Students cleaning in the cafe?

[westford]

Do you think students should be assigned days to clean the cafe? It has come to my attention that this is happening in a few Westford Schools. When it is their turn, the students clean up trash left behind by other students, wash the tables & sweep the floors. The student "cleaners" can only leave when the cafe is clean, even if it means being late for class. NO recess when it is your turn to clean the cafe. I don't see why students should be asked to clean up after fellow students. Why not have all students clean up after themselves? Aren't there people paid to wash the tables & sweep the floors? If so, why are students being asked to do it? Students are there to learn, not clean up after others. Am I missing something?

[JColavita]

Evidently the school administrators feel this promotes a sense of teamwork and community among the students. I don't agree. From what my son says, most kids resent it. These kids work hard in school and deserve what little "recess" time they get. What bothers me most is that these kids are picking up used napkins and wiping down germy tables without any gloves...they should at least have some protection to help prevent the spread of viruses.

[Amber]

Evidently the school administrators feel this promotes a sense of teamwork and community among the students. I don't agree. From what my son says, most kids resent it. These kids work hard in school and deserve what little "recess" time they get. What bothers me most is that these kids are picking up used napkins and wiping down germy tables without any gloves...they should at least have some protection to help prevent the spread of viruses.

I agree. This isn't about teaching responsibility. Personal responsibility is cleaning up after yourself, not doing the custodian's job. And there is NO WAY kids should be giving up what minuscule amounts of fresh air they are barely getting during the school day.

[Nab4Life]

What schools are implementing this? I have kids at the Stony Brook & Abbot and neither of them seem to know anything about it. Are the kids randomly assigned? I find it very hard to imagine they could justify kids missing any class time for lunch clean up (never mind how miserable they must be to miss a recess time). I can totally understand having the kids help stacking chairs, recycling, etc at the end of the day, but this seems over and above.

[JoJo]

What schools are implementing this? I have kids at the Stony Brook & Abbot and neither of them seem to know anything about it....

It is my understanding that this occurs at Day and Blanchard. I also have commented on this when it was brought up a while back on another forum. I disagree with this. Students should not have to clean up after others. If you want to promote community, fine -- then they should clean up together after themselves. I have no problem with the stacking chairs and wiping classroom tables at the end of the day but no student should have to miss recess or classroom time in order to do the job that frankly can be done and should be done by the staff the school system pays.

[Tony1941]

Check the high cost schools in the area about student assignments.
You get to pay over $35,000/year and your son/daughter is expect to contribute to the community by doing menial labor.

But, I guess the New Rich and Rich Wannabes of Westford do not want their children to be emotionally impacted by having to do some menial labor.

[Amber]

It is my understanding that this occurs at Day and Blanchard.

I know it is not happening at Nab.

[loucook]

But, I guess the New Rich and Rich Wannabes of Westford do not want their children to be emotionally impacted by having to do some menial labor.

First off let me say that I am NOT rich or a rich wannabee...In fact I'm one of those dreaded Westford Renters and am very happy with my life as it is!! I do however object to having my kids clean tables at their school. Two of my three kids go to the Day School; I sat them down today to ask what actually goes on during "clean up" Apparently, every two weeks kids are assigned to wash the tables after lunch. They clean all the tables.. not just the one at which they were eating. Recently the school implemented a new change, the teachers now have to watch the children to ensure that they are not running past the bell, which had been the case in the past. So, now we are paying teachers to have to watch over kids cleaning tables when they should be educating them instead. It's not that I disagree with teaching them responsibility or have them do menial labor. In fact, I am a stickler for teaching those same fundamentals at home. I expect my children to clean up after themselves much like they do at the dinner table at home. It is MY job to teach my children discipline and responsibilities.. if they leave a mess at school.. by all means call them out on it.. but don't hand my kid a wash cloth and have him wipe down all tables.

[westford]

Tony, You are missing the point. This has nothing to do w/being rich, wanting to be rich or sending kids to schools that cost 35,000/year. This has to do with students being forced to clean up after others who leave a mess. Why not have all students clean up after themselves all the time? Why is it ok for some students to get up from the table & leave all their trash behind? It doesn't make sense to me. Why don't the "student cleaners" get to wear gloves to clean like the lunch ladies do? I wouldn't want to touch other people's trash without wearing gloves. These students should be wearing gloves when cleaning. Why take away recess from students so they can do the job the lunch ladies & janitors are paid to do? Kids need recess to get some fresh air, run around, & socialize w/friends. Why should "student cleaners" be late to class because they were cleaning up after others? Again, it makes no sense to me.

[deanwo]

I have kids at the Stony Brook & Abbot and neither of them seem to know anything about it.

That's because Blanchard and Day are considered the "other side of the tracks" in Westford ;-).

Actually, there is a reason for this practice of students cleaning up in the lunch rooms at Blanchard and Day. Back in 2003 when my daughter attended Blanchard, there was a massive food fight that really trashed the lunch room. It was hard to pin down one student or group that caused the food fight so the punishment was to have every student rotate through and spend time cleaning up the lunch room. This policy stopped at the beginning of next school year and a second massive food fight occurred at Blanchard again (I'm not sure if this happened at Day as well, but it would not surprise me if it did). The punishment of a rotating clean-up started again and has been in place ever since. To the best of my knowledge, no food fights have occurred and Blanchard since that time.

Is it right to "punish" kids for the acts of students 7 years ago? Probably not, but it is strange that this only has occurred at Blanchard & Day. Hence my opening comment about life on the other side of the tracks where parental discipline and children obedience is not as perfect as it is for the students of Stony and Abbott....