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The Daily Signal
This School
District Just Banned Cupcakes. And Candy.
Eric Boehm
July 13, 2014
Photo: David Clow/Creative Commons
A school district in Washington state is determined to make school more
healthy and less fun.
Edmonds School District, in the suburbs south of Seattle, has approved
a ban on cupcakes, candy and other sweet treats children typically
bring to school to celebrate their birthdays. Instead, district
officials say kids should distribute pencils to their classmates on
those special days–because pencils are every bit as much fun as
cupcakes.
The ban on food in classrooms—aside from “seasonal, cultural or
curriculum-related celebrations” that are allowed to occur three times
per year—is part of an overall effort to make the district’s schools
healthier and to comply with new federal guidelines for school wellness.
If every child in a classroom brings treats to birthday celebrations,
“We’re not just talking about one cupcake a year, we’re talking about
25 cupcakes a year,” DJ Jakala, spokeswoman for the Edmonds School
District, told the Everett Herald newspaper.
KIRO-TV reported that students will be able to get a new pencil or a
handmade card from their fellow students, in place of fattening goodies.
But some parents say the school district is stepping on tradition—and
telling children there is only one right way to celebrate their
birthdays.
“It’s not necessarily the district’s job to control that, to take
[this] away from everybody,” parent Marcus Shelton told local Fox
affiliate KCPQ. “It’s overreaching.”
As of two weeks ago, the district had gotten just three written
complaints, but officials did not return calls from seeking updated
numbers.
Edmonds School District isn’t alone when it comes to banning sweet
treats for birthday parties and other occasions, but it’s certainly in
the minority.
According to a report published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education
and Behavior last year, only 7.3 percent of schools prohibit sugary
items during classroom birthday parties and 6.4 percent for classroom
holiday parties. The study examined policies at more than 1,200 schools
nationwide.
Read this and other articles with links at The Daily Signal
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