We have a STRICT no nut policy in our classroom. This means no tree nuts or peanuts. This rule is enforced because I, your child's classroom teacher, have multiple, life threatening nut & food allergies.
If you pack a lunch containing nuts, your child will not be able to eat it. I will send it back home, and your student will need to go through the lunch line to get something else for the day. This rule also applies to snacks. Please check all granola bars and trail mix packets for nuts, too. If your child will only eat PB&Js for lunch, it's time to start branching out and finding new foods for her/him to eat. Sunflower seed butter is the alternative to peanut butter that our school uses. You might want to buy a jar and try it at home.
Easy Open Containers
Pack meals and snacks in containers your child can open and close on their own. Lunches and snacks are eaten in our classroom each day. I am in the classroom during this time. Please pack lunches and snacks your child can open independently. Lunchables and juice pouches are fun, but they are not child friendly to open. With 20-25 (sometimes more) students in the room, it would be impossible for me to open every component for each kiddo. Pack kid-friendly lunches. We have a drinking fountain in the classroom, but students are always welcome to keep a leak-proof water bottle in their cubby during the day.
Time Frame
Lunch is short. We eat from 11:20-11:40. If your child is a slow eater, they will probably not finish their lunch in that time frame. At 11:40, the entire class goes outside for recess. If your child has leftover lunch from home, they are welcome to eat it during snack time in the afternoon.
Funny Stuff
All of my food allergy chatter has me feeling a little bummed out! I so dislike that I have to police my classroom for nuts. Having a serious allergy stinks. So, I will leave you with a video from Mr. Brooks, a school principal with his own opinions regarding juice pouches and Lunchables. I am a mom, so I totally get the fun factor involved with these things, but they are such a pain when you are alone in a classroom with 25 kindergarten friends at lunch time!
