I’d like to petition for block lunch. Students should get the opportunity to have tutoring during the day with their teachers because of the difficulties of coming extra early or staying later, when the ease of understanding a subject can happen in the school environment without having to manipulate their schedules. Though we have study hall for 25 minutes, not all teachers are lenient in letting their students leave the class. Block lunch also allows a certain time of leisure to students that are needing an outlet from the tedious day of school work. It also is not fair for one year of bad decisions to ruin the privilege of block lunch without giving the new year a fair chance of even earning it. I propose a fresh start, not an automatic free period, but a chance to change the opinion of block lunch. On top of that, mental health is a big factor of teens in this generation. Block lunch provides a time where kids can interact with their friends, and have something to look forward to at school. Studies say “relaxing and rebooting is essential for achieving productivity, success, and a positive outlook on the future. This is especially true for students who spend hours huddled in front of a computer. While many believe cram sessions and all-night study groups will ultimately help them earn their college degree, the fact is that not taking regular breaks can lead to a significant decrease in academic performance and, in some cases, serious health concerns like anxiety, insomnia, and depression.” As well, Edutopia.org research-tested the benefits of breaks. They stated, “There are more benefits to downtime than increased attention: It decreases stress, increases productivity, boosts brain function, and provides opportunities for children to learn social skills.” Block lunch 2.0 in my opinion didn’t meet teen’s needs. This lunch was very similar to traditional lunch. I say you give 2019-2020 Clark students a chance to get block lunch back. To start, we can have block lunch on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s.

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