Healthy Classroom News

Dear Parents or Guardians,

Sunflower Elementary School is implementing new guidelines regarding daily classroom snacks, birthday treats, and class parties.  This decision was made after much thought and discussion at the building level.  There are a variety of reasons why we are making this change, the main one being to coordinate with our district’s wellness guidelines on making healthy choices (in alignment with federal regulations).  Other rationale for restricting treats at school include the following concerns:

  • Allergies:  Due to the increasing number of students with food allergies, schools have had to be extremely careful with any food items entering the school building. It is a safety issue that we need to take very seriously. 
  • Promoting Healthy Lifestyle:  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six school-age children are overweight; triple the proportion in 1980. The agency has projected that one in three children born in 2000 will eventually develop a form of diabetes linked to being overweight.

Here’s how the new guidelines will affect you/your student:

  • Students may be allowed to bring a personal snack daily at the discretion of the teacher.  Some grade levels allow daily snacks and some do not.
  • Classroom teachers will continue to recognize and celebrate student birthdays in special ways.  Parents are welcome to send a non-food based treat to share with the class if you would like on your child’s special day. 
  • Class Parties will serve healthy snack items that will be coordinated in advance by the grade level teachers and room parents.

The purpose of these changes is to assure a school environment that promotes and protects students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating, physical activity and healthy choices.  This change brings together current research to create guidelines that help us with healthy choices for all of our students. If you are interested in reading the district’s policy on wellness, it is available on the District website.

Thanks in advance for your flexibility and for caring about the health of our students.

Sincerely,

Ryan Kalis
Principal – Sunflower Elementary