Birthday Recognitions and Holidays

For many of us birthdays and holidays are a time to be celebrated, and many teachers are often asked if they will host a celebration for these events in their classrooms.  Below are the guidelines our teachers follow when planning for events in the classroom throughout the year:

• All classroom activities and/or parties should have a connection to the grade level curriculum standards.  As a result, activities that may be appropriate for one grade level may not be appropriate for another grade level.
• If a class will be exploring celebrations throughout the world, the discussions should be centered in the historical context and cultural impact of the celebration.
• The amount of time spent on an activity should correlate to the importance of that topic to the overall curricular goals of the classroom.
• Teachers make the final determination of what activities will best meet the educational needs of their students.
• Food offered during classroom celebrations must meet the nutritional guidelines set forth by the district.
• We are happy to recognize student birthdays in the classroom, but birthday celebrations should take place at home.  For this reason, birthday treats will not be permitted in the classroom.

If there is a craft or project that does not fit within the classroom curriculum, we encourage you to share these activities with your child at home.  These home-based projects create precious memories you can share with your child.

Physical Activity

Physical education is a planned, sequential program of curricula and instruction that helps students develop the knowledge skills, and confidence necessary for an active life style.  (SSD Board AR 5030)

All students at Fairwood Explorer will receive a minimum of 200 minutes of physical education every 10 school days.  Students will have opportunities to learn and practice a wide variety of motor skills, team sports, and physical fitness training.  In grades K-3, PE is taught by the classroom teacher.  Students in 4th and 5th grade are taught by one of the Sunnyvale School District PE coaches.  In addition, we have a recess coach every day for morning and lunch recesses, as well as a Playworks coach for one week each month to support 4th and 5th grade students in becoming Junior Coaches.  Junior Coaches can run games and activities during PE or recess.  In addition to the allotted PE time, all students will have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess during which they will be encouraged to engage in rigorous, physical activity.  Our recess coaches will be available during this time to support a variety of games and encourage students to be active.

Nutrition Policy

Fairwood Explorer believes that food used on campus during the school day, should reinforce healthy eating and good nutrition.  For this reason, we adhere to the SSD policy regarding child nutrition options on our campus outline below.

• We limit the use of food or beverages as rewards for student accomplishments, and we do not withhold food or beverages as punishment.
• We limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one celebration per month for students.
• Celebrations involving food occur during or after the lunch period.
• We adhere to nutritional guidelines when preparing food to ensure food safety.
• We offer and promote healthy food and beverages at all school-sponsored events where food is sold or served.
• We encourage families to send nutritious foods to school for their child's own consumption.

SSD Board AR 5030