Food is illegal! (At least in my classroom)

No, this post isn't about the Haddix novel Among the Hidden where junk food is illegal.  It is about my own school district where food had become the enemy.  our school district has put strict guidelines on the food we are allowed to have in the classroom if we are allowed to have any due to the pressure from the state guidelines.  

-Movie with popcorn after reading the novel- NOPE!

-Teaching fractions while baking cupcakes-NOPE!

-Valentine cards with chocolates attached-NOT A CHANCE!

Now I am a fan of food.  I have always used food in my fifth grade classroom as a treat and as an educational tool.  Well not this year.  We have had more discussions on what we are allowed to eat and when then we have had about our struggling students-ABSURD!

Remember this FUN and engaging Math activity- Pi Day Activities .  Well, so do I but it seems as though it will be a distant memory soon as I am NOT ALLOWED to use food to teach.  

Now I know many of you might agree with the "no food in school" insanity.  And before you ask "yes there are other ways to teach these concepts".  That, however is not the point!  The point is, why is the government concerned with what is eaten on February 14th?  When did popcorn become the enemy?  And lastly, why isn't the answer to all these problem increased activity time (more PE and Recess) instead of no cupcakes? I believe that my government, my board of education, my administrators, my principal, and my colleagues and I have more important things to worry about.  

One of my favorite activity of the year and a hot seller in our TPT store Pi Day Edible Centers is no more.

I'm just curious, has anyone else suffered the "food ban" in their classroom?

Please share your comments and pardon me as I go grab a celery stick and some humus. 

A fan of food in the classroom, 
Damien

Pi Day Revisited

Hi all I am typing this post from my deck as it is a beautiful March day in Jersey.  I wanted to keep everyone posted on how my Pi Day activities went. 


First we created our Pi Day review plates to remind us of the vocabulary, the formula for circumference, and the meaning of the terms.  This activity took about a 1/2 hour to complete, though the most creative (and slowest working) kids took a little longer.

Here a student is using the Vocabulary section of their
Math Binder to review the terms

A Pi (pie) plate in progress

Finished Pi plates

A closer view

A quick and easy display

In the afternoon we participated in Edible Pi Day Centers (available on TPT Here).  The activities were center-based and had the students measuring the diameter of various desserts and using that information to find the diameter and circumference.  Rule number one, do NOT spend so much time planning that you leave buying the actual pies until the night before. Cut to me in three different grocery stores at 11:00 the night before Pi Day-I've learned from that mistake. 


With Oreos, Peanut Butter Cups, Round Cakes and Pies in hand we started our centers.  Each center had center cards restating the directions for the students (included in the TPT packet). 

Here two of my darlings are reading the directions before starting
at the pie station (YEAH for reading directions!)

This is an image of one of the center cards
for the Apple Pie center. 

The activity guide in progress.

Here are some pictures of us working...

and eating our way through the centers.

Oreo diameter-YUM!

Have you ever measured the diameter of a Peanut Butter Cup?
I usually just eat them

Overall this was a GREAT way to celebrate Pi Day and to have some activities that were super engaging, educational, and of course YUMMY!

How did you celebrate Pi Day? I'd love to hear from you!


-Damien of The Reading Buddies