help with kindergarten

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone - I'd really appreciate some input on a problem I'm having with my daughter's kindergarten. It is a state licensed, non-profit, Christian

preschool and kindergarten, using the facilities of a Church. I just received a notice of fees for the year. The total is $75 but $20 is for a Thanksgiving feast and another $30 includes making " pizza, tea party, pancakes, cookies, candy (halloween), christmas cookies, chinese food, irish soda bread, french bread and various ingredients " . I e-mailed the teacher to plan a meeting to discuss this assuming I would not be paying this $50 portion of the fees since I'd have to supply all my daughter's ingredients for the cooking projects. The teacher's response was as follows:

" Every year, there are children who do not, will

not, or will never be able to eat the food that they prepare at school.

The obective of the cooking activities is for the children to learn

measuring, to learn about the ingredients that go into the preparation

of the food, and to observe the changes that take place (i.e. apples to

applesauce, dough to cookies, etc.). If a child does not eat the food

he/she prepares, the child will be able to take it home to his/her

family. The expense of the ingredients needed to prepare the food will

be the same regardless of whether the child eats the food or not. Therefore, the director and I have decided that the fee needs to remain the same

for each child in order to cover these expenses. " I know from experience that they will not change things to make them GF for my daughter and their policy is that even if GF food is brought in by anyone but myself my child is not allowed to eat it (it is a very small school and parents have really tried to be inclusive by bringing GF snacks and food that I'm completely comfortable with, but the school does not allow it to be consumed by my daughter.) I'm not comfortable having use gluten ingredients even if she won't eat them and it seems unfair to have her unable to eat food, such as pizza and cookies in class that everyone else will be enjoying. Has anyone dealt with something like this? I am just a little fed up with paying the same amount when my child can't enjoy any of the food and it could very well be dangerous for her to work with. However, I don't want to be unreasonable either. Thanks for your input.

Colleen McGuire