"Welcome Back to School" (ajasfolks2)

[ajasfolks2]

http://allergy.hyperboards.com/action/view_topic/topic_id/15654


June 15, 2010

ajasfolks2:

Yes, I know it's the END of the school year.

This means that the BEGINNING of the school year is not far away.

I'd like to have a thread that is filled with suggestions for absolutely FOOD FREE welcome back event(s) &/or the open house event.

Here's my first stab:


Face Painting.

Child may have a grade number on one cheek maybe?

Offer other non-religious acceptable symbol choices for other cheek?

School-pride symbols (paw print if animal mascot, and so on).

Now, I need to know if this would be offensive or discriminatory to any group in a way that civil rights might be violated.

Also, what problems would face paints pose so far as anaphylactic allergies?

Brands of face paints that would be best?

Happy to scratch the idea if it would NOT be safe.  (Obviously, there would need to be the accepted sanitary/cleanliness practices so far as brushes, etc.)

Other ideas?

Please, let's LEAD on this.

~e

[ajasfolks2]

Follow On posts:


GingerPye:

What I did in my classroom the first day: 

I had passports made up of construction paper.  I took the kids' pictures with a Polaroid camera; we then glued their pics inside their passports.  I also had them fill in their address, birthdate, hgt, wgt, etc.  I added a big gold emblem kind of sticker to make it official.
The passports were for reading --- when they read a book, they wrote the title inside and I stamped it.  10 books read = a free book from the book club.  I usually had lots of points and so it didn't cost me much to do this.

Ra3chel:

Tempera based face paints contain egg. What about decorating shirts or pins, or making pony-bead bracelets in school colors?

SilverLining:

My son always has to skip anything with face painting/make-up. He ends up needing a topical anti-biotic.

Tattoos are better and they don't have to go on the face. They can be picked up quite cheap too.

CMdeux:
[quote ]
Also, what problems would face paints pose so far as anaphylactic allergies?


<raises hand>

I'll never forget how PANICKED those two poor college seniors looked as they were WASHING DOWN the lead teacher's only kid while she swelled up like the sta-puft marshmallow man from a face-paint smileyface the size of a nickel on one cheek

Yes-- they had me in the INDUSTRIAL SINK in the janitor's closet.

Both of them looked VERY frightened, and I recall that they screamed for the secretary, who went and GOT my mom from a classroom at the other end of the school.

They kept asking if I was allergic to bee stings, had I been bitten by an ant, etc. etc.

(This was ca. 1973-1974, though.)[/quote]



Stinky6:

how about an introduction to the teacher, your desk and your classmates and then get to work! 

why does it have to be an event?

They can't do the "welcome back" without an event.  Not in their DNA.   

Thanks for the info as to the facepaints & why might not work.

Whatever it is, the cost must be low as well for the school/PTA.

Often this is PTA/PTO sponsored.

For many schools, this event is NOT held on the actual first day of classes, but rather a day or two ahead so kids go see their classroom, meet their teachers, and parents can drop off the giant bag-o-supplies.  But the "Open House" is typically in the first couple weeks of regular school nights . . . some schools do this with whole family invited & some do it for parents only.  Again, needs to be food free so classrooms aren't contaminated with food & ALL adults are included as well.  (The principle of the thing, ya know?)

Quite a few schools do a "Popsicles on the Porch" or other ice-cream social type affair . . . or have baked goods, etc. for the "welcome Back" event.

Just trying to have multiple suggestions for event/activity that would be FOOD FREE and fully inclusive.

What other easy "party" game might be creatively tailored to this welcome event?

maeve:

I really think it depends on the school.  At DD's school, they have an open house the Friday before school starts so that kids can meet their teachers.  We don't find out who the teacher will be until the Tuesday before school starts when class lists are posted on the door of the school. 

There's no food.  The PTO has table near the office where they sell spirit wear and collect membership dues. 

When the kids arrive at school, there's usually a pep rally the first or second week of school. 

Susan:

I saw this (old) article about birthday treats and thought it might be worth repeating.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802089.html

luvmykids:

I agree with the others...paints sometimes have allergens...who makes up these things? Geesh can't they all just wear the "hello" tags on their clothes? And then put their grade or name or something on the tag?

CMdeux:

Back in the day, it was a BIG deal to...

•   find your desk and show it to your mom and dad!
  
  
• personalize a [face=Curlz MT]NAME TAG!![/face] for your new desk!!   The teacher would have sentence strips set up for this purpose... and sometimes[face=Curlz MT] FRUIT-SCENT-MARKERS!!![/face]
• admire class bulletin board... maybe add something to that bulletin board (as teacher allowed/encouraged)
  
  
• drop all your supplies off in your
  
  [face=Curlz MT]NEW DESK![/face]
  
  
  

_{OH nevermind...}   

Tabicat:

That is what we do here CM. PTA last year served CAKE    first time we ever had food at meet the teacher.

Susan:

We have a back to school BBQ 

ETA- Quote: There is no cure for food allergies. The only option is complete avoidance of the particular allergen. This is why it is important that allergic children not be exposed to allergens that regularly cause extreme and sometimes fatal reactions.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2006/2006_86-eng.php

[ajasfolks2]

cya

I saw this (old) article about birthday treats and thought it might be worth repeating.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802089.html

Great article! Love the "Walk Around the Sun" idea!

[ajasfolks2]

Link to printable article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802089_pf.html

Suggest folks save/print a copy as sometimes these drop off and are no longer availiable online!