Students at Westside Middle School are settling into a newly renovated cafeteria this fall, complete with expanded seating, added space and large windows that allow sunlight to brighten the lunchroom.
The redesign created a more open environment that school leaders say is improving both the atmosphere and the flow of lunchtime.
“It’s just a nice open space,” Nutrition Director Erin Vick said. “The new windows bring in a lot of natural light, which tends to put people in a better mood and make things a little bit more enjoyable to sit around.”
The school also expects the cafeteria to function as a multi-purpose space for student activities throughout the year.
“We’ll start to see student meetings and different group gatherings take place here,” Principal Kimberly Eymann said. “It’s more than just a lunchroom now.”
With the added seating, more students rotate through the lunchroom at once. To keep the flow moving smoothly, the school created a new schedule where groups enter and exit the cafeteria in 10-minute intervals.
“Every ten minutes, another group of students moves in and another moves out,” Eymann said. “We usually have three teams in here at one time. It keeps everything steady and consistent.”
The more efficient rotation also allowed the school to shorten the overall lunch schedule, ensuring students eat at more traditional lunchtime hours.
“It allows kids to eat during an actual lunchtime rather than stretching from 10:55 a.m. to 1:20 p.m.,” Eymann said. “Now lunch runs 10:55 to 12:30, which works so much better for students and staff.”
Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding the new variety of seating, which includes booths, tables and flexible arrangements.
“Students are already asking if they can switch sections so they can try the booths,” Eymann said. “We’re exploring ways to rotate where students sit so everyone gets a chance to use different seating styles.”
As the school year continues, staff plan to adjust seating and scheduling as needed to maximize comfort and community in the new space.
