Warwick, R.I. – Class, from now on there will be no talking at lunch.
A Roman Catholic elementary school adopted new lunchroom rules this week requiring students to remain silent while eating. The move comes after three recent choking incidents in the cafeteria.
No one was hurt, but the principal of St. Rose of Lima School explained in a letter to parents that if the lunchroom is loud, staff members cannot hear a child choking.
Christine Lamoureux, whose 12-year-old is a sixth-grader at the school, said she respects the safety issue but thinks the rule is a bad idea. “They are silent all day,” she said. “They have to get some type of release.”
Diocese of Providence spokesman Michael Guilfoyle said the school does not expect complete silence but enough quiet to keep students safe.
Lori Healey, a teacher at the school who also has a son in third grade, said “silent lunch” means students can whisper.
“They know it’s not for punishment,” she said. “It’s for safety, and they’ll be the first ones to tell you.”
Stacey Wildenhain, a teacher’s assistant at St. Rose, said her 7-year-old son does not mind the policy. He told her: “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out to play,” she said.
