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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Fourth-grade students at Austintown Intermediate School sat with each other during the No One Eats Alone lunch day on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Officer Jeff Toth sat with fourth-grade students on Feb. 10 during the No One Eats Alone day at Austintown Intermediate School.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students sat with new people during the No One Eats Alone day at Austintown Intermediate School on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The Austintown Intermediate School lunchroom was filled with students who sat next to new friends during the No One Eats Alone day on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Police officers and teachers sat with Austintown Intermediate School students on Feb. 10 during the No One Eats Alone day.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Austintown Intermediate School students created new friendships at lunch during the No One Eats Alone day on Feb. 10.
During each lunch period the students were encouraged to sit with new people and invite students who may have been eating alone to come sit with them. The PTA decorated the cafeteria tables with balloons and napkins and had stickers and bracelets that said “Inspiring youth to end social isolation.”
AIS has been teaching lessons to the students about empathy and diversity throughout the year. The students were taught to put themselves in the other person’s shoes and try to imagine how they feel and see what other people go through.
“We are focusing on accepting others,” said counselor Jeanne Senchak. “You find that your alikes are more than your differences.”
School officers were invited to come to the students’ lunches and sit with them. All of the principals attended each of the lunches and interacted with the students as they ate their lunch.
“The officers have their own lunch, but they gave that up today to sit with the kids. They sat and ate with different kids too,” said PTA President Patty Herman.
Some of the students who sat at a different table with someone new were rewarded with a sticker from the PTA.
The students came into lunch happy to sit somewhere different than their regular tables. They were able to sit with friends in other classes while inviting students they don’t know to sit with them. Many of the students made new friends from this project.
“The kids are really excited about it, they think it’s a party,” said Herman.
AIS encourages their students to learn from others and learn about diversity. The students learned about different places and cultures they might not know a lot about.
No One Eats Alone day is a way to bring a new level of awareness to not only students, but to the faculty and community.