Rita Bissonnette-Clark Principal

General John Nixon School 472 Concord Road, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 Telephone (978)443-1080 Facsimile (978)443-0282 Home | Thursday Notices | Gazette

Classroom celebrations and craft connections facilitated by parents and planned with classroom teachers are designed to support the learning in the classroom. It is important, however, to keep in mind several things as we begin planning these events for the classroom. First, we must provide a balance of treats at a classroom celebration. Cookies and cakes can be an important part of any celebration, but it is also our commitment to model good nutrition to students as well and provide other fun and nutritious snacks at classroom events. For example, a recent Halloween party featured spider crackers, string cheese "fingers" and pretzels made into bats. Fruit kabobs are a popular choice as well. (Parents have found an abundance of clever ideas on various web sites that we hope can be shared on our PTO web site) An overall balance is what is important when putting together a celebration menu. The only thing that we ask that you not use is any candy. It is the policy at Nixon School that no candy items be given to students whether for consumption or for decorating a craft.

While balanced nutrition is key, even more important to consider are any food allergies in the classroom. In order to insure the safety of all students, it is important that all classroom celebrations not use food products that might be potentially harmful to children with severe and possibly life-threatening food allergies. This year, the Sudbury Public Schools have implemented a new Allergy Policy, the goal of which is to minimize the risk of exposure to allergens that pose a threat to these students. Several students at Nixon School are so highly allergic that they do not need to ingest a particular food, but need only to touch or smell the food in order to have a severe and potentially fatal reaction.

Consider as well if any craft items you are using that might contain allergens. There are some children who are allergic to acorns and other tree nuts, so please check with your classroom teacher or the school nurse if you are including any peanuts/tree nuts when planning craft projects. Latex is also a possible allergen, so some balloons or disposable gloves may need to be avoided.

To insure a continuous dialogue between classroom parents, teachers and the school nurse about these important nutrition and allergy issues, we ask that all classroom teachers consult with room parents and fill out and return the attached form to the School Nurse at least 2 days prior to all classroom celebrations and crafts where food items will be present, even if there are no known allergies in the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to insure safety and model healthy choices for our students.