Due to Covid-19, we will not be able to offer snack cart for the 2020-21 school year.
1. What is snack cart?
Snack cart is a parent run, fundraising program that gives students the opportunity to choose their own snack once a week. It occurs every Thursday in the Douglas school lobby. For the younger grades, it is also a great introduction to using money.
2. When does snack cart occur on Thursday?
Snack cart occurs between 9:45 – 11:00 AM on Thursday morning. Your child’s teacher will determine a time during their morning schedule when snack cart is appropriate. This time may not always be the same due to other activities (special presentations, all school conferences, etc.) that may occur.
3. How much are snacks, and how many snacks is my child allowed to purchase?
Snacks cost 25 cents each and students are allowed to purchase 2 snacks. We often encourage one sweet and one salty snack choice. Popcorn is also offered on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month with small bags priced at 50 cents and large bags at 75 cents. On popcorn day, given the size of the large bags, students who purchase this size are limited to one snack for the day.
4. Who donates snacks?
Every week, families in two grades (or sometimes only one grade) are asked to contribute snacks to snack cart. Families are asked to contribute the equivalent of 24 individually packaged snacks. These donations are typically left on the table in the front lobby that morning. Children can drop off donations as they go to their classes, but families can also drop them off later (but preferably before the end of snack cart on that day).
5. What kind of snacks can I donate?
Families can donate any type of snacks, but we are asking that parents consider donating nutritious whole grain snacks with fiber, but limited sugar content to encourage active learning throughout the student’s school day. Snacks NEED be nut-free and trans fat free. We ask that families check labels as some snacks do have traces of nuts (such as Chex Mix). Examples of healthy snack donations include seasonal fruit (i.e. apples in Fall, clementines in winter), popcorn like Skinny Pop, whole grain granola bars or Goldfish, cheese sticks and yogurt tubes. Children also enjoy home baked goods (which we ask that people label so we know what they are) like banana/pumpkin muffins or oatmeal raisin cookies.
6. How often do families donate?
Typically, each grade is asked to donate a total of 7-8 times during the school year. You can find when it’s your turn by reading the SNACK CART DONATION SCHEDULE.
7. What happens if I miss or forget my donation?
If you miss a donation day, feel free to donate the following week. If you have more than one child at Douglas, feel free to donate all at once to make the donation process easier. We set up a donation schedule so that we have a steady stream of snacks.
8. Are there always enough snacks?
Typically yes, but it depends upon donations. If donations are running low, the snack cart team may need to limit students to one snack for that day.
9. What happens to snacks that are not sold that day?
Snacks that are non-perishable are stored for the next week’s snack cart. Snacks that are perishable (such as fruit) are either donated to work and play, a class, or the teacher’s lounge. Snacks such as yogurts and string cheese are put into the teacher’s refrigerator for use the following week. Unless they have expired, we try not to discard snacks.
10. What if my child has an allergy?
Often teachers in lower grades work with students to become aware of what they can and cannot eat. We encourage families to have conversations with students so that they learn to read labels or understand what they can and cannot consume. Families can also prepare a ‘snack box’ for their child which is a shoe box size box that contains snacks that the child can eat. Snack cart will house the box along with the other snacks and take it out for the child to choose from. We ask families to let snack cart know if they wish to do this, and also to inform the teacher and student of this choice. If you choose to make your own snack box, make sure it has your child’s name on it as well as any special instructions.
11. Do I have to participate in snack cart?
Families do not have to participate. When the class goes to snack cart, the child does not need to go. In this case, families do not donate and do not purchase from snack cart.
12. Who volunteers at snack cart?
Parents who have been CORI’d are always welcome to help with snack cart. Many volunteers have brought their preschoolers to snack cart to help also. Parents who volunteer are put on a team of 2-3 parents who set up, monitor and clean up from snack cart each week. Typically volunteers arrive about 15 minutes before snack cart to put snacks out and stay until snack cart is over. Depending upon the number of volunteers, we usually ask for volunteers once every 5-6 weeks.
13. What happens to the funds that Snack Cart generates?
Snack Cart revenues are used to fund many school activities that benefit the entire school, such as cultural enrichment programs. You can see a list of funded programs on the PTO website.