Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If it’s LAA, the director for defensive because, in my experience, she gets defensive. It’s helpful if you say the school you’re talking about because we might have experience there. LAA is a wonderful school but the director does get defensive (in my experience) if she feels like she’s being challenged.
I agree. I’m an LAA parent and the director can be a little defensive when someone disagrees with her. The staff have hinted this too. That being said the school is well run, communication is excellent and the teachers are top notch. I agree that the snacks aren’t that great and I wish they would eliminate the take home snack. But in the grand scheme of things it’s a minor issue. It’s so difficult to find a trustworthy care provider and I’ve heard some scary stories. OP not sure if you are talking about LAA, but believe me we have it good. Kindergarten is a lot worse and since kids are in school for 13 whole years including kindergarten maybe it would be best to focus your efforts on improving the food offered in APS. My understanding is that it is is much better than before but there is a lot of room for improvement.
The take home snack probably cannot be eliminated because the school has to, under VA licensing requirements, provide a snack or meal every X number of hours as long as they are open (even if most of the kids have gone home). I think it's every 3 hours. So if they have lunch at noon and their afternoon snack at 3, and they are technically open for pickup until 6:30, then they are required to have another snack...so the easiest thing for them to do is just have some sort of simple, non perishable take home snack.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If it’s LAA, the director for defensive because, in my experience, she gets defensive. It’s helpful if you say the school you’re talking about because we might have experience there. LAA is a wonderful school but the director does get defensive (in my experience) if she feels like she’s being challenged.
I agree. I’m an LAA parent and the director can be a little defensive when someone disagrees with her. The staff have hinted this too. That being said the school is well run, communication is excellent and the teachers are top notch. I agree that the snacks aren’t that great and I wish they would eliminate the take home snack. But in the grand scheme of things it’s a minor issue. It’s so difficult to find a trustworthy care provider and I’ve heard some scary stories. OP not sure if you are talking about LAA, but believe me we have it good. Kindergarten is a lot worse and since kids are in school for 13 whole years including kindergarten maybe it would be best to focus your efforts on improving the food offered in APS. My understanding is that it is is much better than before but there is a lot of room for improvement.
The take home snack probably cannot be eliminated because the school has to, under VA licensing requirements, provide a snack or meal every X number of hours as long as they are open (even if most of the kids have gone home). I think it's every 3 hours. So if they have lunch at noon and their afternoon snack at 3, and they are technically open for pickup until 6:30, then they are required to have another snack...so the easiest thing for them to do is just have some sort of simple, non perishable take home snack.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If it’s LAA, the director for defensive because, in my experience, she gets defensive. It’s helpful if you say the school you’re talking about because we might have experience there. LAA is a wonderful school but the director does get defensive (in my experience) if she feels like she’s being challenged.
I agree. I’m an LAA parent and the director can be a little defensive when someone disagrees with her. The staff have hinted this too. That being said the school is well run, communication is excellent and the teachers are top notch. I agree that the snacks aren’t that great and I wish they would eliminate the take home snack. But in the grand scheme of things it’s a minor issue. It’s so difficult to find a trustworthy care provider and I’ve heard some scary stories. OP not sure if you are talking about LAA, but believe me we have it good. Kindergarten is a lot worse and since kids are in school for 13 whole years including kindergarten maybe it would be best to focus your efforts on improving the food offered in APS. My understanding is that it is is much better than before but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Anonymous wrote:If it’s LAA, the director for defensive because, in my experience, she gets defensive. It’s helpful if you say the school you’re talking about because we might have experience there. LAA is a wonderful school but the director does get defensive (in my experience) if she feels like she’s being challenged.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is a daycare, not a preschool. Preschool doesn’t happen in the summer and isn’t full-time. This is totally normal for daycare.
It’s a full year full day preschool. They don’t take anyone under two.
LOL. Honey, if it goes all summer it's daycare. What do you wish they would serve that would have the same price and convenience of what they serve now?
Not OP. What’s the difference? My DD goes to a full day preschool with a summer program that we enroll her in. Minimum age is 3. They follow a Montessori curriculum. Just because it operates throughout the year doesn’t mean it’s not a preschool. OP good snacks are possible. Our school caters from the good food company which provides the snacks as well. No saltines (yuck) , pretzels or anything you described. Perhaps suggest using them?
Well, if its existence is designed to cover the workday its a daycare.
But the main difference here is that a preschool usually have families bring in snacks and here the daycare is providing multiple snacks per day.
Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like daycare, not preschool. Preschools families take turns bringing in snacks and they only have the one snack.
What they are serving is normal. They would have to charge a lot more tuition to cover serving organic berries and cheese cube---more expensive to purchase and you have to pay someone to prepare them. 90% of families find those snacks perfectly healthy and acceptable.
Anonymous wrote:That's fine and what kids eat. I prefer healthy eating but its snacks. They need easy, cheap, quick to serve. Why don't you offer to donate snacks you prefer?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In general you have two options if you want fresh foods:
1. Go with a center big enough to have a licensed, trained kitchen person full time.
2. Go with a reputable in-home daycare with a provider that makes an effort to feed fresh fruit and vegetables . Note that really reputable in homes with a good meal program are probably going to cost you close to what a center costs.
My friend's child goes to an in home daycare. They get foods like quinoa, kale, etc. Provider is very into organic cooking.
Another friend sends her child to an in home daycare run by an East Asian family. The food is homemade traditional Asian food, and the meats and veggies and rice are prepared from scratch. When they have "American" food like pizza it's a treat like for a birthday party.
You cannot compare a child care situation with 2-6 kids vs. 200.
Why not? Many school districts are able to serve healthier food for less.
Not around here. MCPS food is horrific. All processed, frozen and reheated.
FOCPS food used to be horrific. Now they’ve revamped the menu in our school and added a salad bar. My girls love it and it’s really getting them to try all these vegetables.

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In general you have two options if you want fresh foods:
1. Go with a center big enough to have a licensed, trained kitchen person full time.
2. Go with a reputable in-home daycare with a provider that makes an effort to feed fresh fruit and vegetables . Note that really reputable in homes with a good meal program are probably going to cost you close to what a center costs.
My friend's child goes to an in home daycare. They get foods like quinoa, kale, etc. Provider is very into organic cooking.
Another friend sends her child to an in home daycare run by an East Asian family. The food is homemade traditional Asian food, and the meats and veggies and rice are prepared from scratch. When they have "American" food like pizza it's a treat like for a birthday party.
You cannot compare a child care situation with 2-6 kids vs. 200.
Why not? Many school districts are able to serve healthier food for less.
Not around here. MCPS food is horrific. All processed, frozen and reheated.
Anonymous wrote:What school is your child going to? Mine go to Children's Montessori house. The meals are served by the good food company. Snacks consist of fresh fruit, a carb and a protein. Sometimes they will serve crackers or what not but most of the snack is healthy. Here is their lunch menu for last year: https://www.montessoriofarlington.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Lunch-calendar-Feb-Sep-19.pdf
Everything they eat for lunch is whole grain. There is fresh fruit and they serve greens. Its not perfect but I've been satisfied with what they serve. Perhaps talk to the director and see if other parents are the same. People who think that what you listed is healthy are deluded and probably love feeding their kids crap.
So good food is possible 
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
I also hate the cheap, processed junk served to children.
It isn’t real food.
It is real food and it tastes really good. Just admit it. You eat it after your kid goes to bed.