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Elementary School - Food Guidelines & Celebrations
Nut-Free Classrooms
All elementary classrooms in the Eastchester Schools are nut-free. This means all forms of peanut butter and other nut-based products and spreads, such as Nutella, are not allowed in classrooms. Many of our students have been diagnosed with tree nut/peanut allergies. Accidental ingestion or touching of even a tiny trace of nut can cause an immediate and potentially fatal reaction.
It will therefore be the responsibility of all parents to read labels on all snack items being sent into the classroom to ensure they are nut-free and not manufactured in a facility that processes products containing peanuts/tree nuts. Any questions regarding the safety of a product can be addressed to the school nurse of your child’s school.
An extensive list of nut-free snacks can be found here.
Besides nut-free items, we encourage parents to send in healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables that the students can manage easily.
Nut-Safe Cafeteria
All elementary cafeterias in the Eastchester Schools are nut-safe. This means that while parents are strongly discouraged to include nut products in lunches, students who choose to bring nut products will be seated at a “nut table”. Suggestions of nut-free snacks and nut substitutions can be found here.
Celebrations
Birthdays
Children’s birthdays are recognized in the classroom with celebrations that do not include food. Birthday celebrations are consistent across grade levels and classroom teachers will communicate how children’s birthdays will be recognized at Open House in September. Please note that in order to avoid disappointment and hurt feelings, invitations to private birthday parties may not be given out at school.
Holidays
Seasonal holidays will be celebrated in classrooms throughout the school year. Class parents will coordinate these celebrations and will ensure healthy snacks and nut-free treats.