Twenty-nine classroom teachers & 227 parents/guardians (a little more families from Franklin than from Randall) completed snack surveys - THANKS to those who did! Classroom snack policies varied with the two most common being “students bring their own snack” (this was also the most preferred policy by families) and “each week, a different student brings snack for the whole class."
Prominent themes included:
- Teachers strongly prefer to remain in control of snack
- Expensive for families to bring in snack for classroom for a whole week
- Many parents/guardians offered to donate money or snacks to a common pool for students that don’t have snacks
- Many teachers & families wish had more fresh fruits or veggies for snacks but can be hard for families to bring in & storage in is difficult in classrooms; processed foods are easy & cheap but less nutritious
- There are issues with some children with food allergies feeling excluded by group snack
- There were mixed opinions about having snack: some think it’s a good idea, others think there shouldn’t be snack, and others think it should be phased out as kids get older.
Based on these results, MMSD policies, and national recommendations, the Franklin-Randall Wellness Council will draft guidelines/suggestions for snacks at our schools; snack choices will
not
be taken away from teachers.
Please let Nurse Lovell (204-2301 or 204-3305) know if you have any comments or questions about the survey data, or if would like any more information.
