1. having the student participate in the preparation of their own food (building ownership into their learning and fine-motor practice) & the clean-up
2. eating real food- practicing what we teach (Canada Food Guide)
3. reducing garbage in the school
4. it's nice to eat together and to share the same food (and for example if we all eat something new together e.g. sweet peas, radishes etc., it normalizes it)
I used the word "implemented" on purpose because my typical practice (as someone who has worked in community development for many years) is to present and discuss the idea with families first. So I apologize for implementing it without a discussion process. I DO want parents and families to feel free to share their ideas. You are welcome to comment below.
As a parent, teacher, and Canadian, I have strong values around food and environmental protection. Canada is a beautiful, resource-rich, country with an internationally respected public education system, we need to teach our kids to how blessed we are to have the resources and choices that we have and how to protect them and each other. Canada (and USA) are the few countries I have lived where children's food is radically different than adult food and the food we want our children to eat as adults. My own children lobby me to have packaged snacks in their lunches but I want them to learn what real food tastes like when they are young just because it's easier to learn than to unlearn and I want them to be conscious consumers. Sometimes I send packaged food in their lunches so that they can feel like they fit in. But I want real food to be the norm not the exception in the lunches of children in Canada.
Here's a great link to the many benefits of treating children and youth to real food:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmericanFamily/story?id=125404&page=1
in France and Canada: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/karen-le-billion-french-children-eat-anything
Now that we've started Friday snack, we can still stop it. After our first FRIDAY SNACK, I realized that in an effort to encourage participation, I may be pushing out parents who enjoy sending a special snack to school for their child's birthday. I know from experience that it's fun to send something special for your child's birthday. I don't want to stifle any excitement around events such as birthdays. I wonder if families who want to send something specific for their child's birthday do and those who don't want to send something special or who's child's birthday is during the summer can send FRIDAY SNACK as scheduled? And we can open up FRIDAY SNACK to be apples or any other fruit and cheese or any other source of protein. Ideally you the parents are asking your child what they want to bring e.g. "Which fruit or vegetable to you want to bring to school to cut up and eat with the other students?" I am open to other ideas that meet the 4 criterion from above (re-listed here):
1. student have to be able to do some level of preparation themselves (anything we can cut ourselves and we have knives and cutting boards to cut: cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, pears, melon, radishes, any other vegetable or fruit you want your child to try : )
2. we all prepare/eat virtually the same thing
3. it's real food (the ingredients come from plants or animals, the less ingredients the better)
4. limited things to throw into the garbage
Again, my apologies for the lack of discussion process in the design of FRIDAY SNACK.
If you have THOUGHTS or COMMENTS at this point, you can share them below or write me an e-mail anytime.
Thank you! Mme Esther
Now that we've started Friday snack, we can still stop it. After our first FRIDAY SNACK, I realized that in an effort to encourage participation, I may be pushing out parents who enjoy sending a special snack to school for their child's birthday. I know from experience that it's fun to send something special for your child's birthday. I don't want to stifle any excitement around events such as birthdays. I wonder if families who want to send something specific for their child's birthday do and those who don't want to send something special or who's child's birthday is during the summer can send FRIDAY SNACK as scheduled? And we can open up FRIDAY SNACK to be apples or any other fruit and cheese or any other source of protein. Ideally you the parents are asking your child what they want to bring e.g. "Which fruit or vegetable to you want to bring to school to cut up and eat with the other students?" I am open to other ideas that meet the 4 criterion from above (re-listed here):
1. student have to be able to do some level of preparation themselves (anything we can cut ourselves and we have knives and cutting boards to cut: cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, pears, melon, radishes, any other vegetable or fruit you want your child to try : )
2. we all prepare/eat virtually the same thing
3. it's real food (the ingredients come from plants or animals, the less ingredients the better)
4. limited things to throw into the garbage
Again, my apologies for the lack of discussion process in the design of FRIDAY SNACK.
If you have THOUGHTS or COMMENTS at this point, you can share them below or write me an e-mail anytime.
Thank you! Mme Esther
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