Associated Student Body members and supervisor Mrs. Laurie Tristan host an open Zoom session during lunch every Wednesday from 12:30 to 1:00 PM.  Students can get the link from Tristan or in the MacArthur virtual campus on Canvas.

The A.S.B. weekly lunches are an attempt to get students together on a social level since the pandemic has begun.  Tristan fears that in classroom Zoom sessions, students are not connecting at the same level as they do when they are in person.  Since everything is online and not in person, students are not talking or connecting as much.  The weekly lunches are designed to give students an opportunity to talk and connect with their peers in a safe space.

A.S.B. Samira Abarca said that she goes to the A.S.B. lunches because they are fun.  She can spend time with other students that you don’t know and you can meet new people.  She also said that they can play Among Us or talk to Mrs. Tristan.  Because A.S.B. members regularly join the lunch sessions, it often turns into an informal planning session for upcoming morning announcements, like Tigers on the Spot segments.

Because of the continued campus shutdown, students are losing in-person contact and conversation.  Students may still be able to reach out on social media, calls, or Facetime, but it is not the same as in person.  The A.S.B. lunches try to recreate the on-campus lunch period as much as possible.

According to Tristan, “About 20-25 students attend every week.  A.S.B. is coming up with some other fun ideas to get more students involved!  Our A.S.B. members wanted to create a fun lunchtime for kids to bring school spirit so it started as a spirit weekday and then turned into a weekly game day.”  With more students involved that means more people will attend A.S.B. lunches.  

To help build community, MacArthur also has implemented a Tiger Connection Seminar class that is 30 minutes long.  It is the first class of the day where students can talk to the teacher without the pressure of grades and assignments.  During that class, students see morning announcements where Principal Ray Gonzales keeps everyone up to date with campus events.  There are still many ways to stay connected with people during these tough times.