To sweet or not to sweet, that is the question…

Candy Corn
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Krystle Fleming via Compfight

The title of this blog entry is a play on Hamlet’s famous soliloquey, “To be or not to be…”  With Halloween fast approaching, I’m getting more questions about the “no sweets” rule at MBS for birthdays and celebrations.  Those of you who attend the Monster Mash (Friday, November 1st) will find plenty of sweets for sale in the PTO “snack bar” at this annual party.  You’ll see cupcakes at Girl Scout meetings and Yearbook Club.  Is this inconsistent? Why is it okay to have cupcakes and brownies at the Monster Mash but not during the school day?

I’d like to explain my thinking.  Schooling in our nation is compulsory.  The first U.S. state to require all children to attend school was Massachusetts, beginning in 1852.  Mississippi became the last state to require compulsory school attendance in 1917.  The fact is, all children in our country must attend school, either private, public, or in an approved home school program.  In our increasingly diverse country, our public schools have an obligation to create learning environments that are welcoming to a wide variety of cultures, religions, beliefs, habits, and parenting styles.  In addition, our schools grapple with public health issues plaguing our nation such as asthma, diabetes, and obesity.

Imagine you are a parent whose child has diabetes.  Imagine your family is working hard to instill healthy eating habits and you strictly limit sweets in your home.  Imagine that your child is sensitive to gluten, nuts, food dyes, or other elements that are part of the treats often brought to school to celebrate birthdays and holidays.  You have no choice about sending your child to school – the law compels you to do so.  If the school then exposes your child to foods and/or rituals that are contrary to your beliefs or bad for your child’s health, you are in a difficult situation.  This is the main reason we have restricted our classroom celebrations to include non-food or very limited, healthy food options.  Our schools need to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone, since everyone is compelled by law to be there.

On the other hand, joining Girl Scouts or attending The Monster Mash are completely optional activities.  These are community sponsored events being held in the school building.  No one is forced to go.  Offering an array of foods at these community events is up to the organizers and sponsors of the event, not up to the school administration. Student’s own lunchboxes are similar.  You choose what to send to school or purchase for snack for your child.  That is not my decision, and I’ve had to explain to teachers that parents certainly have individual rights to feed their children however they wish!

I hope this helps clear up what might seem like inconsistency on my part.  In my personal life, I enjoy occasional sweets.  My own two children fondly remember making chocolate chip cookies together, or the specially decorated cakes for their birthdays.  Part of my  job as your principal is to design and enforce procedures that create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for our diverse community.  I have to balance personal liberty with public responsibility.

I appreciate the supportive comments I received when this new rule was first announced, and I also appreciate the questions because they challenge me to clarify and communicate my thinking.

I hope all the Ospreys who participate in the holiday of Halloween will have a fun and safe experience.  I look forward to seeing many of you at the Monster Mash this Friday night!

Julie

 

7 thoughts on “To sweet or not to sweet, that is the question…

  1. Julie,
    I was already a supporter of the healthy snacks/celebrations policy and your blog provides a clear explanation for those who were still unsure. The question I have is why can’t the celebrations include healthy protein sources too….cheese, yogurt, etc? Why fruits and veggies ONLY? Just curious.

  2. There are many students with dairy sensitivities! We could sort out which classes have them and which don’t but that gets a little complicated. In the past, we’ve used food allergies/sensitivities as a placement parameter, trying to limit the number of classes with these concerns. However, that tended to make placement even harder than it already is, so the kids are in 17/21 classes this year!

  3. Thank you, Mrs. Benay, for making the MBS school environment healthy and safe for everyone. Learning environments should direct the attention of holidays or celebrations on the history, lesson or student being recognized, not necessarily on what was brought in to eat. Indeed, special foods have a place and time to be consumed. And by reducing the amount of treats only serves to make those special times all that more…”sweet”!

  4. Julie,
    As the Burlington School District’s wellness coordinator and a parent of a diabetic child and a child with food intolerances, I am so glad that you took the plunge and that classroom celebrations can be about the event and not the food. I am using your school as an example and hopefully the Burlington community will follow in your footsteps! Paradigm shifts have to start somewhere… 🙂

  5. I’m sorry, but I disagree. We live in a world that the children are exposed to different kinds of foods every day. Growing up I was never limited on sweets or certain snacks and as a health care provider I agree that this is not the way to be, and that these things SHOULD be limited. However, they are still “kids” and they, in my opinion, should be able to have treats at a celebration whether it is in school or not.
    It seems a bit extreme to completely limit a group of children to fruits and vegetables on Halloween. It is unfortunate for those children who may have a food allergy or Diabetes, but any child I have seen with these conditions seem well aware of it and know their limits. Not to mention their parents and or teacher usually have an alternative for them. Do these kids not attend any event with treats?

  6. Hi, Julie

    Cool Lily-as kids get older they need some happiness anyway i think taking away sweets isn’t really good because after outside time they come in and calm down and taking sweets away might get them crazier because they REALLY want it and could want it without stopping and when they have it there fine i know i love fruits and veggies but for birthdays what are you going to have veggies and fruit don’t taste good at the same time so i think you should bring it back for the kids.

    Chad-I think that’s a great idea 😉

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