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N.J. Students Forced To Eat On Floor
WCBSTV.com ^ | October 11, 2007 | WCBSTV

Posted on 10/11/2007 7:15:55 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner

MAHWAH, N.J. (CBS) ― Bergen County parents are floored by a new school lunch policy. Their children were forced to eat their lunch on the floor.

Mahwah School Superintendent Charles Montesano won't let CBS 2 HD in his high school, specifically anywhere near the floors inside. Yet, that's exactly where students have been eating their lunch.

That's right. Nearly 1,000 students attend classes at Mahwah High School daily, and at lunchtime, a good majority of them are on the floor, as seen in pictures obtained exclusively by CBS 2 HD.

(snip)

Renowned microbiologist Dr. Philip Tierno warns 80 percent of all infectious diseases are spread through contact. So when a child touches the floor to sit, then touches a sandwich, whatever is on the floor can then be ingested.

"I would categorize it as stupid," Tierno said. "I would characterize it as primitive, and the scourge of third world countries.

(snip)

Even the local health department decries eating on the floor. In a letter they sent to the school, they call the practice, "very unsanitary." Yet in order for Mahwah High School to lengthen its teaching time, they opted to push all 1,000 students through a single, 43-minute lunch period.

"This allows teachers to go into greater depth in their discussions," Superintendent Montesano said.

The school would not release their own specific results from bacterial swab tests, but a parent forwarded those results sent home Wednesday, confirming the presence of dangerous pathogens like E. coli and enterococcus found in feces.

Since our interview, the school says it forbids the floor dining, opting instead for gym bleachers and other seating.

(Excerpt) Read more at wcbstv.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: bergencounty; charlesmontesano; disease; education; jersey; mahwah; neujersey; publicschools; school; schools
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To: the OlLine Rebel
The way I see it, the more germs you got, the better chance they’ll just wind up canceling each other out.
61 posted on 10/11/2007 9:07:36 AM PDT by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Still Championship U (At least we didn't lose to Stanford))
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

Wouldn’t it be better to allow the students to get lunch and take it back to their desks? Or to set up tables outside?


62 posted on 10/11/2007 9:07:54 AM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Dana Carvey had a serious heart problem, had to get surgery, and they botched it, and he almost died. Then he had to get another heart surgery right away. He convalesced for a long time. At least that’s how I remember it.


63 posted on 10/11/2007 9:10:10 AM PDT by Marie2 (I used to be disgusted. . .now I try to be amused.)
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To: Clintons Are White Trash
I agree besides the troops in the field I'm sure don't carry around tables and chairs nothing wrong with a picnic.
64 posted on 10/11/2007 9:13:43 AM PDT by bikerman (_ _ . /_ _ _ /_ . . / / . . . . / . / . _ . . / . _ _ . / / . . _ / . . . //)
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To: Marie2

Wow! Thanks for the info. Hope he’s doing OK now.


65 posted on 10/11/2007 9:23:42 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The broken wall, the burning roof and tower. And Agamemnon dead.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

My friend owns a restaurant in that town, and I can personally attest to the fact that the health inspector’s office there is quite efficient. I’m surprised the school got away with this for so long.


66 posted on 10/11/2007 9:33:12 AM PDT by jmc813 (.) (.)
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To: stylin19a
Stylin' you're what I love about FreeRepublic. As I was reading this post, I kept thinking, "someone should post a pick of our soldiers, eating MREs in their foxholes." Lo and behold, I see your post!

There is a lesson here, for these students, if they choose to accept it. There are far worse things in this world than occasionally eating off the floor.

67 posted on 10/11/2007 9:43:25 AM PDT by Lou L
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To: Lou L

Well, not eating off the floor like my dog’s do, but eating while sitting on the floor.


68 posted on 10/11/2007 9:45:04 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Lou L

Thanks...

or, the kids could look at it as good training for becoming “snake eaters”...

Freep On.


69 posted on 10/11/2007 9:46:47 AM PDT by stylin19a
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To: dfwgator

(At least we didn’t lose to Stanford)

I LOL’D

^_^


70 posted on 10/11/2007 9:49:20 AM PDT by Constantine XIII
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

Boo Hoo... have to sit on the floor. Tell them to join the Army like me and you’ll be happy to eat in the rain and in the mud sometimes.


71 posted on 10/11/2007 9:50:03 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (Arm Pilots&Teachers. Build the Wall. Export Illegals. Profile Muslims.Kill all child molesters RFN!)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
in order for Mahwah High School to lengthen its teaching time, they opted to push all 1,000 students through a single, 43-minute lunch period.

Good Lord, how on earth does making them eat at once "lengthen teaching time"? If 500 kids take 43 minutes to eat, then go to class whn the next 500 students take 43 minutes out of their daily schedule to eat... how exactly is any teaching time "lost"???? It's 43 minutes, either way!

*sigh*

Morons.

72 posted on 10/11/2007 10:52:58 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: jdm
” It’s quite easy to sit down on any flat surface without touching it. It just takes a bit of practice.”

lol.... You are so smug its funny. You must be soooo flexible, dexterous, and physically marvelous.... There, feel better? I guess it hadn't occurred to you that most kids couldn't care less about whether or not they touch the floor with their hands. It's easier for them to do so, so they will, and just because you used to sit on the floor to eat doesn't make it smart or healthy. People used to drive around without seat belts or car seats for children too. That doesn't make the practice safe or smart.

73 posted on 10/11/2007 10:56:10 AM PDT by monday
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To: stevio
“This makes no sense. They’re trying to say that sitting at a table takes more time to eat than sitting on the floor?”

er no..... they are saying that there aren’t enough tables for 1000 students to eat at, all at the same time.

74 posted on 10/11/2007 10:59:44 AM PDT by monday
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To: ClearCase_guy

“Wow! Thanks for the info. Hope he’s doing OK now.”

he was on Leno last night. He seemed fine.


75 posted on 10/11/2007 11:11:03 AM PDT by monday
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To: Lou L
“There is a lesson here, for these students, if they choose to accept it. There are far worse things in this world than occasionally eating off the floor.”

Frankly, I think the parents are more concerned about it, than the kids. I suppose if we want to teach our children that the world is a dirty uncomfortable place and they are lucky to have it as well as they do, not a bad lesson to learn BTW, then their might be better ways to teach it.

OTOH, Most people would look at how much they pay for property taxes and think, “With all the money I give them, why does my kid have to sit on the floor to eat lunch?” Seems stupid, but not any more stupid than most of the policies of public schools.

I think the problems with public schools can be summed up with the observation that they are administered by idiots with room temperature IQ’s.

76 posted on 10/11/2007 11:21:42 AM PDT by monday
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To: monday
lol.... You are so smug its funny. You must be soooo flexible, dexterous, and physically marvelous.... There, feel better?

Did I also mention that I can walk on water? However, it must be bottled water. And a lot of times I lose my balance and fall down if I try to walk on too many bottles at once.

Just teasing. :O)

77 posted on 10/11/2007 11:41:03 AM PDT by jdm
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To: monday

I guess it helps when you read the whole story.


78 posted on 10/11/2007 11:51:29 AM PDT by stevio ((NRA))
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