Lunch 3

In a whirl of stressful assignments and frustrating classes, lunch is a joyous time for students to recharge and relax. There is no better lunch period than Lunch 3 for them to do just that. A typical day for a student starts as early as 6:00 A.M. and may end late into the night. Third lunch is the optimal time for lunch at Boston Latin School as it ensures that the body feels fed for longer and the day feels shorter, which makes it a win-win scenario. 

Students need food to be able to thrive throughout the school day and through club meetings, sports practice and other activities. For students who are unable to eat until dinnertime late at night, Lunch 1 and 2 happen far too early during the school day. Since Lunch 3 is the last lunch of the day, it allows the students to remain well-nourished. 

Food influences the chemicals in the brain, and without constant nourishment, the brain would become off-balance, increasing the likelihood of conditions such as anxiety and depression. Nobody enjoys learning when they are “hangry.” Additionally, some do not have regular access to healthy food, making it difficult for them to access nutrients out of school. Relentlessly busy schedules make it easy to routinely skip meals,  often unintentionally. These students depend on school lunches to provide them with healthy sustenance that will fuel them up for the long day, and until their next meal.

Furthermore, many students typically wake up late on weekends, falling into a routine where they eat lunch later in the day. It is challenging to alternate between the different lunchtimes during the week and over the weekends. If one frequently alters their eating routine, they will get hungry at various inconvenient points during the day, which will distract them from productivity. Since Lunch 3 is the last lunch period, it is the most effective in maintaining a consistent schedule throughout the entire week and helping students focus during class.

Eliza Knight Bairstow (IV) adds, “Having the full period of R5 allows me to get more work done in class. The split period in Lunch 2 means that there is less work time in class, I have to refocus once I get back from lunch before I can continue to work.” 

Not only does Lunch 3 make for fewer learning distractions, but many students also agree that Lunch 3 makes the day feel faster because there are only two classes left, rather than three after Lunch 1 or two and a half after Lunch 2. Students can put their mind at ease knowing that a large portion of their day is over, and school dismissal is just around the corner. For a BLS student, the increased productivity, motivational push and sense of relaxation that Lunch 3 brings make all the difference.