‘Lunch Bunch’ is building community and relationships one meal at a time 

Terese Trekell, first-grade teacher at Gideon Pond Elementary, saw a need to connect with her students and develop relationships with them through the simple act of sharing a meal together. 

The “Lunch Bunch,” as she calls it, started several months ago but quickly became very popular among her students. Each week, she selects a few students to eat lunch with her. Sometimes, the entire class is invited. It just depends on the need that week. 

“Lunch Bunch really makes a difference,” said Trekell. “It’s just a time to check in with them and see how things are going. It’s really about building relationships with them.” 

They talk about a variety of things, from what they did over the weekend to what might be bothering them. They also talk about the food they’re eating for lunch and what they think of it. Trekell voluntarily invites her students to join her during her personal lunchtime to make these connections happen and strengthen relationships throughout the class.

“I’m so grateful to have Ms.Trekell, one of our first-grade teachers, do Lunch Bunch with students,” said Gideon Pond Principal Salma Hussein. “Lunch Bunch is an opportunity for students to have lunch with their teacher. It really is a great way to nurture community, to support students, and it's something that students look forward to. So, shout-out to Ms. Trekell for creating this culture of connectedness in her classroom and prioritizing relationships in everything she does.”