One of Beacon’s safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to close the water fountains to prevent communicable spread. Kids were encouraged to bring in their own water bottles so that they could get drinks, and refill the water bottle. Kids who don’t bring or have a water bottle are offered little cups of water.

The cups of water has become a point of interest for some kids. Getting a cup may be a reason to go to the nurse if cups run out in a teacher’s room. Or a request to refill a cup might be denied to a middle schooler if they are in the middle of class, or if hallway schedule times aren’t great for kids of different ages mixing in the halls.

In talking to Rombout Middle School’s Principal Brian Soltish about a completely unrelated matter of how bullying in school is dealt with these days, one item that came up was refilling water cups. While Principal Soltish did indicate that Rombout Middle School designs its hallway schedule with age groups in mind - to reduce that age-old rivalry between older 8th graders with newer 6th graders - fetching refills of water cups can factor into this.

When asked if the kids can bring water bottles (knowing that kids can, as they are on the school supply lists), Principal Soltish nearly jumped through the phone with an emphatic “YES!!!!” He went on to explain that kids being kids, the water cups are dropped and spill everywhere. “We were buying bottles of water at one point, to curb the cups, but it became too expensive.”

Teachers in the elementary schools are also expressing surprise at how often the little cups of water spill, causing needs to stop teaching and clean up the water. Either at a desk, the floor, on students themselves, or in the hallway.

Water bottles are usually an easy thing to forget, be it for sporting events or now daily school. Even if a household has 17 water bottles at home. However, in addition to the big concepts the teachers are teaching, they want water bottles in backpacks.

PS: Teachers are also asking parents and caregivers to remember to help kids charge their laptops at school. There can be 16 kids in a class with only a few outlets in the classroom. Completing online work in the classroom can be difficult if devices are drained.