Important Guidelines on Food and Snacks at School
Please take a minute to review the following guidelines regarding food and snacks in school. These guidelines are in place to keep students safe while promoting wellness. The entire Wellness Policy is available on the Norwalk Public Schools website.
Sharing and Trading Food: Support us in sharing the message with your child that some students cannot eat certain foods due to allergies or restrictions. Students should never share or trade meals or snacks.
Birthdays or Celebrations: Parents, families, and visitors are welcome to school to celebrate a birthday or special event. Please communicate with your child’s teacher to arrange a time for your visit. Birthday celebrations should include activities or experiences such as reading a book, making a craft, or hosting a dance party. Food is not allowed. It is a safety concern as we have many students with allergies. Goody bags for birthdays are optional. Goody bags should not contain food or treats of any kind as students may ingest something on the bus or in locations outside of school. Goody bags should be limited to one or two small items such as a pencil, eraser, or bracelet.
Snacks and Lunch: Due to dietary restrictions and life-threatening allergies, we encourage children to bring nut-free lunches and/or snacks. Snacks will not be provided by teachers. Please communicate with your child’s teacher about policies for snacks as some of our classrooms are entirely peanut and nut free. Snacks should be healthy, and your child should be able to eat their snack independently in approximately ten minutes.
Food on the Bus: No food should be eaten or shared while students ride the bus to and from school.
Water Bottles: Students are encouraged to bring water bottles to school in order to stay hydrated throughout the school day. There are filtered refilling stations throughout the school. Classroom teachers will develop their own guidelines for water breaks throughout the day.
Lunch Seating: There is a labeled nut-free table in each lunch shift. Students with allergies must sit at the table with other students who either also have allergies or who are eating the lunch provided from the cafeteria. This is the only way to ensure that students with allergies are not exposed to any foods they should not have.
Breakfast and Lunch: Breakfast and lunch are available free of charge this school year. Cafeteria food is nut free. Every student has a card attached to their backpack that serves as both a bus pass and cafeteria card. Each day, the cafeteria offers a cold breakfast bag and two lunch choices. Students can get breakfast upon entering school by scanning their backpack card or entering their student ID. Students can place their order for lunch in the morning with their teacher. Students always have the option to “add on” milk and two vegetables or fruits. This can be ordered in addition to lunch from home.
Rowayton Academy Spots Still Available
Rowayton Academy is a before-school enrichment program available only at Rowayton School. The Rowayton PTA coordinates with Rowayton teachers to provide enriching classes before regularly scheduled class time begins.
We work hard to provide a variety of classes for academic and creative enrichment for all ages and interests of students. Visit https://www.rowaytonpta.org/rowayton-academy to view the courses offered and register now. If you have any questions, please email rowaytonacademy@gmail.com.
Composting During Lunch
We are excited to have the support of our PTA to continue composting during lunch this year. Please see the message and link below, and consider volunteering to help get composting in motion for the 24-25 School Year! Thank you!
Calling all parents! Please help us get Rowayton Elementary's new composting program off to a strong start for the 2024-2025 school year! We’ve renewed our partnership with Curbside Compost, a local Fairfield County-based company, to bring composting back to the lunchroom. Students will be taught how to divert food scraps and separate their waste more effectively. Curbside Compost will haul away the food scraps and convert into compost.
We have two waste-sorting stations in the cafeteria, which students will use to separate their waste into: food scraps, liquids, recycling and landfill. We’re looking for volunteers to help support our kids in this sorting process during their lunch break. Each shift will be 1 hour long and cover two grades.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AAAE29A2FAC16-51187613-volunteer#/
What I Need
Throughout the district, schools are providing targeted instruction to students in grades 1 through 8 during a "What I Need" (W.I.N.) period. This period allows students to receive 30 minutes of targeted instruction daily. Every six to eight weeks, the school will analyze data and create different groups to tailor instruction to the specific needs of students. This approach ensures that students receive the support and instruction they need to succeed academically. Your child's teacher can share more updates and information with you about W.I.N. time.
District and School Policy Reminders
Clothing Policy
The entire policy is available on the Norwalk Public Schools website. Students should not wear
- Shirts and/or blouses that reveal the abdomen, chest, or undergarments
- See-through clothing, tank tops (with thin straps), or sleeveless shirts
- Shorts, miniskirts, or pants that reveal the upper thigh or undergarments
Every Friday is Spirit Friday at Rowayton! We encourage students to wear blue and yellow, or any Rowayton gear. Rowayton attire is available for purchase from the PTA at RowaytonPTA.org.
Cell Phone Policy
Students are not to use cell phones or communication devices while at school. This includes smart watches, wireless earbuds, wearable tech, or any device that allows messaging and/or calls. These devices are not allowed in any learning spaces within the school including but not limited to the gym, library, cafeteria, bathrooms, recess areas, and classrooms.
If a student is found to be carrying or using a device during school hours, the device will be held for parent or guardian pick up in the main office.
We understand that families like students to have a device for communication outside of school. If your child must carry a device, please follow the following procedure.
1. Turn the device completely off before entering school
2. Secure the device in a backpack before entering school
*The school is not responsible for any lost or stolen devices
