Does your DC help in school cafeteria?

[niccig]

DS came home today and told me he didn't eat his packed lunch as he got a free lunch from school for working in the cafeteria. We're new to the school this year so I didn't know they did this. This month is the turn for DS's class to send 2 helpers for the grade 3/4 lunch time. DS's class is grade 3. They choose popsicle sticks and DS and a girl are the volunteers for this week. He had a paper hat and gloves and said he took grilled cheese sandwiches out of a big silver thing with a lid that kept them warm (bain marie pan I'm guessing) and put them on trays. Tomorrow he swaps duties and will be responsible for giving out napkins, straws and ketchup. He still had time to eat lunch and go and play with his friends. He said all the kids wanted grilled cheese and he was really busy, so he now has some appreciation for how hard the work is for the cafeteria staff.

I didn't go to school here in the USA so I don't know how common this is, or is it a CA school's way of cutting costs by having the kids help out.

[squimp]

Our school does that, once kids are in 4th grade. They get a free lunch, so I am not sure how much $ it saves, but I think the work is good for the kids at our school. In 5th grade, all the kids take a turn at being on crossing guard.

[JustMe]

Dd does help out and gets a free popcorn when they have popcorn day once a week (a whopping 25 cents, so tell your kids they are getting a deal with the free lunch--although I would not want my dd eating the school lunch, and that's another story).

There is a full time custodian (maybe even 2, not sure), and he is the one who supervises the couple of kids who do this...I don't get the sense it is a need, as in there is not enough money to pay for all the cleaning to be done, as much as it is a lets involve the kids and maybe have a little less work for the custodian.

[AnnieW625]

I used to do it in the 5th and 6th grade in elementary school (in the 80s) and we got free lunch as well. Our teacher used to assign us days. We thought of it as a special privilege. There was always an alternative meal of either cheese or peanut butter iirc if you didn't want the main entree.

[petesgirl]

I remember helping with school lunch when I was in 5th grade. It sounds like the same kind of thing where you helped for a week and every one in class got a turn.

[crl]

I never did (three public grade schools in three states in the 1970s and 1980s). Ds never has either--two public grade schools in No CA.

Catherine

[Meatball Mommie]

Well, my 2 kids go to Catholic school and there's no hot lunch, but the 4th - 6th graders take turns cleaning the cafeteria tables after their lunch period. They get a "no uniform" pass for doing it. The kids think it's great and I like the extra responsibility it gives them.