During a school day, there is one period on everyone’s mind: lunch. Lunch is a valuable part of a student’s schedule as it not only allows a break between one’s rigorous school schedule, but also gives students the opportunity to socialize with friends or ask teachers questions during non-instructional time. While some schools have multiple lunch periods, Bernards High School has incorporated a unit lunch–meaning every student and teacher has lunch at one time–into their school day.
This change was introduced around 2019 with the new rotate and drop schedule, and prior to this change, there were four separate forty-two-minute lunch periods, with the first one starting at 10 a.m. A unit lunch lengthens the time of the lunch block from forty-two to fifty-six minutes, with the exception of a lunch lab.
Not only does this give students the opportunity to socialize, but it also allows students the opportunity to ask teachers questions during lunch without worrying about disrupting a class. A unit lunch also allows clubs to run meetings during lunch, making them more accessible to every student.
“To have one period, and it’s an hour long where we can make connections, whether they be academic connections or social connections, I think has been a true positive for the school,” said Dr. Neigel, principal of Bernards High School.
While the large amount of unstructured time may cause misbehavior, due to the vast majority of the school using their time appropriately and effectively, the positives of a unit lunch far outweigh any negatives. As well as this, because BHS is a small school, the unit lunch does not get overcrowded or difficult to manage. Schools with larger populations of students may have a difficult time incorporating unit lunches into their schedules.
“I understand why two lunch periods are necessary but I find it sometimes annoying when I’m in a lunch period without my friends,” said Divya Girdhari ‘27, student at Fair Lawn High School, “This happened freshman year and it was difficult to adjust to.”
Lunch is the one period a day where the most socialization occurs, so it is difficult, especially as a freshman in a new school, to be given this unstructured time without friends.
“I feel like [having a unit lunch] works out because you can meet whoever you need to during this time and usually everyone is free whether that be friends or teachers,” said Eva Fernandez ‘26.
The lunch period is also a way that has made science lab periods run more effectively. Before the unit lunch and rotation schedule, a student’s science lab time came out of their gym or health period; however, state law requires that students participate in at least 150 minutes of Physical Education or health program per week. Taking lab time from lunch not only allows for a seamless transition between lunch and lab with bell schedules but also creates a more organized and cohesive way of conducting labs.
In the future, the unit lunch may be altered to include aspects such as including academic support time or reducing the amount of times that labs may meet, adapting to meet students’ needs.
The unit lunch is beneficial for students in managing their time and responsibilities.
