Lunch and Cafeteria Updates

Good Evening Westlawn Families,

We had a wonderful 1st day of school!  It felt so nice to have all our children back together, smiling and learning in a way we had missed for too long. 

We understand the cafeteria is a concern for many families, with so many children in one place, unmasked while eating.  We'd like to share some specific modifications we have made to the lunch room to create a safe environment for your children.

• We are utilizing two outdoor spaces for classes to eat - the white canopy (tent) on the field and our courtyard.  This reduces the number of classes in the cafeteria from five to three for most grade levels.  
• Each table in the cafeteria has a plexiglass shield erected in the center to reduce the spread of airborne germs.
• We have retooled class groupings, allocating each class at least three 10-seat tables (many classes have four tables to themselves.)  This allows at least 30 seats per class, 40 for many, spread amongst 18-24 children, meaning students should have at least one empty seat directly next to them.  
• We have made significant changes to the coverage schedules in the cafeteria, increasing the number of staff members supervising children and monitoring layered prevention strategies.

This remains a fluid situation and we will continue to look for additional measures we can implement to increase student safety during lunchtime.  We hope you are able to join us on Wednesday at 10AM for our Community Conversation, where we encourage continued dialogue between Westlawn principals and the community.  

In Partnership,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Anaya Bryson

Westlawn Elementary Principals