[An observation whilst the morning tea cools… note that the tea is black, no sweetners]
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that, as a result of the battle of obesity (being fought because UBL is overweight, I guess), schools have started to ban birthday cupcakes. For example, Orange County’s Saddleback Valley Unified School District now only allows non-nutritious classroom only three times per year, stating “A birthday doesn’t have to be associated with food.” California’s has banned junk-food and soda sales in schools. Districts are looking well beyond school lunches: vending machines, band fundraisers, booster-club sales, treats as rewards from teachers, concession stands at football games — and the ubiquitous birthday parties. Santa Clara, after heated debate, updated its nutrition policy, baning unhealthful food from vending machines and prohibiting teachers from dishing out candy as a reward, but granting a reprieve to birthday cupcake parties and cheese-dripping nachos at football games. In the Duxbury School District in Massachusetts, parents and educators in the Chandler School Council decided to forgo all classroom treats two years ago. The Westside Union School District in Lancaster decided that all classroom celebrations ought to be consolidated into one party per month and planned to emphasize healthful food in PTA and school newsletters but decided against a ban. Texas (you remember them: home to “Big Tex” and deep-fried goodies at the Texas State Fair) passed the Safe Cupcake amendment, which guarantees parents’ right to deliver unhealthful treats to the classroom — such as sweetheart candies on Valentine’s Day and candy corn on Halloween, sponsored by Rep. Jim Dunnam after a school in his district booted out a father bringing birthday pizzas to his child’s class. We’re also lucky that Google can still serve cupcakes as this is their 8th birthday.
So what do you think? Should the cupcakes be allowed for classroom birthday parties?
