Associated Content: On September 30th, 2008, the Newburyport School District in Massachusetts released the final draft of a Wellness Policy for all grades, K through 12.
Included within that policy were guidelines related to “junk food”, including all sodas and candies as well as cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, cookies, chips, and other treats. This policy instructs teachers and school workers to refrain from using any junk foods in any parties or celebrations within classrooms. It further requests that junk foods not be given as rewards for grades or good behavior.
This ban will also affect school fundraising events, which commonly include sales of candies and cookies among other forms of what would be considered junk food.
The most unusual portion of this Wellness Policy now bans students from bringing in their own junk food items for snacks or meals. There is no mention of how the students will be policed, nor what punishments will be implemented for students who defy the ban, nor whether replacement meals and snacks will be provided to students who bring in forbidden junk food..
The Wellness Policy specifies that each school principal, nurse, and school council can refine the guidelines and bans for their specific school. Nuts and nut-based foods may be included in the ban at an individual school if they pose a health risk to any students or faculty, regardless whether they are brought in as junk food or a ‘healthy choice’. What is sold by school sponsored vendors at sporting events or other after-school activities is also decided at the school rather than district level.
The Newburyport School District also states that it will create a Health and Wellness Advisory Council which will advise individual schools on how to implement the ban and other policy changes, as well as review and refine these policies annually.
End Of Article, Lil Nubi’s Time To Talk!
So, this entire school district wants to band ALL junk food. I understand taking the crap foods out of the snack machines & cafeteria but restricting what people bring from home? You’ve gone too far my friend. How the hell can you prevent kids from eating a Ho-Ho or a Ding-Dong when you can’t stop them from bringing guns to school? How about instead of wasting all of your time seeing if Little Johnny brought in a pack of Skittles, you do background checks on the teachers you hired. Let the parents do the parenting! Yes, more and more kids of today are obese. That’s not the school’s problem to worry about that. That’s good ol’ Mommy and Daddy’s problem. Chances are though, they’re fat asses too. I remember quite a few teachers while I was in school that were a little on the husky side. Can you say hypocrites? I can.
I can go on with this for hours, but I know you aren’t going to read it all so what’s the point. If you’d like to continue this conversation or argue the point you can always email me at LilNubi@RoyalFlushMagazine.Com or post a comment below!