• Lunch Tips:

    It is useful for parents who are new to kindergarten to know that kindergartners tend to go through an interesting transition period with regard to having lunch at school. Now, your child probably has as much time as they need to eat their lunch. He or she can probably change their mind between 9 a.m. and lunch time about what they want to eat for lunch. All of this changes when they have to start eating lunch at school in the Character Cafe! Here are some tips to help you know what to expect.

    1. Eating in the cafeteria is a new experience for children who are in kindergarten! We practice going in there, sitting at our table and going through the lunch line, but it is still usually overwhelming for the first few days. It is completely normal if your child doesn't eat as much as they usually do for the first few days (or even weeks) of school. At first, the experience is new and the kids are too apprehensive to eat. Then, they find out it isn't so bad and don't eat because they are too busy talking and enjoying their new friends!  Don't despair! I make sure to check in on your children a time or two during lunch and I encourage them to eat. I also try to reassure them that I will be back to get them "when the big hand is on the whatever" so that they can see that I haven't abandoned them.  Also, the cafeteria monitors are INCREDIBLE people who recognize the kindergartners' apprehension and stay close in order to help as needed. They are also great at letting me know about children who are throwing a lot of their lunch out so that I can let you know.
    2. If you are packing a lunch for your child, think about packing things that he or she can open independently. The monitors are there to help, but all of the kindergarten classes eat at the same time, making it difficult for your child to get the continuous one-on-one attention that they may be used to.
    3. We order our lunches around 9:00, when we arrive at school. It would be helpful to me if you could talk to your child about the choices that he or she will be given to buy on a given day so that he or she knows what to sign up for. It is possible to change lunches when we arrive at lunch, but I try not to since changes in early lunches can potentially shortchange students in later lunches. Try to have a conversation with your child about lunch. You can even jot me a quick note about what will be bought that day so that I can encourage your child to sign up for the lunch they want.
    4. We have 30 minutes for lunch. Think about packing an amount of food that is reasonable for your child to eat in that time. It's better to have too much than too little, but be sure to tell your child that you packed a lot of food and they don't have to eat it all if they are not hungry. Kindergartners are very literal people...if you pack a sandwich, an apple, a banana, cookies, a drink and carrots, and.... and... and..., they may think they have to eat it all!
    5. Some Moms and Dads have their child keep what they don't eat in their lunch box. This will give you some good information about how much your child is eating. I try very hard to keep track of who is not eating, but it is difficult. Please assure your child that it is OK to discard their drink, though. This will save us the cleaning of soggy lockers, hallways and back packs. :-)
    6. Encourage your child to buy a school lunch. The cafeteria serves a choice of the "main lunch" (which is printed on the menu and changes daily), a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a salad or the "special" of the day. The special of the day changes daily, but remains constant from week to week. (Mondays: pizza, Tuesdays: hot dog, Wednesdays-Fridays: hamburger)
    7. Please be aware that I go through the lunch line with the children who buy for the first few times until they have the hang of it. I know how intimidating it can be to do this alone, so I try to help as much as I can while still fostering independence in your child. If your child chooses to buy for the first time after the first few weeks of school please let me know so that I can go through the line with them.
    8. Speaking of buying lunch at school...Did you know that you can put money on your child's account? Just send it to school in an envelope marked "Lunch Account" and labeled with your child's name. I'll make sure it gets to the proper place. Also, you can request that a note be attached to your child's lunch account if you only want him or her to be able to buy lunch. (No snacks.) All you have to do is let me know!
    9. We try to use the bathroom before going to lunch, but if necessary, a cafeteria monitor will take your child to use the bathroom during lunch.  Also, if your child has an allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, etc. there is a separate table in the cafeteria for just such circumstances. When your child sits there, he or she gets to choose a friend or two to accompany him or her. That way, our peanut allergic friends feel comfortable, too!
    10. Finally, please don't hesitate to contact me or Mrs. Piwko (Our School's Cook) should you have any questions, problems, or concerns about your child's dining experience. We are here to help!
     
    Happy lunching!