Our school in Texas had an interesting way of calming kids during indoor recess because of weather. They purchased an old stoplight. When the light is green, everyone can visit, laugh, whatever. If it starts to get too loud, the light is switched to yellow. When the commotion is too much to take, the lunchroom monitor switched the light to red and everyone stopped talking. We always had to have an adult monitor because of the number of disabled students who had been mainstreamed into the school. It would be too dangerous to have a 5th grader monitor a student with a feeding tube or a serious neuro-muscular disease. I think the earlier posts about law suits waiting to happen was right on the mark.
I agree with all those appalled by this. There would be NOWAY a child would supervise my child. Here a teacher or aide has to be with the children. Kindergarten parapros do the lunch room duty. We have a points system similar to Metzymom. Students are allowed to talk. If they get to loud the lights go out and they know they have to be quiet for a while. The teachers eat at the same time and get the same amount of time. When lunch is over the teachers collect their class. If students go outside it's with a teacher or paid employee. If they can't go outside they go to their classroom for activities with their teachers. If a child here popped another for any reason they could be suspended (no tolerance). We do have wonderful teachers that handle these matters with common since instead of everyone just being suspended. I agree with the others go straight to the board and if they won't listen go to the News. I think they would love to get a story like that.
I am absolutely appalled that your school allows children to be unsupervised by an adult. I'm not sure, but I think the law here requires that an adult employee (not even a volunteer) be present at all times in the classrooms when kids are there. Where are the teachers? Eating lunch?
In our school, lunchroom duty is shared by the administrative staff -- principal, assistant, guidance counselors, etc.
If it were me, I'd be yelling loud and long about this situation; and if some older child "supervising" my child had hit him, you can bet I wouldn't stop at the principal's office. If nothing else, you'd think the threat of lawsuits would compel the school to change this system. Yikes!
IDEA!!!! First, see above post by me...lol... then this.
Our Asst. Principal has always been the lunchroom supervisor. He (this year it is a man, last year it was a woman) is aided by 2 teacher's aides for lower grades, and then added on to (the PE teacher) for the upper grades. We also use a 5 point system. Each day, every classroom starts with 5 lunchroom points. Points are deducted for noise, messes on or under the table, curtesy, not following directions and talking back to the lunch supervisors. Classrooms at the end of the month who have ALL their points get ICE CREAM (usually otter pops or some equally inexpensive treat). Children who keep getting their class in trouble are put at individual desks along the wall to have lunch by themselves. The kids become their own police and make each other behave. OH! And when the classes get ice cream? It is done in plain view of those who didn't get any!
The classrooms who received all their points are announced during morning announcements.
Lastly, the classrooms with the most points at the end of the year (one for 1-3 and one for 4-6) receive a pizza party. This way, even if they lose some points here and there, they still have a reason to keep being good.
Hi...spanking is not allowed in the district at all, and we are having the same problem with our safties now they are having to ask the fouurth graders to do it!! It is a mess and thus far we can't find a solution that works :confused:
