Bob Jones students know it’s not easy eating lunch in twenty minutes. Imagine having an hour.  If you had an hour for lunch, it wouldn’t matter how long the line was. You would not have to rush to the cafeteria. There would be time to use the bathroom without being late to class.

James Clemens is experimenting with Refuel Hour, which is an hour for lunch each day.  Students can use that time to eat, do homework, study or to just hang out. During this time students go to club meetings or take make-up tests, which limits the need for before-school or after-school scheduling.  Students can meet with mentors or participate in MakerSpace activities.

Though it seems like there’s plenty to do, not everyone at James Clemens likes how long lunch is. James Clemens student Alyssa Hinze felt that their lunch was “too long because I eat my food in twenty minutes and have nothing to do for the rest of the time.”

Some Bob Jones students like Ashley Romans welcomed the idea of a longer lunch.  “I love the idea of an hour for lunch, and I wish Bob Jones could switch to that schedule.”

On the other hand, Bob Jones student Amanda Melton felt a middle ground might work best. “Lunch should be longer, but an hour is too much.” 

Bob Jones teacher Mrs. Panagos suggested having an hour-long lunch once or twice a week instead of having it every day.  “I haven’t discussed the successes or failures of the new lunch schedule with any student, teacher, or administrator at James Clemens, and I would have to do that to have a truly informed opinion.  I feel like it might be too much free time.  In theory, it seems like a good idea, but I wonder about supervision and if the majority of students are doing something beneficial with that time each and every day.”

With our school’s renovation nearly complete, maybe it’s time to rethink our daily schedule at Bob Jones.