Our school, by policy, doesn't allow individual birthday celebrations in the classroom. It's disruptive, takes away from instructiona time, and can even get rather competetive among some parents.

Our policy (prior to the new rules) was to allow the birthday child to supply a treat (cupakes or cookies - no whole cakes that had to be cut and served) to be eaten at lunchtime in the cafeteria.

Since that's no longer possible, the office announces all birthday's on the intercom and the birthday children get special stickers and pencils.

Regardless of the new exception, I don't think the school will allow individual celebrations in the classroom (for the previously stated reasons). However, I'm wondering if they might consider an annual or semester birthday celebration where anyone who had a birthay in the time period would be recognized on that day (a group birthday). It might provide an opportunity in addition to the 3 party exemptions.

As far as the birthday issue, we have just been allowed to START celebrating birthdays again! Would you believe the first time was because of religious reasons!! yeap.

I don't think Colorado has any law like this but our lunch is privately funded (we don't receive a dime from the district and don't think we are funded by the state either ) SO to have a bake sale, offer sandwiches, heck, I wish you knew what I need to do to have the Staff Appr. BBQ! And food allergies! OHGsh I have never seen somany little ones allergic to nuts, dairy, etc!. THat has also put a spin on things.

No food in the classrooms, lockers, hallways, basically, hungry? Go to the lunch room. period.

Luvmykids...what's wrong with potatoes??? I don't think there was a lunch without some form of spuds 2-3x's a week growing up. I do remember a salad bar was put in after many complaints from teachers, that was like 15+ years ago!

These changes are a huge bone of contention for me and the middle school that I represent, as well as other middle schools in the area. In the past we (PTO) has sold chicken sandwiches, sub sandwiches, and personal pizzas as a fundraiser during the school lunch periods. Last year our PTO profit from these sales was $25K, one of our neighboring middle school's netted over $40K. This is a large portion of our annual budget. Through the summer we worked within the TDA's nutrition guidelines with 4 vendors to have all nutritional aspects met, yet were still told we could not sell because these were "competetive" foods with the school lunch program. Which begs the question - is it about childhood obesity if we are able to meet all the nutrition guidelines, or is it about lining the pockets of those who hold the food service contracts in schools?

So my next question to TDA was exactly WHY we could not sell these foods that met all of the nutrition standards that TDA was imposing. I was then told that it was because we were providing only a portion of the well balanced meal, as opposed to the entire well balanced meal provided if the student were to purchase the "meal" from the school food service department.

I almost bought that answer - UNTIL I found out (by visiting the school, looking at the posted "menu" and watching students purchase) a la carte items such as sausage on a stick, foot long hot dogs, pizza - and I mean a WHOLE pizza, ice cream, chocoloate covered donuts, cookies, and fruit smoothies. These are a la carte - not part of a full, well balanced meal. The truth of the matter is who is getting the contracts and who are they helping to get elected under what auspices. This cannot be about childhood obesity if that is the case.

In fact - the guidelines have a statement in them that says that the food services departments do not have to comply with the nutrition component of the guidelines until 2006-07 or even later if it involves changing out equipment in the school. They are allowed to sell components of meals - whether or not they are healthy. I would very much welcome a member of TDA to this forum to address this - or from one of the major corporations who hold the food service contracts with the school districts. I would like their input on this as well.

Not surprisingly, some compromises are now being made. TDA issued an update August 26th. Among other things, it allows an exemption for birthday parties.

www.squaremeals.org/vgn/tda/files/983/21...%20policy%20clar.doc

Additionally, I noticed (not in the August 26 document, but another one) that field trips are now now exempt.

I do not have as much of a problem with the changes they have made in the cafeteria as I do the other regulations. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for health, but when we start giving too much power to the government to control every little thing, it only leads to more and more regulations. I do not think they have the right to tell me as a parent or as a volunteer at the school that I cannot bring my child's class a cupcake to help celebrate his birthday. Or that we as a PTO cannot give a class a popcorn party because they met their AR goal. We, as volunteers, know that these types of parties did not take place on a daily basis or even a weekly basis and there is no way that you can convince me that eating a cupcake or a piece of pizza or a serving of ice cream once every six weeks (if that often) is going to cause your child to be fat. If you do not want your child eating "extra" food at school, you have every right to voice that and make sure that he or she doesn't. However, the STATE DOES NOT HAVE THAT RIGHT! They have stepped over the line, and you can be assured that this is not the end of it. This is just the beginning. If a child brings their own lunch to school, they can eat 10 ding dongs and drink 2 cans of coke if they want (which I would never send and don't agree with by the way) but... in the future I would not be surprised if they put a stop to bringing any kind of food to school, including your child's lunch. We're only one step away from that! Watch and see!

Glad? to know we aren't the only school district with problems. The discussion I had with the food services director was mostly over the lack of variety in the fruit/vegetable area. Of the 24 meals listed on the menu we got at registration 17 had a potato in some form as the vegetable. We talked about what they find in their waste monitoring and came to the agreement that "Yes" the menus could be better, but it was going to take some educating the students and parents on what constitutes a healthy diet. His concern was that he could put healthier choices on the tray, but he often found them in the waste at the end of the meal which meant the kids didn't get enough to eat.

Our next step is for him to come to a meeting and speak/listen to the parents and come up with a plan where all of us work together to improve the meals and the health of our families.

The studies that keep coming out are so frightening and from personal experience(gestational diabetes during pregnancy and now Type 2 diabetes)I have a real stake in making sure that my children learn NOW how to make healthy choices and keep themselves active. However, I also feel that Texas has gone a bit overboard and I would hate to see my state move in that direction. In every plan you have to keep in mind what is realistic and makes common sense.