As of last week, McLean has implemented new policies and restrictions outlining where students are permitted during lunch periods.
“McLean’s new staff brings a wealth of experience and perspectives from [previously working for] other schools,” assistant principal Zachary Winfrey said. “We are [enforcing] FCPS lunch regulations that were not previously being followed [across McLean].”
Students are now required to remain within the boundary selected as the ‘cafeteria-area,’ the lower-gym lobby near the rock to the bathrooms in the red hallway, including the senior courtyard and cafeteria courtyard. On top of this, students must inform staff when leaving the boundary or receive a pass from staff to access the library.
“We want to know where students are for safety and securing our building,” Winfrey said.
This restriction now prohibits the use of the lecture hall, library courtyard and all other hallways outside the boundary, increasing frustration among students who utilized these areas for lunch.
“If I wanted to sit alone, I had a few places I usually went in the hallways [outside the boundary], but this new policy will affect this,” junior Jack Anglin said. “These were times when I didn’t have to worry about being social for a little while.”
To mitigate this discomfort, McLean is proposing a new project that will revamp the underutilized senior lounge into a functional space similar to areas that students can no longer access.
“We’re going to try to make that into a quiet area for students who want to just sit at a table, eat, put their headphones on and have a quiet space to work,” Winfrey said.
The cafeteria has also revised its arrangement to provide seating for more students in the designated boundary by removing circular tables and replacing them with rectangular ones due to the circular tables’ inefficient configuration.
“[Staff decided] to get rid of the round tables because we needed more seating for all students to have at lunch,” Winfrey said. “If we didn’t, the cafeteria would have 600 students assigned to each lunch period, and would only have what we previously had, which is 400 seats.”
The new lunch procedures also include strict followings of FCPS Regulation 2630.8.III.B.6 and 2630.8.III.B.7, policies that state no mode of transportation should be accessed during school hours without permission, and no students are allowed to leave school in a vehicle, respectively.
“The biggest safety concern is students leaving during lunches, going to their car and
being able to drive [off campus],” Winfrey said. “Driving is a privilege for all citizens. Driving as a student on Fairfax County property, however, is an extreme privilege.”
These new policies are in full enforcement to provide a secure and safe environment for students throughout the day.
“I think it can be inconvenient sometimes because it’s annoying to be in a designated lunch zone,” junior Aiden Smith said. “However, I still think it’s better for the school because it’s not distracting other students who are in class during those times, and it’s enforcing more safety across the school.”
