Food for Thought: Seneca Valley Officials Debate Wellness, Allergy Policies

Food, sweets, treats and the affect they may have on students were at the center of discussions Monday asSchool Board members approved steps towards a new allergy policy—but shut down the first attempt at a revised wellness guideline.

In 5-4 vote, Seneca Valley officials rejected the first reading of a revamped wellness policy that would forbid students from bringing treats and other foods into the classroom for birthday celebrations.

The policy also would eliminate “competitive foods” given to students by teachers as a reward for good behavior or for answering a question correctly. The current policy, which was put into place in 2006, already discourages competitive foods, but does not prohibit them.

Board Vice-Chairman Eric Gordon, who voted against the policy, said completely eliminating foods from birthday celebrations took things a bit too far for him. He also agreed with board member Eric DiTullio that earning a piece of candy or a pretzel could serve as a great motivator for students in the classroom

“I think it’s very easy to just prohibit things,” Gordon said. “I think we’re using a machete here when we need to be using a scalpel.”

School Board member Kelly Kopera—who also voted against approving the first reading of the wellness policy—suggested only foods from a teacher-approved list be allowed in the classrooms for birthday celebrations at the elementary level.

“Kids in kindergarten through the fourth-grade age group love to celebrate their birthdays,” she said. “It’s the one important day of the year to them other than Santa Claus.”

Ending Birthday Celebrations Turned Competitions

Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Fuller—who served on a committee formed by 12 district staff members and parents to research the wellness policy—said the guidelines only would eliminate food from the birthday celebrations, not the celebrations themselves.

“It does not eliminate the ability to celebrate the birthday,” Linda Andreassi, the district’s director of communications, added. “There usually is a birthday crown or a birthday pin given to the student. There is attention that is centered on that child.”

Treats also would continue to be served during holiday parties at the elementary and middle schools, including the Halloween, Christmas andcelebrations. Fuller said the food served at these parties are pre-approved and provided by the district.

He said treats brought into the classrooms by parents for their child’s birthday celebrations are less predictable —and sometimes excessive.

“We have had numerous situations where the birthday party concept kind of takes on a life of its own in the elementary schools,” he said. “It becomes a competition to see who can bring in the biggest and the best snack.”

Fuller recalled a day last year where multiple birthdays were celebrated in the same classroom. In the morning, one birthday student’s parents gave doughnuts to the classroom. For lunch, the parents of the other birthday student provided cupcakes. The afternoon featured a chocolate fountain brought into the room by the parents of the third birthday student.

“That’s not healthy, nor is it a good use of instructional time,” Fuller said.

The board will hold a second reading of the wellness policy, which is expected to include amendments made by board members, at the March school meeting. If officials approve a third reading of the guidelines, the revisions would become district policy.

Officials also will vote on two more readings for a new allergy policy. Board members unanimously approved a first reading for the policy on Monday.

Putting a Food Allergy Policy in Place

Fuller said the district currently does not have an official policy in place for students with severe food allergies. The proposed policy would follow the state’s recommended guidelines for managing food allergies in school, he said.

He added the district has 193 confirmed cases of students and staff with life-threatening food allergies, mostly to nuts. The policy would outline a consistent plan of action for staff in case of a medical emergency related to food allergies and provide other guidelines. All classrooms also would be identified as “allergen protected.”

“It will provide that consistent set of perimeters to help support a consistent environment for all our students and staff,” Fuller said.

If approved, both the updated wellness policy and the new allergy policy would be in place in time for the 2012-13 school year, Fuller said.