My first suggestion is to make this it's own thread...

This is not my area of expertise by any means...but does DD have a 504?  Anything in there that you can use against this new policy? 

Our school tries to make the parties safe for everyone.  We have been doing it for many years.  the following email and form came home to me today.  I am not happy to say the least and am in the process of composing an email to principal, PTA president and school nurse.  So many red flags here....from medical conditions not being private to parents sending in what ever they wan if little Johnny doesn't like the food provided....Any thoughts or suggestions for me to include in my letter to the school?

"Hi Lead Room Parents~

We hope you had a nice long weekend as we round the corner to Thanksgiving Break next week!

Kathy and I met with Mr. M and Mrs. S recently to touch base after the Halloween Parties (which we all so well planned and it was such a great day! Mr. M kept reiterating that when we met with him!).  There were a few day of questions that came up regarding food at parties.  THERE WERE NO ALLERGIC REACTIONS AND/OR ISSUES OTHER THAN SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS. 

Mr. M has been in touch with the other elementary school principals regarding how they handle food at parties.   Currently, there is no district policy on this.  Some schools do no food at all.  Some do a very limited selection of foods. And some do as we currently do, and tries to account for the allergies in each class.  XX School  has a process that we are going to model after and implement going forward.

We now have a new form (below) that needs to be filled out and distributed to all the students in your respective classes. When you're planning your Winter Parties, and more specifically what food you'll be serving (and if your crafts are using any foods), this form will come into play.  You'll need to fill it out as brand and item specifically as possible.  Example "Shop Rite Brand Pretzel Sticks," "Honest Kids Fruit Punch Juice Pouches," etc.  This gives the Room Parents a second "check" if you will, regarding possible allergens.  You should first plan the party still taking into account the allergies that are in your class, and this form should account for those allergies.

The plan as of now is that these forms will be sent home by you through the students' backpacks on MONDAY DECEMBER 11th and should be returned on THURSDAY DECEMBER 14th.  The teachers will make copies to keep in the classrooms and will send them home to you on Friday Dec. 15th.

You should also send a reminder email to the class and/or work in conjunction with the classroom teacher to send this email, on Wed., 12/13 reminding parents to send it in on Thursday.

We know the outstanding question of "how do get in touch with the families who don't return them" exists.  The plan, as of right now, is to see how it goes this first time around and adjust as necessary.

Additionally going forward, Mrs. S ALWAYS welcomes conversations regarding specific allergies in your class.  In order for her to be able to manage those conversations in a timely and private manner, we are (and she is) requesting that you first email her.  If the conversation warrants anything further than email, you and she can come up with a time to speak privately.  It's tough to chat with her at school functions as those conversations are not always private, nor does she have specific allergy information with her when she's out of her office.  She (and we) thank you for your willingness to abide by this guideline.

If you have any questions and/or suggestions, please respond to me (rather than to the group), as each of you sometimes thinks of things we do not. 

We thank you for your help in implementing this new process and look forward to working together to keep our parties as successful and FUN as they've been!

Warmly,




CHILD'S NAME: ________________________________________________

GRADE: _________                  TEACHER: ___________________________________

We are implementing the following checklist for the foods the Room Parents will be serving at the next party. Here is the brand specific snack list for the next party—please note, the form is double sided. Please review, then check off the appropriate box for each snacked listed and both print and sign below. This form is meant to keep kids with food allergies & sensitivities safe. A child who doesn't like something served at the party is free to say no thank you to the snack.  Please return this paper by _____________

1.   ________________________________                   Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack

2.   ________________________________                                Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack

3.   ________________________________                                 Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack


4.   ________________________________                                 Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack

5.   ________________________________                                 Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack

6.   ________________________________                                 Yes, my child may have this snack
                      No, my child may not have this snack
                      I will provide a substitute snack



Here is a list of the food items we are planning to use in our crafts (meaning not for consumption, but perhaps we will glue them, make prints with them, etc.)

1.   _____________________________________
2.   _____________________________________
3.   _____________________________________




Any questions should be directed to your child's class' Lead Room Parent.

Thank You!

Parent Signature___________________________________________________ 

Parent Name: ______________________________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

 

It's the come-to-early-morning-class-a-few-minutes-early-I-bring-you-donuts crap.

~ ~ ~

And more, but won't go into it here.

What happened?

So, it doesn't go away in college.

It's just that the now-adultish child has to deal with it entirely on his/her own.

Daunting.

Frustrating.

Isolating.



And sometimes freeing.  Especially when there is instant recognition of bribery and currying favor.

Respect lost.

And ability to recognize coercion and bs gained.

MaryM -- it comes down to who needs to be fed (nobody in this situation you posted about) and whose NEED it is to feed.

The adults are wed to this "tradition" . . . . 

JDRF walk at DD's school today.  They hand out popsicles at the end...Every year I email and ask about the brand...I forgot this year and have no idea if they will be safe for DD.  Someone is checking for me.  I really hate that they give the kids popsicles.

Public school, no 504.  This is our first experience with 6th grade here.  DD only did the last 3 was of 6th grade when we moved here so it was a surprise.  There was nothing like this in 7th grade.  8th has an end of the year BBQ that we will need a plan for, but I've plenty of time to figure that out.

hezz, remind me -- do you have 504 or r u private school?


ETA -- And why am I hearing in my head the phrase, "There's NO 'I' in 'team' . . . there's no 'YOU' either" and having it apply in a slightly different way than was intended for your situation.

Sheesh.  Sorry, hezz.

Exactly!  I talked to DS last night about it...he is opting to bring his own food.  Then started down the list of what he wanted...bacon, eggs, pancakes, muffins, bagels, just kept naming off a long list of breakfast foods...I told him we would discuss it.

"Why?  We asked for gluten free!  He can eat that right?!"   Just paraphrasing what I know I would hear if in your shoes.


Sorry.....

Email and sign up genius showed up in my email today about the 6th grade team breakfast.  For patents and students...takes place during school and they expect 200 people to this event.  The best part is that it's pot luck.  This is the list of requested items:  bacon & sausage, bagels, donuts/pastries, egg dishes, French toast, fruit salad, gluten free items, juice, maple syrup, muffins and pancakes. 

I guess we have two choices...skip it or DS brings his own food.

Our high school had a food fest at orientation, but it was

1.  Outside in far parking lot
2.  NOT free -- vendors you had to pay
3.  At the end

NO food allowed into the school -- supposed to eat out there.

~ ~ ~

just gotta add -- in the past century, at any and every school orientation I attended -- there was ZERO food.

Zero.

Nobody died.  Everybody came for the fellowship, the meet-and-greet, and to get ORIENTED.

Not fed.

It's an "orientation".

Not a mass feeding.

6th Grade Orientation...it was all of 2 hours and they just couldn't skip the popsicles, thankfully DS did.