School Lunch
Throughout the years, school lunches have changed dramatically. The children of a hundred years ago were usually fed as a group by either the teacher or some parent that would send something with their child and then it was heated up on the ever-present wood stove. Some children brought a sandwich and maybe some cookies or a piece of fruit.
This arrangement continued for many years except for the wood stove. There were no cafeterias as there are today, and certainly no free lunches. I remember lunch time at St. Francis as being herded to the basement where several 8-person tables were set up. The only thing available was milk, which cost three cents. At the end of lunch two of the older boys walked around with a trash can and emptied the trash from each table that the children had passed down to the end of the table. A vivid memory I have is of one boy who always positioned himself at the end of the table so that he could take anything edible and consume it. When I think back on the situation, he must have been desperate to do what he did. The remnants of a sandwich or a half eaten apple never escaped his grasp.
Since no food was provided by the school, everybody had to “pack”. The different methods of carrying lunch varied from the standard brown paper bag to fancy metal boxes that displayed your favorite TV show or maybe a hero of the day. Some of them are quite collectible now. Of course, the most valuable are the ones that weren’t so popular then and therefore fewer of them were made. Mine was what you would call generic. It was gray and green like the one pictured above. I used mine from the second through the eighth grades and by the eighth grade it looked like chrome. I did go through many Thermos liners, though, as did every kid that carried this type of lunch box. If you dropped the Thermos, the glass liner was sure to shatter. They screwed in and were fairly easy to replace. I imagine Thermos made quite a bit selling glass liner replacements as everyone was good for a couple each year.
I was looking at my granddaughter’s lunch box this year and it was something to behold. She didn’t have a Thermos as she got her drink at her school. I went there for lunch a couple of times and they have a selection that would make any restaurant proud. They have a regular cafeteria where you can obtain a hearty meal and dessert. Kids have their favorites and I think everyone buys on pizza day. Ice cream is always popular. They have a computer set up that the parent pays into and from which the student can draw.
Things have certainly changed over the years and the responsibility of feeding our own children has been taken over by “the government” because they know best. People of my generation seemed to have survived because our mothers made sure we had what we needed, not what we wanted.
Do you realize in Wicomico County taxes payers are footing the bill for free and reduced meals to over 55% of the student body? Have you seen the term FARM used in the media for Wicomico County Schools. FARM means Free And Reduced Meals. To clear this matter up even a little further this doesn't mean lunch, this means breakfast, lunch and dinner! That's correct, the government is feeding over 55% of Wicomico County's school children at the tax payers expense. Look into it if you don't believe me.
ReplyDeletethank you again for more great memories. you are absolutly right when describing school "lunchtime" back in the day.
ReplyDeletesome of the things we carried were:
sandwich spread sandwiches (relish and mayo combo), cheese sandwich, peanut butter & jelly, liverwurst, and it was a great day if we had leftover meatloaf with mustard; and then there was always the onion sandwich. those were the days. nothing fancy but we sure had great upbringings and wonderful examples to look up to and learn from.
NO AIR CONDITIONING EITHER but we made it through alive and whole; body, mind and spirit.
"...our mothers made sure we had what we needed, not what we wanted".
ReplyDeleteSo true! So I wonder what happened in our child-rearing techniques? Just look at all the spoiled brats out there now!
How about a Fluffernutter sandwedge?
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to grade school, volenteer mothers would come in to the school and cook lunch. I remem ber around 11:00 A.M. smelling the fresh buscuits baking and hearing my stomach growl. We all purchased a monthly meal ticket and if you cleaned you plate off fast you got seconds. Those were the days!
It's ironic this information was posted because anytime I have lunch with my son, I see kids wasting food like its no big deal. I'll leave and speak with the family later that night showing frustration about how kids waste food and I'm sure some of this relates to the free food kids get today. If the county wants to cut the budget using the county schools, this would be a better target to cut and let parents become parents again other than cutting performance programs such band or athletic programs. In today's society, God for bid we take away such entitlements. Most the logical parents that read this would agree and the balance are just part of the problems we face today. Disagree with me, hate me for showing you the truth, I don't want to hear it. This country is sliding out of control and the course needs to be changed before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteI guess all of you think we should go back to the days where one memorable boy had to scrounge for leftovers and crumbs because his mother didn't or couldn't "make sure he had what he needed." I agree that the current system is abused, but how do we, as a caring society, provide for the truly hungry children? Or do we just turn our backs and say it's not our problem? Or maybe you'd like the teachers to bring the hungry ones some lunch? After all, they are overpaid and lazy, right? I understand the frustration with abuse, so let's hear some ideas to change that and still provide for poor and hungry children.
ReplyDeletewhat we should be doing is weeding out all the people who abuse the system, any government hand out program
ReplyDeleteI can remember to this day having an Apollo 11 lunch box with the 3 astronauts on one side and Neil Armstrong walking down the ladder of the lunar module on the other side.
ReplyDelete9:22, I am not so sure that your figure is totally accurate. The 55% you cite may be the number of children ELIGIBLE for such assistance, not the number that actually avail themselves of it. I remember that, when I taught (I'm retired), we teachers had to list every kid who COULD ride a bus to school even if he/she never did because we would get more federal/state money. I think the same goes for the lunch program.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember any type of welfare/government help for anyone in the 50's, but probably started in the 60's. Everybody worked, if they wanted to eat, or feed their family. It's called, "No Free Lunch". From the 50's, I still remember that kind of musty smell that was always present in my metal lunch box. Not necessarily bad, but not a good smell either. Probably from came Mom's not so great food, it didn't matter though, because I ate every single bite of whatever was in there, every time. And the only thing that I ever saw in my box, as compared to the other commenters here was an occasional peanut and jelly sandwich. Never got mayonase or mustard, plain jane, bare bones sandwich was it. There was never any wasted food. As for George's milk costs, our milk in the 60's was 2 cents for white and 3 cents for chocolate, My favorite cafeteria meal (no box) was 3 bologna sandwichs and 3 chocolate milk. Total 39 cents. The old man gave me a quater for lunch every day, no more, so I was always hustling for that extra 14 cents. Free food for anybody didn't exist. Now bologna doesn't ever taste as good as back then, nor does the chocolate. Sucks, because now I can afford both. Bummer.
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is a crying shame that our tax money has to pay for a child's FREE breakfast when the adult in the house could't get the child a breakfast at home. I grew up with cereal and milk and maybe a half of a banana. It's a crying shame that the adult is more in tune to their vices than to feed their children! Some of these adults (I wouldn't call them parents--they don't deserve that title)don't have a clue! God, please help these children!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Wicomico (and other schools) shouldn't be footing the bill for food; that is a parent's responsibility.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, why should they think twice before having a child since the community will take care of all the expenses for them!
Ok, now that I am past my sarcasm,I understand the need for it when it first started because it wasn't fair that students were so hungry and how could they expect to pay attention and learn. However, it has been taken advantage of and is now expected.
Ok, so now that it is expected and delivered, could the schools at least feed a breakfast that isn't a honeybun, funnelcake, etc...
How about a protein, carb, and fruit?
If 55% of the students are expecting and eating breakfast, then is it fair for the other 45% to come to school and waste a half hour each morning during breakfast, or even worse, eating a second breakfast to fit in with the class. If it was healthy it wouldn't be a concern, but to feed a child a healthy breakfast at home just to have them go to school each morning and eat sweets....how is that helping our children?
I remember those 3 cent milks. In elem. school they had those sandwiches and hot dogs and such heated up in a electric heater. Our teacher had to heat up each one for the students who bought them. But they were delicious.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have free lunches in school. School was the only place I was guaranteed to be able to eat if I had any money.
We had a 50 pound bag of potatoes we ate all week. Fried potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes. We ate every kind of potato you can imagine.
I used to know every dinner time of different families in my little town. I would knock on their door just as the were sitting down and often be invited to join them for supper. I did what I had to to survive.
I have no problem at all for paying for any child's lunch or breakfast. I know how if feels to be hungry. And poor.
Some of you bitching about taxpayer money being used to feed kids. That's your right. You think that kid cares where the money comes from? You think that kid isn't ashamed he doesn't have money for lunch? You think I wasn't ashamed of knocking on people's doors at dinner time?
Taxpayer monies are used for a wide array of services. Some more wasteful than others.
Feeding kids may seem a waste or abuse to some of you, but it may be a god send to some kids.
I'm not saying any of you are wrong. Just offering something to think about. Have a nice Th.
4th
ReplyDeleteThe Wicomico County Board of Education is participating in the Summer Food Service Program, with funding support from the Maryland State Department of Education.
ReplyDeleteMeals will be provided from June 16-Aug. 5 on all weekdays except July 4. Meals are available to all children without charge. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Meals will be provided at the sites and times as follows:
Wicomico County Housing Authority, 911 Booth St., Salisbury
Breakfast: 8:30-9 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-noon
The Christian Shelter, 334 Barclay St., Salisbury
Breakfast: 8:30-9:15 a.m.
Lunch: 12-12:45 p.m.
Family Center @ East Salisbury Elementary School, 1201 Old Ocean City Road
Breakfast: 8:30-9 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-noon
Contact the Wicomico County Board of Education Food and Nutrition Services at 410-677-4442 for more information.
These same kids that are getting the free lunches are the same ones with expensive, name-brand clothing, shoes and brag about their Wii, DSI, and other expensive items. However, the parents have no money for lunch. The breakfast they serve these children is disgraceful (funnelcakes, poptarts, honeybuns). I feed my kids breakfast at home to have them go to school exposed to that junkfood! Why are tax dollar paying for this? We are paying for food that is mostly thrown away. I know this to be true because I work in the schools in this county.
ReplyDeleteThis is 10:45....I and many of us had difficult times back then. My mother was a single mother with four kids to raise and she made sure every one of us was taken care of. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Clothing on our back, etc...you get the point. Yes there are kids out there that have parents that just don't care and I am all about helping someone..to a point. But if they can afford some of the unneeded items they have today they can surely tend to their children. You want a solution...take away the entitlements. They are assuming and expecting someone else to take care of or pay for there life...such as the children. My son was just telling me about a kid that got free lunches, but made sure they had money to purchase a $1 drink that he wanted. This is all BS! We have to start some where and it's gonna hurt.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI have no problem at all for paying for any child's lunch or breakfast. I know how if feels to be hungry. And poor.
July 2, 2011 6:03 PM
Then you won't have any problem pay my share if taxes either.Just let me know you name or address so that I can send you my tax documents when they come in.
2:05 AM
ReplyDeleteIf you are a child, then send them.