my daughter had no money on her account so she was not fed, but when reviewing my checks and calling them they did find the money mis-posted. I believe my daughter ran into this when she hit middle school so she and her friends decided that if one was turned down going through the line the other kids would share food with that one. I am unsure if the teachers still go through the line with the children but that is where I would start. The teacher should notice if a child does not get food and help. Let the school and teacher know. Hopefully, that person working in the lunchroom was having "one" bad day. Grace
My mom runs a school cafeteria in Florida and this has happened there before too. And do you know what my mother does when a kid never has money and is hungry? She breaks the rules. She gives the child at least a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a milk. She works in a very poor area where most of the kids do not have money for lunch and there have been several occassions(sp?) where she had bought kids lunch from her own money. Several of the lunch ladies have done it too. No child should go through the day hungry and they should never be treated like dirt. It's not their fault. It is heart breaking to think that some of these kids where she works only get food at school because their family is too poor to afford to feed them at home. Most live paycheck to paycheck but because they make what the school board deems as too much to qualify for free lunch, they go hungry. I would be just as upset as you if it were my child.
Don't know what school your son is at, but I will let you know that something like that happened to my son at Cleveland Middle. He should have had plenty of money in his account, because he was suppose to have a set limit per day. However, they were letting him spend whatever amount he wanted sometimes even $6.00 a day for pizza. So the day comes when he has no money in his account, BUT HAD CASH ON HIM. They refused to let him pay the cash and didn't provide him anything. I went LIVID with the staff, and explained to them (not so nicely) that if they ever treated my child the way they did that day, the next phone call they got related to the matter would be from my attorney. I continued to explain to them that if they were doing their job correctly, my child would have had money in his account. I received a formal apology and his account was credited back everything that had previously exceeded the set limit. So far, we have not had another issue.
Why didn't he get the vegetable plate? It's my understanding that they have to give them at least that. I'm not crazy about this policy myself, I always send in extra just to make sure there is plenty on his account, I'm scared to death he'd get through the lunch line and they'd tell him no. Heads would roll, especially if he didn't at least get the vegetables!:? Why can't they pay cash if they have it?
Obviously, a child needs his or her lunch. No argument on that. Yet, asking if the teacher is in the line in not the answer. If you haven't been in the lunchroom lately, I'd ask you to go and observe. At any time, there are between 6 to 10 classes in the lunchroom; some just getting in, some eating, some leaving..about every five minutes or so. Most teachers do go into the lunch room. For the smaller grades, teachers and TAs often have to help serve. The lunch room staff does an admirable job. I've never observed one being rude to a child, or ignoring them. And I've spent quite a few lunch periods at school within the last month. A form goes out frequently (I believe weekly) that is sent home to advise parents, guardians,etc of the account status of each child. If you don't get this, I'd sent in a note or call and ask why not? If you don't look through your child's stuff (for the younger ones) or your older child "forgets" to bring it home or give it to you..that's not the fault or responsibility of anyone at school - that belongs in the family. Teachers are not allowed to pay for a lunch for students. These students are offered a vegetable plate. And, the vegetable plates have more than just four pieces of lettuce. If you are listening to a child describe a vegetable plate, you are misinformed. If you are there and observe this, and do nothing about it, whether or not its your child, then you are speaking out of both sides of your mouth..decrying who some child doesn't get lunch, but doing nothing about it. The form for application for free or reduced lunch, it is easier to fill out than a IRS 1040 EZ form, or an application for a Capital One credit card. And if you need the help, the school will assist you in preparing it. What the school can't do is to be the parent of these children, or teach parents how to be responsible for themselves and their children. Schools have enough to do, without having to act in loco parentis. Occasionally I hear about a parent throwing down in flames over a child's account being depleted, but not realizing that the child is also getting snack food in addition to lunch. If this is the case, perhaps you need to send a note to the school to advise them that your child is not allowed to buy snack food. And, if in spite of this, your child chooses to get snacks, that still isn't the fault of the lunchroom staff. Perhaps you need to convince your child of this first. If you've not reinforced this, that isn't the lunch rooms admin fault. Again, the only was I've ever seen this is when a parent complains about it, without having done their due diligence first. As for paying with cash, I know of no instance where a child was not allowed to pay cash, presuming they have it present. I will say that if your child remembers that the money is in a backpack in a classroom far away, they probably aren't going to be allowed unescorted access to a long walk back to the class. And, if the teachers are busy int eh lunch room watching 21 other kids in their class, they can;t leave them to walk your child back to the classroom. Prior to leaving for lunch, each and every class I have been in has a preparatory phase before leaving the class. Kids are lined up, kids retrieve lunches from home, and they move as a class to the lunch room. It's time for parents to quit whining about what someone else does, if the parent fails to do their own part.
Hat, just thought I'd add that once they get to middle school, you no longer get a weekly report of thier lunch balance.
I have never had any hatefulness but I have forgotten to send money. And I feel HORRIBLE. It about KILLS me to know that I've forgotten and they get a vegetable tray. It ruins my work day. But I always ask the kids to ask the lunch cashier how much they have in their accounts and let me know. The ladies at McGees and Dixon are good about that. I also will make a periodic call to the cafeteria myself at times and ask for the balance. The ladies are always very helpful and I keep up with it good. I wonder..........I was thinking abou this the other day. Do you all think it would be a good idea for the school system to put a program on the school website where parents could actually go online and see their child's account and be able to apply money through debit card or credit card transactions? Give the parent a secure code fto access their child's account for protection? Could that be possible? What do ya'll think?
Hat, I completely agree that it IS the parents responsibility to make sure there is money there. I check that report they send home every time and I send a check every Monday morning to more than cover the week, he's got a big balance right now as a result. On DS's first day of K, he didn't get any milk at snack because the teacher misplaced his money, the teacher, not anyone else, thank God I'd packed his lunch! So, teachers and cafeteria folk can make mistakes, they are only human. They've also misapplied money a friend of mine sent in, I know this for a fact.
yup yup My youngest has a balance that occasionally drops by the price of a lunch and he's been brown baggin' since the first of last year. (which is why he still has a balance) Everyone screws up some time. Between the volume of the cafeteria, speech impediments and lack of ability to speak English something is going to happen. Parents are not always at fault, nor do all of them Enlightened person.
As stated previously - once they are in middle school they no longer receive the weekly balance. I had to ask my daughter to request her balance, which wasn't easy to get - for a few reasons - her forgetting - lunch staff busy - teacher didn't know.... My daughter ran out of money - she was short less then a dollar - the lunch staff loaned her the money for that day so she could purchase her lunch. They were repaid the next day. Yes, it is the parents responsibilty to keep track of these things - but we are also human... Should the lunch staff have to loan every student money, of course not.... But - a student should not have to go without lunch - whether they need to make a phone call, borrow money or get a vegetable tray.
Does this happen mostly in the middle schools? I have children at West View and they have been very kind the few times the lunch account has been depleted. I have heard, though, that there is a HUGE difference b/t the way kids are treated at elementary school and middle school. I think being able to see the accounts online is a great idea but I imagine it would be hard for the schools to set up. It has to be very hard for the teachers to keep up with. I know when I eat at school it is hard to have time for just me to get my lunch and bolt it down in that amount of time.
Jen, thanks for the MS update. Haven't had a MS kid in years, won't for a few more, so I am grateful for your guidance. KD, Of course, mistakes happen. And they should be rectified. What really curdles the buttermilk though, is the antagonistic attitude, and the blame leveled towards the schools. For what they do, these people are so underpaid. And it's easy for most to criticize, as most of us are apparently unwilling to do it. I just don't fathom the animosity shot at the schools. I gotta tell you, for some of these kids, I'd like to suggest that they be home schooled. You should deal with your child who, because of your poor parenting, is unable to do what he or she needs to do. And, consequently requires an inordinate amount of time and effort to teach. that is unfair to the students and families who want their kids to learn, and prepare them. When your child isn't intellectually stimulated and challenged to learn at school, or their progress is held back because a teacher has to deal with a problem child, that pretty much rewards bad parenting, and penalizes the good.
He did not get a vegetable tray and the lunch that he had fixed was taken from him and thrown in the trash. Please clarify. The lunch he had fixed? from home?
Could be a good idea......We have enough technology these days, why not? Where could ya start though?
It's absolutely possible for a program like that to be set up, I work on a college campus and we can go online and see how much money is on our 'campus card' (which can be used at any store or restaurant on campus). Concept is the same, parents of college kids can see and post from a computer, money on their child's account. I think that would be an OUTSTANDING thing to have in place. :mrgreen: Good Luck convincing Tony and the gang with the idea......8)
Regarding the lunch situation, any parents "momma bear" instincts are going to be raised if their kid doesn't get fed for whatever reason. That's human nature. Doesn't matter whose "fault" it is, a kid should never go hungry. What I am unclear on, is why the OP's kid didn't get a vegetable tray. Did he refuse it?
I think she meant he went through the line and fixed a plate then it was thrown away when he got to the register.
I would agree they are underpaid, but it is still there job to do what they are suppose to do. If you have an account that is flagged for a reason, then they should adhere to this and not just say oh well, I don't feel like doing that today. It is still their job and regardless of pay or circumstances, they need to do it correctly. But at NO time should any staff member at a school be rude and conduct themselves in the manner that some of the kids have been treated by the cafateria staff.
