As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our school community safe and prepared, we are making a small but important change to how we stock our classroom emergency “comfort food” buckets. This year, instead of relying on class-wide food donations, we're asking each student to bring their own non-perishable “comfort snack bag.”
Why We're Doing This:
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Allergy-friendly: We know many students have food allergies or dietary restrictions. Allowing each family to choose what goes into their child’s bag ensures safety and peace of mind.
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Personalized comfort: In a stressful situation, familiar snacks can bring real comfort.
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Simplicity & rotation: Having each child bring their own bag makes it easier to manage, inspect, and refresh items each year.
What to Put in the Bag: Here are some suggested items, based on best practices for non-perishable emergency food supplies for children:
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Granola bars, cereal bars, or protein bars
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Crackers (saltines, whole grain, etc.)
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Trail mix or dried fruit
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Peanut butter or nut-free spread, depending on allergy needs
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Cookies, hard candy, or other “comfort” sweet treats
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Fruit leather or fruit snacks
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Single-serve pudding or applesauce pouches (shelf-stable versions)
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Tea bags, hot cocoa packets, or other drink-flavor comfort items
Packing Tips: Choose items that do not require refrigeration, cooking, or much water. Use packaged, shelf-stable foods with a long “best by” date. Please label the bag clearly with your child’s name.
How It Will Work at School: Each student brings one labeled snack bag. We recommend a resealable gallon zipper bag or small reusable container (NO PAPER BAGS). The bag stays in their classroom’s emergency bin. In the unlikely event of a disaster, your child will have access to their own familiar snacks. At the end of the school year, we will return the snack bags to your child so you can restock or reuse them.
A Few Important Notes:
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One child = one bag: If you have multiple children, each needs their own snack bag for their respective classroom.
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Allergy awareness: Please check with your child’s teacher or the office if there are any class-specific allergy considerations.
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No liquids required: We will continue to supply water for our emergency kits separately, so your bag doesn’t need to include single-use drinks.
Thank you so much for your help with this. Your participation ensures that every child has access to safe, familiar food in a stressful situation—and it helps make our emergency preparedness stronger and more personalized.