Lunch Detention.....

[MM27]

My school has two levels of lunch detention. One is a lunch detention table in the cafeteria. They have to sit silently the whole time. They are the last table to go up and get their lunch, so yes they have less time than everyone else to eat.

The other lunch detention is in the VP office. Kids are brought to the office by the security guard and then he goes and gets their lunch and brings it to the office. The have to eat at a table in the VP office and she makes them do work while they are eating.

My sister is also a teacher, in a middle school. They can send kids to in-school suspension as a lunch detention or they keep them in their classroom. Either way, the kids have to eat lunch in the room and they don't get the option of hot lunch. They bring all the kids a brown bag lunch with a cheese sandwich, a piece of fruit and a milk.

 

[lajones81]

Does it matter that it's a private school vs. a public school?

Yes...

I would think that a private school would have different requirements on what is legal punishment than a public school would.

...because of the above statement.

 

[mhsjax]

My school has two levels of lunch detention. One is a lunch detention table in the cafeteria. They have to sit silently the whole time. They are the last table to go up and get their lunch, so yes they have less time than everyone else to eat.

The other lunch detention is in the VP office. Kids are brought to the office by the security guard and then he goes and gets their lunch and brings it to the office. The have to eat at a table in the VP office and she makes them do work while they are eating.

My sister is also a teacher, in a middle school. They can send kids to in-school suspension as a lunch detention or they keep them in their classroom. Either way, the kids have to eat lunch in the room and they don't get the option of hot lunch. They bring all the kids a brown bag lunch with a cheese sandwich, a piece of fruit and a milk.

I would have no problem with the bag lunch if my kid got into trouble. Just no cheese and no milk. Man why does everything have to be dairy. Then they would be punished after my kid threw up all over the place.

 

[dislal]

I've never heard of a "lunch" detention involve the kid not being able to eat.

I thought they just had to eat in a special location apart from the other kids.

this is what happens in our school they either eat with the principal, teacher or the cafeteria has a special table set up for this, but they DO get to eat the regular lunch!

 

[simba20]

Haven't read the replies, but......

NO! Being able to NOt eat is not an appropriate punsihment. Dention should be after school.

However, with that said, I do agree with what my husband's school does. If they feel a student is deemed to be punished during lunch, then the students is given "silent lunch." My husband's school cafeteria is also the auditorium and on the stage are desks (like used in the classroom) spaced out, that the "silent lunchers" have to eat at. As I said the desks are spaced out so the kids can't talk to each other, nor can they talk at all period. The curtain is closed from the cafeteria side of things so the silent lunchers aren't started at or get called names by the kids, but the side is open and a teacher supervises the silent lunchers.

Sorry, withholding food is a big "no-no" in my book.

The only way kids ever get withheld food, is if they have a large balance that has been carried for far too long on their lunch account, but that RARELY happens to the students, considering 97% of my husband's school is on free/reduced lunch (I am getting my Master's in Education and I use my husband's school for projects. For some projetcs, I have had to collect large demographic data about the school).

This is a middle school by the way.

 

[2disneyboys]

my kids attend a private school, and before I handed over any money, mysellf, my husband, and my child (both of them) had to sign a statement that we read, understood and agreed to the school handbook. and we have to do this EACH year. There is a "simpler" statment for the younger kids, but once they hit the middle school range they should have the ability to comprehend the same handbook that mom & dad sign) The handbook is very specific... what "infractions" can get you what "punishments". some I think are silly however, We knew and agreed to them before hand. If I didn't like them I could take my kids elsewhere. and yes, my kids have had detention for acquiring enough infractions for silly stuff .... oh well.. thats the rules, if you don't like them, either send your kid to public school (in my district - oh the horrors) or send them to a different private school or homeschool. And as for being late - even if its only 5 mins late, it's an infraction (regardless of who'sfault (mom, traffic)) because it is still a disruption to the class to come in late!. How long would your boss let you keep coming in late without eventually saying something to you? My kid's school says that not only are they educating our children on the basic subjects, but they are also working with the parents to train the children to handle "real life". sometimes in real life you have to miss out on fun or even, the horror, be a little uncomfortable, to "help" you learn a lesson.

I would be SHOCKED if the school truly did not allow the child SOME time to eat, and yes, 5 minutes to eat something quickly is fine.. most kids eat in that amount of time anyway so that they can get out on the play ground or socialize quicker. before I got all "up in arms" about it, as the parent, I would 1. be aware of the handbook rules and 2. talk to an adult @ the school. I would'nt get all worked up going just on what a child (teenager) says... I love my teenage neices, but my sister and my sister in law (2 different familes) have both had to "eat crow" from getting all worked up only to find out that yes, the teenagers told the truth... just now the WHOLE truth.

 

[J3nn78]

I doubt that they are not allowed to eat lunch. Sounds like missing information.

 

[Reddy]

Does a lunchtime detention (resulting in the child not eating lunch) seem like an appropriate punishment?

is the child given food to eat??
I know most lunch detention means that they can't sit with friends & aren't allow to talk.
if the child chooses not to eat then that is the childs choice & may be trying to get out of the detention - I think the child is trying to get away with getting out of the punishment for the child's wrong doing.

I haven't read the rest of response - going to now but I wanted my feelings said before others changed them. which is did the child have food to eat if so then it is childs fault for not eating - good of the school to keep said child in the punishment & not give in to said child -- you give in then they know you will give in & ssaying this is the punishment - why would they believe you??

 

[BeefJerky]

I used to have lunchtime detention but instead of skipping a lunch you either had your lunch with you or some time before the school's lunch period started you would buy your hot meal beforehand and then you had to eat in a study hall and stay there until it was time for classes.

I don't see any school administration making a student skip a meal, it is more likely making a kid miss hanging out with their friends.

 

[punkin]

Lunchtime detention exhists in DD12's middle school. They have to serve it in the room of the teacher who punished them. They are allowed to either bring a lunch to eat from home or go to the lunchroom to pick up their lunch and bring it back to eat in detention. Lunchtime detention is usually given out with advance notice. I have no problem with the way this is done.

 

[mjkacmom]

This is a 15 year old - I don't find it a crime if she only has 5 minutes to eat lunch one day. I know SO many HS students who don't have a scheduled lunch, and my dd will eventually be one of them. College acceptance is getting so competitive, that in order to get the extra electives in, kids take zero period, and their lunch period, and use those times for classes. Dd14 has already scheduled a zero period course for next year, and if she gets into another class she wants, bye bye lunch.

 

[roscoepc1]

That's tantamount to child abuse, imho. In fact, I believe it's one of the legal definitions. Withholding of anything needed to sustain a comfortable life.

My child would be given permission to disobey any such order if it happened to them. And to tell the teacher to call me to get an earful as well.

They already have our permission to walk out of class if their TRUE bathroom needs are denied. of course they do NOT have permission to use "bathroom needs" as an excuse for sloughing off class.

 

[EveDallas]

Missing one meal should not be considered abuse; possible exception being the kid who's only meal is while at school. But I doubt a kid like that would be going to private school and if they were the school officials would probably know about it.

Getting use to missing a meal here and there would probably be good for most kids considering a missed meal while at work has been known to happen.

Please be careful with blanket statements like this. My son is Type 1 diabetic, and a missed meal would not be good for him at all. And definitely not good for the school once I got wind of it.

 

[hereyago]

DD's school for lunch detention: silent table for the duration of lunch, and yes you do eat.

I think the OP's friend is misinformed about her DD not being fed.

DD's school, say if you don't have money for lunch: 2 options, go to the office and borrow for the day or you get a pb and J and milk. So there is no child not eating. Now if the child gets the food and doesnt eat, that's another thing.

I recall even in high school, I had 3 days of in school suspension-we had a different time for lunch then everyone else, but we were still fed.

 

[perdidochas]

Does a lunchtime detention (resulting in the child not eating lunch) seem like an appropriate punishment?

No. I think it may be against the law, especially if the child is on free/reduced lunch.

Now, my wife used to teach at a school that had lunchtime detention, but the detention was having to eat lunch silently at a table in between the teachers' tables.

 

[hereyago]

This is a co-workers child. She is 15 (9th or 10th grade) and this is a private school. If you get 3 "violations" (late, incorrect uniform, etc) then you get a lunch detention. My co-worker said that she goes to a room where they just sit and do nothing. They may get 5 minutes or so after the detention to eat something before they have to run to their next class. With only 5 minutes, you don't have time to chew.

I think the co worker needs to go to the school and inquire about it as well as find out why she got detention in the first place.

 

[perdidochas]

Does it matter that it's a private school vs. a public school?

Yes. Private schools have almost no regulation. Parents choose to send their kids there, and if they don't like it, they can easily change it.

 

[rie'smom]

We had lunch detention in high school but it didn't keep the student from eating lunch. They just had their lunch in a study hall type atmosphere in a different room where they were not allowed to socialize for the period instead of eating in the cafeteria that day. Even if you wanted to buy lunch you were escorted to the cafeteria to buy the lunch and then escorted back to the detention room.

My high school used the same room for lunch detention as in-school suspensions.

This is what lunch detention is like here too.

 

[palavra]

Yes. Private schools have almost no regulation. Parents choose to send their kids there, and if they don't like it, they can easily change it.

I'm a private school teacher. My daughter also attends the school. I really don't understand what you mean here. How can parents easily change the rules?

 

[luvmy3]

That's tantamount to child abuse, imho. In fact, I believe it's one of the legal definitions. Withholding of anything needed to sustain a comfortable life.
My child would be given permission to disobey any such order if it happened to them. And to tell the teacher to call me to get an earful as well.

They already have our permission to walk out of class if their TRUE bathroom needs are denied. of course they do NOT have permission to use "bathroom needs" as an excuse for sloughing off class.

So, in your opinion one day of having 5 minutes to eat your lunch in a room all by yourself is equal to child abuse because its witholding something from the 15 year old to sustain their comfortable life? I'm not sure I can even comment without risking points but I will say I think you have a distorted view of child abuse really is.