DENVER — McMeen Elementary school wants its students to be 21st-century thinkers and it's achieving that goal with some changes in the school lunchroom.
“We’re here to teach kids about how to be global citizens,” said Principal David Adams. “We’re pushing ourselves as educators to make sure that we’re preparing our kids to be able to compete.”
The Denver Public School is made up of students who represent 32 countries and speak 19 different languages. Adams took over as principal of the elementary school last year and wanted to see the school’s vision turn into a reality. He noticed there was a problem within the student body, not in the classroom but in the lunchroom.
“Something that I often would witness is that there would be segregation,” said Adams. “Last year, one of the things that used to irk me was that we had these long rectangular tables in the cafeteria.”
Adams said the rectangular tables prevented students from communicating with each other and standing in long lunch lines didn’t give the students enough time to socialize.
“One of the skills kids need to be able to have to compete in a global society is communication and so I want to hear kids talking and communicating across cultures,” said Adams.
“I ended up giving up on school lunch ever since the first time I had to wait in a long line,” said 5th grader Clive Dall. “I ended up being home lunched ever since then.”
Adams had an idea, to serve lunch family-style, where students share circular tables and have their food brought to them. They get to work on their manners by saying please and thank you as the food is passed around the table.
Students are also learning how to portion their food, share with one another and speak up when they would like more. The new system is a first for DPS.
“Our school is 80% free and reduced lunch,” said Adams. “There are some of our students that don’t have the opportunity to dine out or don’t come from homes that those things are taught and so our job here at the school is to teach the whole child.”
“What I like about it is how we have circular tables because we have better communication than at the rectangular tables,” said 5th grader Jalisa Bowers. “It’s hard to talk to each other but when it’s circular you can all face each other and talk.”
“It’s easier for the staff as well,” said volunteer Cory Kim. “Because there’s no more lines and it only takes a few minutes to just pass out the food rather than the students waiting in a line that takes 10 or 20 minutes.”
The school says they are proud of this change and how it aligns with the school’s vision for student success.
“To make sure that in the classroom those things are happening and in the lunchroom, those things are happening so that they are the leaders of the 21st century,” said Adams.
“It helps us communicate more and teach us skills for communication that we’re probably going to need for the rest of our lives,” said Dall.
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