The Cafetorium Conundrum: Scheduling Woes for 1,000+ Cape Elizabeth Students

May 6

The cafeteria serves as the heart of our school, providing nourishment for both body and mind. However, its dual function as an auditorium complicates scheduling because meal times must be balanced with the need for space for assemblies and other events. This challenge is further exacerbated by the fact that the space is shared by both Pond Cove and CEMS, further straining its ability to accommodate both institutions' needs.

Former Pond Cove Elementary principal, Jason Manjourides, discusses the challenges posed by the cafetorium it shares with Cape Elizabeth Middle School.

Efficient scheduling is crucial to the smooth operation of the school day, yet the overlapping demands on the cafetorium significantly disrupt the flow of the school day.

Despite the two schools’ collaborative efforts, lunch periods become a logistical puzzle trying to accommodate the needs of both Pond Cove and the Middle School within limited time frames. Middle schoolers kick off the first lunch of the day at 10:40 a.m. and the cafetorium is in full use until the last students, first graders, finish their meals after 1:00 p.m.

“This timeframe is not conducive to providing the best time for students to have lunch during the school day. It also lacks space, is dark, is unwelcoming, has poor acoustics, and overall does not serve either school well as a cafeteria or as an auditorium.”

— Pond Cove Elementary School Educational Program Report, pg 7

The effort needed to transition between meal service and event setup leaves small windows of time to utilize the space as an auditorium: early morning assemblies before 9:30 a.m. or end-of-the-day meetings after 2:15 p.m.

These space and usage restrictions impact the schedules of the entire student body and allied arts schedule, and the inability to use the auditorium as intended impacts students' learning experiences, and teachers' instructional plans.

With thoughtful design considerations, the new school building project will separate the middle school and the elementary school and create a more seamless school day. Separate spaces will allow for more efficient scheduling of academics, allied arts, assemblies, performances, and other events without impacting the daily flow of each school's activities.