Elementary bathrooms: A stinky problem
I teach the youngest bodies that walk through the school doors, and bathroom breaks are a HUGE part of our day. With that being said, the bathrooms that we are currently using (closest to the elementary entrance doors) are not practical, or some days even usable, for 3-5 year olds.
Day-to-day bathroom breaks can be a struggle on a normal day with an age appropriate and updated bathroom, but with the facilities we currently have, they are even more difficult.
One of the main reasons for this difficulty is the gruesome smell that comes and goes during the day, and there have been countless times over the past year that my students will not want to go to the bathroom because of the smell.
It lingers throughout the hallway and sneaks into my classroom, forcing us to leave and go elsewhere to learn. The students simply do not want to go to the bathroom because of the horrible smell.
Another reason the bathrooms are not functional is the fixtures are too big for toddler sized bodies.
The toilets are hard to get onto by themselves, the urinals are too high, the sinks are unreachable for the students to use, and it feels like a dungeon with no proper lighting. It makes using the bathroom a daunting task for two adults to help up to 20 students. If the referendum were to be passed, the bathrooms would get a significant facelift.
The students, the youngest of the building, would be able to go to the bathroom without having to plug their noses, which is an issue we have been dealing with over the past year. Those same tiny students would also be able to use age appropriate facilities.
Washing hands would become an easy task, rather than a difficult one, which often results in a change of clothing because they cannot properly reach the sink.
The students would also be able to easily use the toilets because they would be size appropriate, leading to fewer accidents; a win all around!
Please help the “future greats” of Minneota continue to grow and learn in the best possible environment by voting on August 22.