A Journey Towards Healthier Living!

Welcome back… to what promises to be a great school year. September is a time for new beginnings, when the proverbial slate is wiped clean and filled with high expectations. We look forward to partnering with you as we launch another successful school year!

Kerby is committed to providing every child an environment in which they feel a safe sense of belonging while they work to meet the academic challenges throughout the year. In my seven years at Kerby, we’ve welcomed an increasing number of students with life-threatening allergies (food, pet,
environmental, etc.) into our community. In this same timeframe there have been numerous studies and national reports on the importance of proper nutrition and teaching kids how to make healthy
decisions with respect to food. As I reflect on both of these issues, I realize it will take a concerted effort from students, parents and staff to ensure the safety, well being and academic success of our students.

The following quote from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution provides an excellent summary of Kerby’s health and nutrition goal: “Basically, as long as we all recognize that treats should be treats, not a daily occurrence, we'll be in a good place. So when I talk about having a 'healthy' approach to food, and eating better I'm talking about achieving that sense of balance: lots of the good stuff, loads of variety, and the odd indulgence every now and then.”

Starting with the 2010-2011 school year, the Kerby staff will partner with students and parents as we make healthy choices that hopefully will develop into life-long habits. In order to do this, we will do the following:
• Students will pack a ‘healthy’ snack each day (see school approved choices on website)
• Students will be a good friend by only eating the food provided to them (This is one of the few times when sharing is Not recommended)!
• Students may bring in a bookmark, pencil, eraser, sticker etc. to share with their classmates when they are celebrating a birthday (or are the ‘star student’ Cougar, etc). Food should NOT be brought in and shared.
• Students will be a good friend as they remember some students are allergic to dogs, cats and other pets by keeping Kerby School a ‘pet free zone’.
• Students will enjoy the food at classroom parties and end of year picnics. Parents will choose items in moderation found on the healthy snack list on our website. Parents should work with staff to meet the needs of students with special dietary needs.

Throughout the year, students will have the option to participate in a variety of events such as the PTO Ice Cream Social, Ice Cream or Bagel Sales and Sullivan’s Class Bake Sale (part of economics unit) to name a few. I am confident that the Kerby Community will join together to do everything possible as we work to ensure every student at Kerby is healthy and in the safest environment possible.
Thank you for partnering with us as we begin this journey towards a healthier lifestyle!