Ventura Park (like many of our district schools) is part of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program.

HEALTHY CELEBRATIONS AT SCHOOL

David Douglas School District and Ventura Park Elementary School encourage healthy eating and safe, physical activity. We want all VP Vikings to be safe and healthy. We take the health and education of every student very seriously. With the existence of sensitive food allergies among students, it may be unsafe to distribute foods in classrooms, when ingredients are not carefully accounted for ahead of time. Please do NOT send food to school for your child to share with classmates. Please also do NOT bring cupcakes or other food/treats expecting teachers to pass these out during class. Class time is very limited, and we want to protect instructional time for the academic success of all students. DDSD has an outstanding food services staff that takes special care to provide healthy food every day to students at both breakfast and lunch. Party food/treats sent from home are not necessary and often disrupt the educational program of school. Instead of food, students may bring to share: stickers, special pencils, or other fun and useful items. If sending such items to school, please first check with your child’s teacher. This may be a thoughtful way to celebrate a special occasion without sending food to school.

SLEEP SMARTER, PERFORM BETTER

Kids who sleep better perform better in school. Did you know that kids ages 6-12 actually need 9-12 hours of sleep per night? The Alliance for Healthier generation has a page of sleep resources, including recipes for healthy bedtime snacks.