Birthday Cake Ban
In the past several years, many rigorous guidelines have been adopted by the National School Lunch Program due to federal regulation. Going even further than remodeling school lunches and snacks, one local school district is now banning birthday cake.
The PTA helped to push the ban on sugary snacks at birthday celebrations. Non-food rewards are still acceptable like pencils, erasers, small toys, etc. Teachers were having a difficult time covering everything that needed to be taught after so many of these celebrations. They also felt that students were increasingly distracted by the junk-food and that it decreased their attention. School officials are concerned with the rate of obesity and how they can help to control it during the school day.
As a school foodservice manager, how should this situation be handled? This local school district was flooded with phone calls from angry parents wondering why their child is no longer able to bring in a treat to share with their classmates for his or her birthday. Every school is required to have a wellness policy in which restrictions such as this would be addressed. It is also seen as a positive due to the prevalence of food allergies among students such as to peanuts or gluten. Few districts have adopted such policies at this point, but there will likely be more following suit in the near future. Topics such as this are important for a manager of a school district to consider.
Brown, J. (2014). Burlington schools ban birthday cake, sweets. URL: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/10/10/burlington-elementary-bans-birthday-cake-school/17052501/
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The PTA helped to push the ban on sugary snacks at birthday celebrations. Non-food rewards are still acceptable like pencils, erasers, small toys, etc. Teachers were having a difficult time covering everything that needed to be taught after so many of these celebrations. They also felt that students were increasingly distracted by the junk-food and that it decreased their attention. School officials are concerned with the rate of obesity and how they can help to control it during the school day.
As a school foodservice manager, how should this situation be handled? This local school district was flooded with phone calls from angry parents wondering why their child is no longer able to bring in a treat to share with their classmates for his or her birthday. Every school is required to have a wellness policy in which restrictions such as this would be addressed. It is also seen as a positive due to the prevalence of food allergies among students such as to peanuts or gluten. Few districts have adopted such policies at this point, but there will likely be more following suit in the near future. Topics such as this are important for a manager of a school district to consider.
Brown, J. (2014). Burlington schools ban birthday cake, sweets. URL: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/10/10/burlington-elementary-bans-birthday-cake-school/17052501/
BB
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