Are Local Students Being Forced to Eat in the Heat Outside on Buckets?
To be fair, I don't have a dog in this fight, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable with middle school students being made to eat outside, in the Louisiana heat, on buckets??? That's what's happening at Haughton Middle School in Bossier Parish according to the Haughton Moms & Dads Facebook group.
I've been able to verify this through several parents. According to what their kids are telling them, 6th-grade students are having to eat outside due to social distancing requirements due to COVID-19 mitigation measures. The 7th-grade class is split between eating inside and outside and the 8th graders are inside. This was apparently the case last school year as well, but we're just now hearing of it.
Some students report that they like eating outdoors as long as it's not too hot. I totally understand their need to get outside of the classroom for a bit while they eat, however, we've had some scorching temperatures lately. And why the buckets? One parent reported to the group that while the outdoor common areas do have some seating, it's not enough to accommodate all of the students, especially with respect to social distancing.
While I'm definitely not opposed to kids being and eating outside, I hope Haughton Middle is able to come up with an alternative for the really hot days. Maybe a few classrooms can be set aside for this? I'm certainly not blasting Haughton Middle because I know they're doing the best they can with a less than optimal situation. But it begs the question, are other schools doing this? Would schools be better served to stagger lunchtimes or would that require too much cleaning and disinfecting between lunch shifts? While I don't have a child in Haughton schools anymore, I'm sure we'd all like to know how we can help. If you've got a comment or a suggestion, we're all ears!