Thank You Lunch Crew at Sparke!

My son just started Kindergarten and it will be the beginning of many firsts. He will be making new friends and following a new routine, getting adjusted to the longer day and all the new atmosphere that school is. It will also be the first time him and I are not lunch companions and that is a biggee for us. I volunteered this week at the school to assist with duties in the lunchroom. I was greeted with warm smiles from the regulars, the women who work the lunchroom year after year. How come I've never noticed them before? How did I not think to meet them when my daughter was just starting out? I did not opt to volunteer when it meant bringing my son along so being at the school for lunch time was MY first and eye opening. The Lunch Crew have so many responsibilities. Not only do they guide the kids to their seats, and help them poke straws inside their little juice boxes, they soothe the teary ones, they walk the ones who need to go to the bathroom, they encourage and joke with the ones who eat very slowly, and of course always keep the kids seated -- not easy! The kids are full of energy and loud and somehow the ladies are all at ease and speaking in gentle tones while scrambling for the safety scissors to cut open those tubed yogurts. We often send our kids to school after that sweet peck goodbye and imagine them at their desks, sitting on the carpet for storytime and waiting on lines in the hallways. Some of the kids are so well mannered and look like little kindergarten pros while others are bouncing around thinking they are already in recess! A blend of personalities and all innocent. Seeing them finally get a chance to talk to each other out of the classroom. How some of them devour their favorite goodies with Mom's little notes and heart shaped sandwiches. It was a great volunteering experience and it really helped me to appreciate the crew working in the kitchen and in the eating area. If you have a chance, go visit your school cafeteria and lend a hand. Even wiping down tables in between lunch slots was appreciated. Go to your school cafeteria and THANK the crew. I think they are sometimes overlooked and they really are there for a big part of our kids' day. Thank you so much Sparke Lunch Crew!