Dining

At University School of Milwaukee, learning is not restricted to the classroom. Our unique take on dining, in which students are given an assigned seat at lunch and choose from a variety of healthy, delicious meal options, builds community and school culture.

Lunchtime is a prime example of how learning and growth happen in many different ways at USM. All students, regardless of grade, are given an assigned seat at lunch, where they eat with their peers and also an adult. It is a long-standing tradition dating back to our predecessor schools, and essential to building community, adding structure to the day, and enhancing student-teacher relationships. Lunch table assignments rotate throughout the school year, ensuring students have opportunities to meet friends from other peer groups and even other grades. The adult, meanwhile, serves to facilitate conversations and encourage our youngest learners to try new food and help clean off the table at the end of the period.

Students eat in one of two dining rooms at USM, where they can choose from a variety of hot and cold options including a soup and salad bar, sandwiches with cheese and deli meat, and a hot entree. Upper School students assemble their lunch in the Palermo Servery and then eat in the Jack Olson ’67 Commons, which includes ample seating, a fireplace and large windows.