"I received a call from my daughter today. She is a 1st year, 2nd grade teacher
in Fayetteville, NC. She said that one of her students was stopped in the lunch
line today and given a bag with a peanut butter sandwich in it. They were told
that their parents had not paid their lunch bill and that this was all they
could have for lunch today. When my daughter saw this happen, (she eats lunch
with her students everyday in the cafeteria) she said that the little boys face
just fell and he was so upset and no good the rest of the day to learn and
neither was she. She comforted the little boy and did pay for the his lunch
herself, but was reprimanded for it. She is not allowed to do that and she is
not allowed to know the status of any childs debit with the cafeteria. The lady
that had to give the boy that peanut butter sandwich said she had 27 students
that she had to do that to today and it was killing her. Had my daughter been
able to know about the situation, she could have tried to contact the parents
and get it resolved with them also. What in the world is happening today? I
don't care why the parents didn't pay, I don't care what the reasoning is, but
damn it, we as Americans can ride around in our fancy cars, live in our fancy
houses, even the government is bailing out the corporate businesses with CEO's
making millions and 27 kids today in just one elementary school in this country
had to feel ashamed and embarrassed because they have parents that could not
afford it or didn't bother to pay their lunch bill or turn in their free lunch
application. I really don't give two craps about the parents, but that child is
our future and we better start looking out for these kids.
Thanks Joe,
Very Very Sad Mom"
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
This school is lucky that the child did not have a peanut allergy or the parents would have owned that BOE!
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. To think that a child had to be embarrased like that is totally disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteThat also happens in Wicomico County. The school depends on the child to deliver the message to the parents that the account is empty...no note is sent home. Alot of responsibility for a 1st-2nd grader! If the child does not like peanut butter, they do not have lunch for that day(s). But we must keep smiling & repeating the catch phrase for the month "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND."
ReplyDeleteHow would everyone feel if there was a non-profit organization that provided money through donors to ensure that this does not happen to the children of our future?
ReplyDeleteAs a separated parent going through a tough divorce I actualy had this happen to one of my children in a Wicomico County School. I have provided the school with my number if they needed me for anything but no phone call was given. It would have seemed that my soon to be ex-wife forgot to send money to school and the school would not let my child have a regular lunch and only would give them a cheese sandwich. Once I found out that this happened I went to the school and put ten dollars on my childs account. Call this for yourself but simple communication can solve most issues. As for the schools not allowing a friend to help another friend is just sad. Now our kids have to watch their friends suffer and be embarrassed without being able to help. I guess charity is only good for the PTA.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the big deal? Stop coddling these kids. They were still going to feed the child, they weren't going to stave and it was probably ealthier then what they normally eat. Kids have to learn how to deal with things when it doesn't work out as planned. I'm now 40, but I was raised in a poor single mother household. Things like this happened to me all the time. I learned to be on top of things and make sure that my account was ok. If not, I would pack or keep 60 cents in my book bag. These type of situations help me to be more responsible, and at the same time, let me help take some pressure off of my struggling mother.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about little sally or Jeffrey. A sandwich won't ruin their life. They will learn much from this. It would be different if they didn't feed them at all, but they still got to eat.
Coddling??? Oh Please!
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with coddling the children.
The point is: THIS IS AMERICA AND WE HAVE KIDS IN OUR SCHOOLS WHO DO NOT HAVE MONEY FOR A BALANCED LUNCH!!
My daughter volunteered for Share Our Strength after graduating from college.
They have all kinds of data on the school lunch programs and as to how many kids are in our schools HUNGRY!
Some of these kids are not just missing a balanced lunch, they are also not getting breakfast and sometimes dinner.
Why don't you try and go a full day without anything to eat and see how your concentration and comprehension levels act?
Kids are in school to learn...they can't learn if they are hungry!
I do not know what the solution to the problem is...I wish I did but I had to post a response to that post.
This isn't that unusual. A kid forget to gives their parent the note and they get a pbj for lunch with milk and an apple. (that's what happens in Worcester County at least)
ReplyDeleteAll of the schools have programs in place to provide reduced and free lunches to children who need them.
Mardela you moron.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you just posted that garbage. The finances of parents should be none of an elementary school child's concern. Has nothing to do with "learn how to deal with things when it doesn't work out as planned."
Just because your mother was not capable of providing for your needs doesn't mean you should wish that on other children.
The main problem here is that parents are not raising their children because they are too preoccupied with other things. Yes, many of us work long hours and are stretched very thin but if you cannot make arrangements to ensure that your child has lunch for that afternoon, I believe that is borderline neglect. The school is responsible for serving your child lunch, not providing it. That's YOUR job as parents. Either send the money to pay for the lunch or apply for the free lunch program. Either way, do SOMETHING!
RAISE YOUR OWN CHILDREN, STOP EXPECTING THE SCHOOLS TO!
If you can't feed them . . .
ReplyDeleteDON'T BREED THEM.
I am SO tired of my tax dollars being spent to take care of other people. Betcha that kid was wearing shoes that cost at least $100 bucks.
Mardela,
ReplyDeleteYou are really insensitive--glad none of your kids was ever in this situation so "it" would go hungry. I would gladly contribute to 9:20's nonprofit to help kids avoid this, and I'm sure many of my friends would as well. If you put it together, get it announced on Joe's blog and I will be the first to contribute (as long as the money really goes to the kids and not overwhelmingly to overhead). I pledge $100. I know I'm anonymous, but I'm a person of my word and I will follow through.
ok, so everyone has made their own conclusions. Here is what happen. This child along with his brother and sister in the same school have been sent home with many notes about their lunch not being paid for since the beginning of school. The parents owed as of yesterday $85.00 to the cafeteria. The mother brings the kids to school in a nice car and fancy clothes, the father is in the United States Army. He just got back from Iraq a month ago. If the bill is not paid today the school will contact the State for Abuse of the children as neglect. Now, is the child supposed to be embarrased and ashamed by his parents actions. PLEASE. I am thinking about the children.
ReplyDeleteVery Sad Mom
OK Mardela you redneck retard, first off it's not 1980 any more and school lunch is 2.25. Next, if the kids is wearing $100.00 shoes, did this CHILD get in his car, go to the mall and buy them by himself. NO! Second graders are 7 or 8 years old. THey are little kids
ReplyDeleteum, my daughter packs a PB&J EVERY DAY.
ReplyDeletewhat am I missing? the child is being fed, and honestly pb&j, milk & an apple is better than what is often offered as a hot lunch in school cafeterias.
all 4 food groups are being provided.
I understand the humiliation issue, possibly, but the child isn't being denied food...
Laurel, you sound like the kind of reliefer that is the root of this entire problem.
ReplyDeleteYou don't "get" that the school shouldn't have to provide a child with a lunch at all if the parent hasn't paid for it or been accepted into the free lunch program.
Sounds like mom is too busy with whatever and just thinks, oh well, the school will just charge it to our account. I wish she could be sent somewhere all day with no way to get food when she needed it.
God only knows what would happen if the school denied the child a lunch since the parents didn't pay. The bums would try to sue the school.
Children from many, many families qualify for free and reduced breakfasts and lunches. If the family does not qualify, however, the child is expected to bring or to buy lunch. When schools allow children to "charge" lunches as often as they'd like, the bill is about $45 per month per child. Most parents do not pay when they are notified of the amounts owed. Feeding the child a PB&J sandwich with milk and fruit is still costing the cafeteria money but not as much as the $2.25 for platter. So the bottom line for parents is that, if your family does not qualify for free or reduced meals, you are expected to provide lunch for your child. Is this so outrageous?
ReplyDeleteanon 5:32.
ReplyDeleteum, okay.
what????
"very sad mom"'s original post indicated that she felt bad for the kid who was singled out & forced to eat a peanut butter sandwich.
My opinion is that food was provided, sorry it wasn't the answer you were looking for.
If that makes me a "reliefer" (new one by me) I'll take that title.
I DON'T feel that any child, ever, should be forced to go hungry. These kids don't pick their parents.
What's your solution, anon 5:32?
I never said that the child should feel ashamed to eat PB&J. It wasn't about the food he was given. It was about the embarrasment!!!!
ReplyDeleteVery sad mom
Anon 5:55 a reliefer is what they called people during the depression that had to go on state or federal assistance it was known as Relief back then, then it changed to welfare now it's called social services. No matter what you call it, it is assistance.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the parent(s) should have taken the time to fill out the forms for their children to receive free or reduced meals. However, this country sends billions of dollars in relief aid to foreign countries yet we deny an AMERICAN child a meal. This just baffles me. The priorities of this government are so screwed up it would take a complete restructuring to repair it. We take care of everyone in every country while those of our own have to beg, borrow and steal to get a bit of help.
Parents, either file the proper forms or pack your childrens lunches if you can't pay for them. Americans are at the bottom of the list when it comes to aid in America.
Hey, I was raised in the depresion years ( the30's in case you missed learning that in school) and can remember eating stewed tomatoes on bread as our lunch, and breakfast and dinner. Things could get a lot worse yet with the economy the way it is, so be thankful you got a peanut butter sandwich.
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
It is amazing that parents think their children should either qualify for a free lunch thru the federal govt. or be given a free lunch courtesy of the school cafeteria. Schools won't make children skip lunch, they can't afford to give away platters every day to dozens and dozens of children who are not supposed to have them, so they have compromised. The child is still getting a basic lunch provided at taxpayer expense because the parent refuses to be responsible. Many parents take advantage of the PB & J situation, too. It's free, the kid's getting fed, so they let that be the way the kid gets lunch for most of the school year.
ReplyDeleteAlot of people are missing the point here-and that is that this child should have been spared public embarassment.Could they not be more discreet?And whose business is it if the teacher willingly buys a platter for a student?The parents are to blame and I hope they get reported to the proper authorities because failing to provide their kid with the means to get lunch is NEGLECT!
ReplyDeleteMy child doesn't eat lunch at school because she only goes for a half-day but she does get served breakfast and when I inquired on the first day of school about how much I needed to pay I learned that in Somerset County all students get free breakfast.I don't know how they worked that out and I am more than willing to pay for it but it is provided gratis.