Recently a friend, FB, came to me because she was very angry about food that was being served at her school. "Did you know about it?" She asked me. "What good are you in your position if no one is listening to you and teachers are allowed to do what they want?" I smiled and explained that if I went around telling teachers and principals that what they were doing was wrong and they needed to do it my way, I would make a lot of enemies, I would not make change, and I would most definitely get fired. But I digress...
FB's son had a grade level "theme day". This is when the teacher takes a teaching concept like the 100th Day of School and plans a day of activities around that theme, concept or book that the class has been studying. At this theme day, students drank soda, ate ice cream and chewed gum in addition to playing games. FB sent me the angry text early the next morning.
I suggested that FB meet with the principal to express her concerns.
Not only was FB upset because her own child had never had soda and was not permitted to chew gum (especially if it was not sugar-free) she was shocked to learn that her 6 year-old was given these foods at school and without parental notification or permission. Her quote "No one has the right to feed my kid these foods, especially without asking me first". I can identify with this. I often get the statement that it is a parent's right to bring whatever food they want to school. My response? Parents can bring whatever they want for their own child, but I agree that they don't have a right to feed other people's children without asking the parents. The food allergies add another element of caution as well. In this case, a teacher brought the treats to school without notifying parents.
These "sneaky treats" are provided in the schools much more than we realize. Some examples of extra treats that our kids get that we may not even know about include: Lunch Bunch when a teacher brings treats for kids that complete all of their homework; Theme Days when teachers bring treats; Rewards kids are frequently rewarded with candy, pizza and milkshake parties.These are in addition to birthday treats and holiday celebrations.
Parents, you have a strong voice! I encourage you to find out what your health policies are for your district and your school. I can't help but feel quite strongly that we don't send our kids to school to eat junk foods like soda, candy and cupcakes. At the same time, we can remind parents that if they have a problem with this concept that they can send whatever they want to school with their own child.
FB's son had a grade level "theme day". This is when the teacher takes a teaching concept like the 100th Day of School and plans a day of activities around that theme, concept or book that the class has been studying. At this theme day, students drank soda, ate ice cream and chewed gum in addition to playing games. FB sent me the angry text early the next morning.
I suggested that FB meet with the principal to express her concerns.
Not only was FB upset because her own child had never had soda and was not permitted to chew gum (especially if it was not sugar-free) she was shocked to learn that her 6 year-old was given these foods at school and without parental notification or permission. Her quote "No one has the right to feed my kid these foods, especially without asking me first". I can identify with this. I often get the statement that it is a parent's right to bring whatever food they want to school. My response? Parents can bring whatever they want for their own child, but I agree that they don't have a right to feed other people's children without asking the parents. The food allergies add another element of caution as well. In this case, a teacher brought the treats to school without notifying parents.
These "sneaky treats" are provided in the schools much more than we realize. Some examples of extra treats that our kids get that we may not even know about include: Lunch Bunch when a teacher brings treats for kids that complete all of their homework; Theme Days when teachers bring treats; Rewards kids are frequently rewarded with candy, pizza and milkshake parties.These are in addition to birthday treats and holiday celebrations.
Parents, you have a strong voice! I encourage you to find out what your health policies are for your district and your school. I can't help but feel quite strongly that we don't send our kids to school to eat junk foods like soda, candy and cupcakes. At the same time, we can remind parents that if they have a problem with this concept that they can send whatever they want to school with their own child.
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