Kindergarten Teachers Cracking Down On Junky Classroom Snacks
| September 5, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Healthy school snacks, Healthy snacks, Junk food in school, School policy, Wellness policy |
Two years ago, I was sending my first baby, now age 7, off to kindergarten. This week, it was my twins’ turn. Same school, same teacher. But NEW rules about junk food in the classroom.
Included in my twins’ kindergarten “Welcome” packet was an entire page of guidelines on snacks brought from home:
Ok, do you see what I see? It says, “Absolutely no CANDY!!” I repeat, “Absolutely no CANDY!!” Pinch me, please!
While I don’t agree with everything on the list, I very much appreciate the effort to teach kids (and parents) what kinds of foods are best for their brains and their bodies. And I love the fact that they are discouraging cookies and high sugar and processed snacks of any kind.
According to the back-to-school handout, birthdays will be celebrated once a month as a group (another change from two years ago). That means about eight birthday parties with the requisite double-frosted cupcakes instead of 20 parties–a big reduction.
Since our school doesn’t have a policy about candy and other junk at school, our kindergarten teachers got together and made their own rules. This is a perfect example of teachers being forced to play food cop when a school district has failed to create firm guidelines about classroom food. As much as I hate that they’re being put in this position, I am grateful that we have health-conscious teachers who are willing to be the bad guys to create an optimal learning environment and protect our kids’ health.
The last 18 months of trying to change the food culture at my children’s elementary school hasn’t always felt very productive. More than once, I’ve found myself frustrated (SEE: Rant of the Day: Please Stop Feeding My Kids Junk Food at School!) and demoralized. But guess what?!? The conversation has started. Teachers are talking and sending home healthy snack lists. Slowly but surely, word is spreading and both kids and parents are getting the message. I can’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, this is the year we’ll see REAL CHANGE with an updated (and MUCH stronger) school district wellness policy and a firm commitment to GETTING HEALTHY.
Then again…one child in my twins’ kindergarten class apparently showed up with a full-size (6-ounce) can of Pringles yesterday. No, I didn’t really think it was going to be THAT easy.
Do you think teachers should establish the food rules for their own classrooms? Or should there be school-wide policies in place so they don’t have to? Tell me what you think!
RELATED POSTS:
Taking a Stand Against Junk Food in School: Why It’s Hard–But We Need to Anyway!
What to Do if Your School Wellness Policy Isn’t Being Enforced: A Guide for Parents
3 Great Resources for Parents Wanting to Improve School Food
I created this blog to raise awareness and start a dialogue about the various issues involved in school food. By writing about it, I hope to provide parents and educators with ideas and inspiration for making healthy changes in their own schools. Since healthy eating habits start at home, I also address common feeding challenges faced by parents.
We were encouraged to send in healthy snacks too. I agree not everything on the list would be something I would send, but it is nice that they sent a list.
Hi, wow, really awesome. I wish my boys’ K teachers had the same idea. Instead, they provided graham crackers and goldfish crackers for afternoon snack the first day! I told the boys were are not participating in the group afternoon snack, and I’ll be packing them a snack. At least a few others are doing the same, so hopefully the boys won’t feel left out.
[…] strongly worded guidelines on snacks packed from home in my twins’ back-to-school packet. (See Kindergarten Teachers Cracking Down on Junky Classroom Snacks). “Please send something with your child that is healthy,” it read, followed by three […]