As of June 27, 2018, the Pleasant Valley School District has made some changes to the snacks students are allowed to bring, eat, and share in the classroom, greatly affecting Valentine’s Day traditions in elementary schools.
In the past, every Valentine’s Day, kids would create an individual, decorated box to receive valentines in. They would prepare valentines for their class and exchange them on the school day. The valentines included little cards, trinkets, and all sorts of candy. However, that wide assortment of candy had become an issue.
Kids with allergies in school were being negatively affected by the different types of candy brought in. In order to solve this and other allergy issues in the district, PV implemented a new policy to protect those students.
The only food students may bring into the classroom for snacks, birthday treats, or parties must be from the Spartan Safe Snack List. A reminder was placed in the elementary school announcements about this change, also explaining their reasoning. “Obviously, this may cause some inconveniences and disappointments, but inconveniences and disappointment do not justify a compromise to student safety.”
However, for the Valentine’s Day party, students are not allowed to bring any food for valentines – even if it’s on the Spartan Safe Snack List. They are instead encouraged to bring cards and toys. This is a large change to the holiday, as sharing candy with everyone on Valentine’s Day was an exciting and unique opportunity for elementary kids.
PVHS senior Christine Moose, who has been in the PV district since elementary school, commented on how she felt about sharing valentines in elementary school. She said, “I loved it…it was an enjoyable part of my childhood, and I think it’s really sad that kids can’t hand out candy anymore.”
Although it is very important to protect the health of every PV student, giving and getting candy for valentines was special for many students. Julia Jensen, a Pleasant Valley Elementary School student, said, “I would much rather have any food [as valentines], even from the Spartan Safe Snack list.”
For such a unique occasion in the year, students should be allowed to bring treats from the Spartan Safe Snack list to give as valentines. It would still keep the kids with allergies safe, and the students would be able to enjoy giving and getting valentines as they have done in the past, upholding a decades-long tradition.
