Job Description of an Elementary Lunch Aide

At first glance, the position of a lunch lady or lunch aide might seem like a fairly simple job that does not entail much but that is actually far from the truth. Lunch aides in elementary schools have many tasks that they must execute in order to ensure that the day moves along smoothly for everyone. The duties of a lunch aide differ from school to school and from district to district. If you are applying for a lunch aide position in an elementary school but are uncertain of what the job entails you should take a look below at the general duties of lunch aides to help prepare you for your first day. You should know that the duties of lunch aides vary from school to school so there is a chance that you might not do some of the tasks that are mentioned below.

1. Help children with their lunches. You will have to help children open their milks, snacks, juices or lunches. Younger children may need some help opening packaged condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish, syrup, and mayonnaise. Children might need help opening fruit such as bananas or oranges. You should make sure to wear your gloves when handling food. Children will also come up to you to ask if they can use the restroom and in some cases they might not feel well and will ask to go to the nurse. In some schools children will have lunch in the classroom so you will have to set up the food in the classroom and help the children with their lunches.

2. Check roster . You will be given a sheet of paper with the names of the children in your class. This list can be anywhere from 17-20 or more children. Your will have to check off whether the students received a school lunch, a bagged lunch or if they are absent.

3. Take note of allergies. As a lunch aide it is important to know which kids in your class have allergies and what those allergies are. Some schools equip aides with the allergy information, medicine and information about the child.

4. You will have to make sure kids are seated. It is important to make sure the kids are properly seated so that they do not harm themselves or fool around and choke on their food.

5. Make sure kids chatter is kept at a decent level. Kids love to talk and that is fine but not all classes have lunch at the same time so when your kids are eating others are studying. It is important that the noise level remains at a decent level in respect to the other student and staff members that are working.

6. Look out for misbehavior. Kids will be kids and they will misbehave when given the chance. It is important that you watch all children and make sure that they are not touching each other, pulling on each other, or horse playing. You might have to separate some kids if they have a problem keeping calm. You want to make sure that they are not playing with their food or getting out of their seat.

7. Stack the trays and place them to the side. As children eat you may have to stack the trays and keep them to the side so that they can be washed.

8. Line kids up in a nice orderly, quiet line and take them to recess. You have to make sure that children are in a neat line and are quiet as they are in the halls and walking down the stairs. It is important that children are not fooling around or are running and jumping down the stairs.

9. You might have to watch the children at recess. When the kids are at recess you have to make sure that they are safe and that they keep their hands to themselves. Make sure that kids are not playing too roughly or that they are not in harm's way.

10. You will have to line the kids up and walk them back to the classroom and make sure they are seated and quiet. The teacher might not be there and so you will have to wait with them until their teacher arrives.

11. Lastly, you might have to wipe trays and tables down with disinfectant spray so that they are ready for the next class.