Should You Be Allowed to Snack in Class?

To: Room 306 Students 

Subject: A New Rule

Dear Class,

    I have decided to ban snacking in Room 306. If any student is caught eating in class, they will be given a warning. Next time, it’ll be a write-up.

    Why am I creating this rule? There are many downsides to eating in class. The first one is the mess. Have you ever sat at a desk with a big blob of jelly on it from the last kid’s PB&J? It’s gross, and it also attracts pests. (Remember that roach problem our school had last year?) 

    Another issue with snacks is distraction. Let’s say your neighbor opens a bag of buttery popcorn. Then maybe another student starts chomping on crunchy pretzel sticks. The smells and sounds can make it hard to focus.

    Sure, some foods are quieter and less smelly than others. But it’s a waste of time to decide which snacks are OK and when. And the moment someone takes out any snack, people start nudging them to share. The easiest solution is a total ban. I hope this will make our classroom cleaner and quieter for all.

    Sincerely,

    Mr. Goldsworthy

To: Room 306 Students 

Subject: A New Rule

Dear Class,

    I have decided to ban snacking in Room 306. If any student is caught eating in class, they will get a warning. Next time, it’ll be a write-up.

    Why am I making this rule? There are many reasons. First, there’s the mess. Have you ever sat at a desk with a blob of jelly on it from the last kid’s PB&J? It’s gross, and it also attracts pests. (Remember that roach problem our school had last year?)

    Another issue with snacks is distraction. Let’s say your neighbor opens a bag of popcorn. Then another student starts chomping on crunchy pretzel sticks. The smells and sounds can make it hard to focus.

    Sure, some foods are quieter and less smelly than others. But it’s a waste of time to decide which snacks are OK. And when someone takes out any snack, people start nudging them to share. The easiest solution is a total ban. I hope this will make our classroom cleaner and quieter for all.

    Sincerely,

    Mr. Goldsworthy

To: Room 306 Students 

Subject: A New Rule

Dear Class,

    I have decided to ban snacking in Room 306. If any student is caught eating in class, they will be given a warning. Next time, it’ll be a write-up.

    I’m creating this rule because there are many downsides to eating in class. The first one is the mess. Have you ever sat at a desk with a big blob of jelly on it from the last kid’s PB&J? It’s gross, and it also attracts pests. (Remember that roach problem our school had last year?)

    Another issue with snacks is distraction. Let’s say your neighbor opens a bag of buttery popcorn, and then another student starts chomping on crunchy pretzel sticks. The combination of smells and sounds can make it difficult to concentrate on learning.

    Sure, some foods are quieter and less smelly than others—but it’s a waste of time to decide which snacks are OK and when. And the moment someonetakes out any snack, people start nudging them to share. The easiest solution is a total ban. I hope this will make our classroom cleaner and quieter for all.

    Sincerely,

    Mr. Goldsworthy

To: Mr. Goldsworthy

Subject: Re: A New Rule

Dear Mr. Goldsworthy,

    I understand your reasons for wanting to ban snacks. But I don’t think it’s a good idea. Let me tell you why.

    You mentioned snacks being a distraction. But do you know what’s even more distracting? Being hungry in class. And as middle schoolers, we get hungry a lot. Personally, I leave my house at 7 a.m. My lunchtime isn’t until 11:20 a.m. By third period, I’m starving. 

    And what about kids who have sports or activities right after school? An afternoon snack might be their only chance to eat before dinnertime.

    I understand that snacking can be messy. But we can be responsible and clean up after ourselves. Give us a chance to prove that we can handle it.

    I’m not saying it should be a free-for-all. Maybe we could all work together to come up with a list of approved snacks. Anything messy, smelly, or loud would be off-limits. That way, we could create a policy that works for all of us.

    Sincerely,

    Winnie

To: Mr. Goldsworthy

Subject: Re: A New Rule

Dear Mr. Goldsworthy,

    I understand why you want to ban snacks. But I don’t think it’s a good idea. Let me tell you why.

    You say snacks are a distraction. But do you know what’s even more distracting? Being hungry in class. And as middle schoolers, we get hungry a lot. I leave my house at 7 a.m. My lunchtime isn’t until 11:20 a.m. By third period, I’m starving.

    And what about kids who have sports or activities right after school? An afternoon snack might be their only chance to eat before dinnertime.

    I know snacking can be messy. But we can be responsible and clean up after ourselves. Give us a chance to prove that we can handle it.

    I’m not saying it should be a free-for-all. Maybe we could all agree on a list of approved snacks. Anything messy, smelly, or loud would be off-limits. That way, we could create a policy that works for all of us.

    Sincerely,

    Winnie

To: Mr. Goldsworthy

Subject: Re: A New Rule

Dear Mr. Goldsworthy,

    Although I understand your reasons for wanting to ban snacks, I don’t think it’s a good idea —and here’s why.

    You mentioned snacks being a distraction, but do you know what’s even more distracting? Being hungry in class. And as middle schoolers, we get hungry a lot. Personally, I leave my house at 7 a.m. and don’t eat lunch until 11:20 a.m. By third period, I’m starving.

    And for kids who have sports or activities right after school, an afternoon snack might be their only chance to eat before dinnertime.

    I understand that snacking can be messy, but we can be responsible and clean up after ourselves. Give us an opportunity to prove that we can handle it.

    I’m not saying it should be a free-for-all. Maybe we could all work together to come up with a list of approved snacks. Anything messy, smelly, or noisy would be off-limits. That way, we could create a policy that works for all of us.

    Sincerely,

    Winnie