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Food For Thought

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  • Food For Thought

    Yesterday on the Rick Hamada Show (KHVH radio 830 am) someone called into the station to bring to light the fact that some schools offer childen only bread and water if they forget to bring their school lunch money or if their school lunch account falls below a designated level. This parent was quite appalled to learn about the "alternate lunch" policy implemented at Ewa Beach Elementary School. The dismayed parent relayed this item to Rick's weekly guest that morning, Governor Linda Lingle.

    As a result of the call, the station was then flooded with additional calls from other parents who enountered similar situations and policies at other schools. After the Governor's hour was over, Rick followed up with a phone call to the principal at Ewa Beach Elementary who went on to explain the school's "alternate lunch policy."

    I think what is upsettng for most people calling in was the fact that the alternate lunch consisted only of "bread and water". This is what elementary aged students get fed if they forget their lunch money. Prisoners eat better than this I beleive.

    There is more to this issue as outlined in the following story link written by Hawaii Reporter's Laura Brown:

    Tough Love School Lunch Policy Means Kids Go Hungry in Hawaii Schools

    Any parents out there encountered similar policies at your child's public school? What about the private and charter schools? Do they have an alternate lunch policy that is beyond bread and water?

    Long ago when I used to go to public school, lunch was on a cash only basis. There was no credit card system for school lunches. You either had your lunch money or you did not. Most parents made sure that their child went to school with enough lunch money every day. I can't remember anyone not eating a lunch when I was going to school. Bread and water certainly was not a staple on anyone's lunch menu at the time.

    To me a child who is hungry for the rest of the school day will not be very receptive to learning if he or she misses lunch.

    Comments anyone.....
    I'm still here. Are you?

  • #2
    Re: Food For Thought

    Great article and thanks for the heads up!

    I graduated from Roosevelt three years ago and we didn't have a lunch card system, and they took both cash and lunch tickets, because of the need to protect kids who eat free and reduced price lunches...

    Anyhow... not being able to pay cash or call home is appalling... and so is the idea that prisoners get fed better food than bread and water.

    On the other hand, after doing a paper for my one of my classes, I've realized that what we do feed the children of the nation is not necessarily healthy.

    Granted the cafeteria workers and managers do mean well--they want to make healthy food for the children and many do care about what children want to eat and what is good for the children...

    BUT the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was not created with the children's interest in mind. Rather, it was established in 1946 as a way to relieve farmers of surplus agricultural goods. During the Depression and after WWII, the farmers didn't have a market for their produce and had to get rid of their goods or face the consquences: prices falling... So, pressured by lobbyists, Congress created the bill and President Truman signed it. Some call the program "welfare for agribusiness".

    Anyhow... the program has two sides to it: the reimbursement of lunches served--for all full price, reduced price , and free lunches as well as the provision of commodities.. It is this commodities part that may be detrimental to children's health.

    In Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, he reports on children who became sick from school lunch meat. The USDA bought ground beef from companies who had multiple citations for unsanitary conditions...

    Not only that, the USDA spends more on buying meats and cheeses and less on veggies and fruits (wonder why the children in the US are getting obese?)...

    So now, would you want your child to eat the bread and water? or the lunch?

    Granted, school lunches do have fruits and veggies and other nutrients...

    The program is very flawed. It needs a lot of changes. So does education. But not allowing children to buy lunch with cash is appalling!!!

    I remember borrowing money from my friends in elem school because I was one very forgetful child.

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    • #3
      Re: Food For Thought

      I've forgotten to give my kindergartener money (once, I swear!) and they lent her the money and wrote her an I.O.U. I seriously, honestly hope this was just an isolated incident or something, because that's pretty horrifying.

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      • #4
        Re: Food For Thought

        Originally posted by Kilinahe
        I've forgotten to give my kindergartener money (once, I swear!) and they lent her the money and wrote her an I.O.U. I seriously, honestly hope this was just an isolated incident or something, because that's pretty horrifying.

        One of the items that the Ewa Beach Elementary school principal brought up yesterday on the radio was that a lot of parents promised to pay the school back for lunches the institution bought for their child, but did not. This was before the "alternate lunch" program was started.

        Several other people had called the station yesterday to talk about this. One parent apparently got another school in Makakilo to abandon the "alternate lunch" program consisting of bread and water.

        I do find it appalling that the schools will not let children call their parents to ask them to bring the money. I am sure most parents will respond and drop everything to be there for their child.
        I'm still here. Are you?

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        • #5
          Re: Food For Thought

          "only bread and water if they forget to bring their school lunch money or if their school lunch account falls below a designated level."

          That is absolutely disgusting.

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          • #6
            Re: Food For Thought

            It is apparent that at Ewa Beach Elementary school NOT paying back the school system is frequent. At the school (private) I used to work at the kids have ID cards and can always "charge" with the card. If they forget their cards they can just give their name and the charge goes to their account. Sometimes they used their friends names...but were found out! No one should be without lunch or breakfast for that matter. And you know how some kids would be VERY embarrassed if asked: " How come you NOT eating"! Do hope that the problem is brought up by the parent group of the school and resolved.
            Retired Senior Member

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            • #7
              Re: Food For Thought

              I can't believe such a thing exist. Why punish the child if the parents aren't paying. If they can't afford meals for their children, do what my mom did when I was young......make me a home lunch or let me come home so I could make my own.
              There's got to be a better way of feeding the children a balance meal for lunch.

              Oh well, at least thier not letting the children starve.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Food For Thought

                When we lived in Washington State, my daughter attended a school that didn't provide lunch. The responsiblity of providing lunch was placed on the parents (imagine that!). I've never heard of such a thing, I mean every school I knew of in Hawaii served lunch, even if they were catered from another school's cafeteria. Preparing home lunch was such a burden at first, then eventually it became a routine after a lot of mumbled cussing. Needless to say, our kids had never gone without lunch and certainly never had to eat an alternative lunch that consists of bread and water.
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