RE: NO BIRTHDAY TREATS GUIDELINE

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This letter is to inform you of a change in practices that address the health, safety and wellness of students at Gehringer Elementary School. Starting July 27, 2017, Gehringer is implementing a “non-food birthday treats” policy.  No food is to be distributed for birthday celebrations.

There are a variety of reasons why we made this change:

• Safety: With 1 in 13 of children having at least one food allergy, anyone serving food to children needs to be aware of food allergies and the potential for a life-threatening allergic reaction. More than 15% of school-aged children with food allergies have had an allergic reaction at school. These reactions range from mild to severe and even fatal. The safety of all students is one of our top priorities.
   

• Inclusion: Sending in a food treat to the classroom to celebrate can exclude those children who have food allergies, diabetes or other dietary restrictions.
   

• Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: To coordinate with our district’s wellness policy on making healthy choices.

Please know that we are not trying to take the fun out of birthdays. Classroom teachers will continue to recognize children on their special day in special ways. We have provided the list below as other choices for honoring your children on their special day:

• Donate a book to the school library or classroom in honor of your child’s birthday with his/her name inside.
   

• Have your child bring their favorite book to share and the teacher or child will read it to the class.
   

• Donate a ball or jump rope (new or used) to the classroom for recess.
   

• Provide each student in class with a colorful pencil, stickers or eraser.

Thanks in advance for your flexibility and for caring about the health of our students.

Sincerely,

Tawny Leonard
Principal Gehringer Elementary