Dear Parents,

The Gorham School District is committed to providing a healthy eating environment for all its students. Weíd like to communicate a change in our procedures. Beginning with this  letter, we ask that parents do not send in any food for celebrations, such as birthdays and holidays to be shared in classrooms. This does not include the daily snacks that you send in for your own child, however we encourage you to provide healthy options.

We want our school to be a safe and comfortable environment for all students; and we have done this for a numbers of reasons, which reflect our value of respect for all:

• To minimize disruption to the teaching day.

• To support healthier nutrition choices as stated in the K-5 Maine Physical Education and Health State Standards.

• To minimize non-nutritious foods being brought into school, allowing individual parents the opportunity to control how much and which foods their children eat during the school day.

• To increase the sensitivity of our community to the needs of our students who have health issues that affect their food intake. As stated in our Gorham School Allergy Policy, our schools are committed to providing a safe environment for students who have an allergy history.

We understand that food is part of our culture and a means to celebrate special occasions of all kind. This change does not mean that our children will not have fun, class parties, or celebrations. Instead of food, students can participate in a variety of creative activities during holiday celebrations. Nonfood tokens such as stickers or pencils can be used to celebrate birthdays while promoting a healthier school environment.

We are asking for your support and help by keeping food items out of our school unless we request them for curriculum-based activities. We realize that this may require some adjustment to past practices, but we must adhere to the Gorham Wellness and Allergy Policies for the safety and wellness of all students.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Wellness Guideline Statement

K-5 Guideline for implementing the Gorham School District Wellness and Allergy Policies:

Only pre-approved curriculum-based foods will be allowed in the classroom and will be offered in cooperation with individual student allergy and health-care plans.

(References the Student Allergy Policy - File Code JLCE)

1. Wellness Policy Code: JL

Eating Environment

“The Gorham School District will provide a healthy eating environment for all its students.”

Food Safety/Food Security

“All other foods brought or produced outside of the GSNP must also meet food safety guidelines and policies on food allergies.”

2. Allergy Policy Code: JLCE

“The Gorham School Committee is committed to providing a safe environment for students who have an allergy history.”