Please look at teacher’s newsletters for class specific guidelines about sending Valentine’s to school. Many families choose to send a small card to school for each child in the class. Most of the time, these do not include a small gift like candy or a trinket.
Even though it is not expected, if you choose to include an item with your child's valentine, please note that only non-food items are permissible. This practice is consistent for all classrooms in District 96 elementary schools including Willow Grove.
Candy, snacks, or any sort of food item will be sent back home with your child on Valentine's Day if sent to school. Non-food items are permitted, and there are many pre-packaged Valentines that can be purchased that include a trinket (i.e., pencil, erasers, book mark, etc.). Card and party stores or stores with a birthday party aisle (i.e., Target) are a great place to look for these types of items. Here are some ideas of non-food items if you choose to include something:
• pencils
• erasers
• stickers
• play-dough
• bubble wands
• plastic or rubber figurines
• capsules that become figures when placed in water
• mini deck of cards
• spinning top
• crazy straws
Nearly 25% of our Country Meadows student body has medically based dietary restrictions and this does not include students on specific diets of family choice (i.e., vegetarian, low cal/sugar, religious, etc.) Monitoring individual needs and requests is not feasible, thus not safe. In addition it is frequently reported that several children eat Valentine's treats on the bus, as evidenced by an abundance of wrappers found. This poses a choking risk, as well as exposure for students with specific health restrictions.
Thank you for your support and cooperation. If you have any questions, please ask!
