Dear parents,
Thank you for the thoughtful feedback about this decision. Both teachers and some parents have expressed concern about the use of treats for celebrating birthdays, and a feeling that consuming sugary items makes it more difficult for students to pay attention, and for teachers to make productive use of the learning time we have.
Our goal is to have non-food based celebrations that still continue the wonderful tradition of making students feel special on their birthday. Parents can contribute to these, if they choose, but it will not be required, and you and your child do not need to provide gifts for classmates.
Some other considerations that went into this were a recognition that we have an increasing number of students with food sensitivities and allergies, and that providing an “alternate” treat for these students makes some of them feel singled out or left out of the fun. Also, a number of parents who are concerned about their child’s health and wellbeing are trying to limit the amount of sugar that their child consumes, and having food-based birthday gatherings a couple times a month makes it challenging for them to navigate establishing family rules while encouraging their student to be part of the classroom community.
