When should a school intervene? Never? (school lunch issue)

At my kids' school there is a rule. There has to be at least one fruit or vegetable in the lunch bag. Many times I've packed a banana or apple etc with crackers or popcorn or whatever and the teachers won't let the kid touch the crackers etc until she's eaten her fruit. On the odd day I didn't pack a fruit, she wasn't allowed to eat the crackers etc....now that pisssed me off because the lunch itself would be healthy ie chicken with wild rice. A kid who is getting chips and a unnaturally colourful drink daily needs to have a conversation with the teacher and the teacher with the parents.

kamakazeekim wrote: »

I would talk to the whole class about healthy eating and physical activity and send a note home to all parents expressing that your class is focusing on healthy living habits and that you encourage children to bring a well balanced meal/snack to school.

This. Work it into your lessons/curriculum if you have space or where you can.

Good luck.

When I was in jr high and high school, the school officials would make a big deal if I didn't eat lunch or if I ate out of the machines. They would watch to see if I was buying school lunch(my mom gave me cash instead of paying for it upfront)and if I headed toward the machines or just sat with my friends without lunch in front of me they'd head to the office to call my mother. After a while when they said they were going to call my mom if I didn't eat lunch(trying to scare me into eating)I called their bluff and said "go ahead, I'll tell you what she will say" they in turn called my bluff and asked what I thought she'd say. Well, my mom told me that since I ate a good breakfast and a good dinner, lunch was optional.

The amount of nanny state replies in this thread is alarming. Apparently Doritos = throwing your kid down a flight of stairs.

My niece is obsessed with Doritos and it annoys me to no end. I'm not against Doritos, but I'm pretty sure that she'd eat nothing but them if given the opportunity. There are days where getting her to eat anything other than Doritos is an uphill battle, so she's going to eat Doritos. I don't have enough control over her diet (since I only see her a couple of days per week anyway) to try and force that to change. I imagine that your situation is similar in that regard. You're not in a position to get the student to adjust a diet, so there's little to be gained by trying.

As a teacher, it is incredibly frustrating when people have a "pick and choose" attitude towards the role of a teacher. If my job is just to teach and go home, I wouldn't volunteer to coach sports teams for no extra pay after school hours, organize field trips, offer extra- help sessions or help with fundraisers. As educators we care about the students, not just the subject matter.

In Canada, we extensively study child and adolescent development on the physical, mental, emotional and social level. Why would we study that if the welfare of these students is none of our business.

During school hours, we are the legal guardians/ caretakers of students enrolled in our class. If a student leaves the lunch hour without parental permission and gets hit by a car, the school's going to have some repercussions.

At this grade, I would teach all students about healthy lifestyle choices and bring apples and water bottles and let students know that if they are hungry or missed break fast, they can take one without asking. I may send a letter home asking parents to participate in a healthy eating unit that the class is covering by signing up for one day in the next month to supply a healthy snack life sliced fruit, berries or grapes or whole grain crackers and cheese for the whole class with the understanding that their child would be provided a healthy snack every day for the rest of the month from the other families.

This might encourage this child's parents to reflect on what makes a healthy snack/ meal and the note send home to all parents could include ideas for inexpensive healthy foods.

This may or may not work but will give you an indication of how involved the parents are in the student's health. They may be busy but if they opt out of prepping a big snack one day out of the month instead of everyday, it may be a sign of neglect.

draznyth wrote: »

The amount of nanny state replies in this thread is alarming. Apparently Doritos = throwing your kid down a flight of stairs.

Do you have any kids? If so, wouldn't you like them to be healthy? If not, wait till you do and then answer the questions.
I have four kids and try my best to teach them from a young age about healthy food and healthy lifestyle. Its never too early to start eating healthy and can prevent later health issues. I give them snacks too but in moderation.
Not having a go at you, just asking cos of what you commented.