How to deal w/chocolate allergy at school?

[Duckie]

Anne, I was thinking of you today when J came home from school with a letter from the teacher reminding us of the Halloween parade on Monday and a paragraph at the bottom reminding us (for the second or third time this month, since it's on his calendar and on another notice) to NOT send Halloween treats for snack time, or for the class party.  Like...at all.  Ever.

Actually at the the beginning of the year, each parent was asked to send in $5, so when they do have class parties, the teacher purchases healthy snacks with the money.  And for Kindie concerts, etc, parents are asked to send water, fruit, veggies, crackers and cheese, etc.

[aisling]

Going along with Duckie's post, we just got this email from the teacher in regards to Hallowee'en on Monday for the class party:

Since the children will have lots of treats during the evening, I ask for only a healthy donation of fruit or veg and dip. There will be a sign-up sheet outside the classroom.


Hey, maybe you should print this thread off for them for your meeting Anne.    Coud you imagine?! 

 

   

[speechie]

LOL Ais!!

Get well, Millie! I hope she's better tonight- thinking of you and truly baffled by the school's food policies!

[marensmama]

Hoping Millie gets well soon! 

And Anne, you would be 'normal' here too.  Maybe time to look at relocating to the Great White North!!?? 

[We Three]

Ais it's unreal that you posted that!! As I was reading Duckie's post I was thinking "Imagine if I just showed them this?"  and then you said just that!  If we get booted, I'm showing them the whole friggin thread..."Hey look ladies...women all over the EARTH think this is ridiculous...not just ME!" 

[Mashi]

DS's new kindergarten teachers came around for a visit last week, to meet him/us before he starts next week.  He takes his own morning snack at this one and we were told strictly it is to be fruit, vegetables, and/or whole grain bread. Nothing outside of that list.  No drinks, they will provide milk, water and tea (herbal teas for kids is a big thing here.)  At his first kindergarten morning snack was more communal but on Fridays the children each picked a little laminated card with a food item and stuck it on the board next to their picture. That was the food the parent had to supply for the following week.  It was whole grain breads, cheeses, spreads, butter, a dozen hardboiled eggs, a bag of carrots, a kilo of cherry tomatoes, kilo of bananas, etc etc etc.   OK so that place was not perfect but at least the snack made a bit of sense!!  

Anne if they kick you out (I would be shocked if they did, could you imagine?!?!!!) will it not just confirm with you that they are not the best school for Amelia?  

The whole chocolate bar survey just baffles me. I can see what they are doing with the survey but CHOCOLATE BARS?!  wtf?  

[Mortish]

Haven't read all the posts but I gotta say I am amazed that they let your kids eat that sort of food....

Over here in Perth, Australia, they are so strict with what you bring for snack time.....we are basically told fruit, cheese or as a rare treat sultana's....it is then all cut up and put on 5 different plates and the kids sit and share....they are very strict with fluids too.....water only.....and they will not allow us to bring in cakes for birthday's...which at first I thought was a bit harsh, until I was parent helper...and thought god help them if they did allow sugary foods....a class room full of hyperactive 4 years in the morning....not a good thing!!!

I would definitely start looking in to some sort of healthy guidelines plan that perhaps the Education Department should instigate.

Hope you get have some success, because that is disgraceful giving them chocolate biscuits etc in the morning at school...certainly not teaching healthy eating.....

[deb]

Any news? Been wondering how you got on.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Just catching up on this thread and my neck is sore from shaking my head so much!!  I don't know what's more ridiculous - cookies at 9am, a school that doesn't communicate, people that fail to see that hives with one exposure can easily be anaphylaxis the next exposure, or what!!

How maddening, Anne.  I hope things are going ok.  Curious to her about the meeting with the director as well.  You'll definitely feel more at home at Montessori!

[Intransit]

Just read through this.....hope it turned out OK. hugs

[momtonb&ab]

I have also been wondering.  How are things?

[We Three]

Sorry I haven't responded....I tend to withdraw when I'm upset...and this school has me upset on a dialy basis. 

  Ok...so...without saying too much, the meeting was ridiculous...and basically they were like "We just feel that if you're this unhappy, maybe you should consider another school"   And I said "Oh isn't that nice? You do a "bait and switch"...make yourselves out to be something you're not, and then when someone calls you out on it, you just shrug and say "oh well, you're free to leave', when we all know there is a CHILD in the middle of this. I am trying to let her enjoy what has become hers...this place, these routines...it isn't so easy to 'just' go somewhere else."  Lots of drama....with the hives, all they had to say was "We dropped the ball...we should have called you."   Um, really?  One of them suggested that she actually didn't eat chocolate that day, and that *her* dd would get hives whenever she sat near someone wearing wool...that the hives could be from anything. The whole thing was ridiculous...just ridiculous.  That's about all I can say.

 OK...so...pick up on Wednesday last week.  Director approaches me and says "I just wanted to let you know...we'll be doing this craft next week...sooooo....I don't know how you'd like to handle it...or....well...."  And she shows me a magazine page, and the "craft" is making acorns...edible acorns...out of CHOCOLATE KISSES with vanilla wafers on top.  I was stunned, speechless.  I said I would look for white kisses, but stuttered through most of it...the rage I felt was so intense.          

 A craft made out of Herhsey kisses? When we JUST had all this drama? WTF WTF WTF?  Why do they have not one iota of regard for her?

 So....there is no such thing as white kisses, and I think I need to keep dd home that day. I am contemplating whether or not to let the teacher know or not??  Email..."Just wanted to let you know I did look for Hershey kisses in white, to find that they do not exist. So I think I have no choice but to keep Amelia out of class that day."  Or just say nothing...keep her home, and let that be it.

  I have plans with dh tonight to make a pro/con list with regard to pulling her out of there. I know I should....but then I just think of her and get upset.   

 Anyway...this latest supidity...email or no?  There is no use fighting them on it, they will just tell me I can leave if I don't like it.  And if I leave, it is going to be because *I* decide to leave.  This is all so heartbreaking...that this is all so ugly and difficult. They are such liars. 

[georgeo]

I can't believe they aren't trying to make this work.  That is insane.  Are there any other school options for Amelia?  At least that way if you do decide to take her out you could explain that this new school has  xyz that is EVEN BETTER than this school. 

Is there someone above these people that you can write a letter to?  They must have a boss.  If it's a for profit organization the people at the top surly won't be happy with their performance.  And if it's not for profit there must be some board or something.  A little more effort on their part would go a long way. 

Lots and lots and lots of hugs.

[We Three]

Thank you.     I acn't believe it either.  And yes, there is a "board" that manages the school...but (you aren't going to believe this) when dh and I asked to meet with them, we were told no.  That in 30 years, nobody has ever asked to meet with the board, and that the board is up to date on what has been happening because THEY READ ALL EMAIL COMMUNICATION TO THE TEACHERS, and were in full agreement that they have done all they are going to do, and that if I was this unhappy, then we should leave.

[skatty]

I'm not sure if I missed something, was Amelia actually given chocolate at school?  

I just can't believe they are making a chocolate craft, so damn inconsiderate and so unnecessary! If they really need to make a treat why can't they make cookies? It is unbelievable that they have a child with a chocolate allergy and they are making a craft with chocolate, it just baffles me   Why are they making chocolate treats at school when everyone knows there is an obesity and health problem, what the hell are they teaching the kids  

I agree with Georgeo, I would have to go up the ladder and complain now!