School Events and Fundraisers
School Events
Brooklyn Center Community Schools hosts numerous school events within the various buildings, such as Family Night events, athletic activities, dances, or performances, to name a few.
The district wellness policy states:
"Edible items provided during school-sponsored events will be consistent with the current USDA guidelines for Americans and Federal Register, with an expectation on providing Smart Snacks compliant foods as the primary snacks and water as the primary beverage."
Fundraisers
School fundraisers are a necessary part of the school system, and are an opportunity to support wellness efforts, help build community and to create a fun and engaging experience for students, families and staff. The District Wellness Policy #533 states: "Use of non-edible items, physical activity, and academic pursuits will be the expectation for fundraisers. If edible items are used for fundraisers, items will be consistent with the current USDA guidelines for Americans, Smart Snacks Guidelines, and Federal Register, while following food safety regulations."
Marketing Foods and beverages sold or distributed to the students during the school day are to meet the USDA and Smart Snacks guidelines. Click here to learn more about the effect of marketing of brands and products within the schools.
Classroom Celebrations and Events
Parents who would like to acknowledge a child’s birthday in the classroom, please consider the following suggestions and be sure to talk with the teacher in advance to ensure it will work as planned. In order to keep the school a productive learning environment that is safe and inclusive for each student please do not bring foods, sweetened beverages or balloons into the classroom for celebrations.
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Donate a book to the classroom library.
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Have a family member bring and read a book to the class.
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Bring in a t-shirt for classmates and teachers to sign.
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Provide non-food prizes such as small school supplies (pencils, erasers, stickers, etc.).
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Organize a game or craft for the classroom.
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Volunteer in the classroom.
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Visit the class and talk about celebrations in your culture.
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Share your favorite story/fable/myth.
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Teach the class a child’s celebration song.
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Be creative—come up with your own idea to celebrate at school without food.
The Classroom Celebrations flier is available for staff and as a resource for families.
Thank you for supporting your child, and each of the students, to learn, to be healthy, and to be the best they can be.
Click here for more ideas from the organization Action for Healthy Kids.
Farm to School
Farm to School enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and food education practices at schools.
At Brooklyn Center Community schools, our Farm to School program focuses on three areas:
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Cafeteria: We purchase seasonal, Minnesota grown foods to serve in our school meals
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Classroom: We partner with Gale Woods Farm to provide food and nutrition education in classrooms and in our school gardens
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Community: We help strengthen the local economy by purchasing locally and supporting Minnesota farmers. Students learn about food and agriculture in our community by taking field trips to local farms.
If you have any questions, comments, or new ideas you'd like to see implemented, please send our Farm to School Coordinator, Megan Grubb, an email.