S IS For Snack Time
Kindergarteners love snack time. In the districts that I have taught in, kindergarteners come to school all day. This is great when it comes to learning time, we get so much more accomplished now. But it is not so great when it comes to being hungry and tired. And believe me for the first half of the school year they get very hungry and tired by the end of the day. Going to kindergarten is so different than daycare, preschool or home just in the fact that they can’t take a nap when they need to (if at all) and there is not much time for snacks.
In my school, we do have a short snack time for the first half of the school year. So do other schools in the district, but each school handles snacks and how we have them differently. At the school I teach at, we ask parents to provide a healthy snack each day if they would like or we provide goldfish crackers or pretzels for the kids who don’t have a snack each day. Another school in the district has parents each provide a box of crackers, goldfish, or pretzels as a part of their school supplies at the beginning of the year. The teachers then store them and hand them out as the year goes by. But what ever the differences are with the schools here are a few quick tips on snack time:
- Make sure to ask your teacher if they have a snack time each day or not and if they do, what do you need to do to help. If they do or not it is also a good idea to make sure your child knows how important it is to eat their breakfast and their lunch each day so they do not get to hungry.
- If your child has food allergies please make sure the teacher, office and nurse know about it immediately. Schools will often ask you to provide your child’s snack throughout the school year for safety reasons. But you need to make sure everyone knows up front that snacks are not an option for your kindergartener.
- If another child in the classroom has a food allergy please try hard to avoid sending that food item to school for your child just as a precaution. Some children are allergic to the oils of the food item and just touching it on a desk or someone’s hands can be a danger.
- Check to see if your school is peanut or nut free. Many schools are now asking students, teachers and all school employees to avoid bringing peanut and peanut products to school. This year I had a student in my room that was allergic to tree nuts. I choose to stop bringing almonds and nuts in my lunch for the year just as a precaution. None of us want to see a child have an allergic reaction.
- If your child has a food allergy, check to see if you can provide snacks or foods they can eat in an airtight container to be stored in the classroom or school freezer. Many classrooms have parties, birthday cupcakes, etc… If your child does not have a food item from you, they will have to go without on those spur of the moment special occasions. I ask parents to provide items that I keep put away for those last minute surprises.
- Lastly, if you want to provide a snack for the class, please contact your child’s teacher at least a week before hand. This will give the teacher time to call the parents of students with food allergies and work out an alternative for their snack. If you are thinking about providing a special birthday treat, please do the same. We often have students that do not celebrate birthdays and need to find other accommodations for them as well as checking on our food allergy students.
Remember, communication is the key to a successful year. Your child’s teacher and the other parents will really appreciate you taking the extra time to make sure the entire class is safe and respected. J
Tags: ABC's Of Kindergarten