Primary School pizza

[orchardgirl4]

My child's school has arranged a pizza day as a school trip for year R (4 and 5 year olds). They had a pizza activity day at school a few months ago, and a couple of months before that the school catering company had a pizza day. With junk food advertising just announced, by UK gov, to be banned before 9pm and childhood obesity rates at 25.5% of children by end of year 6 and 15.4% overweight, I am quite cross and fed up of pizza being normalised and hyped up by the school. I want them to instead take the opportunity to cook a healthy dish, or look at and taste different seasonal veg and fruit.
If I complain to the school, is this an overreaction on my part? Would it make it difficult to have conversations with my child's teacher in future, having complained? Or am I ahead of the learning curve (I work with type 2 diabetic patients so I am very aware) and I should pull them up on this?

What sort of "pizza day"? Are they designing and making their own, with a variety of meat and vegetable toppings? Or is it a trip to Pizza Hut?

Homemade pizza with lots of varied fresh toppings is an extremely healthy meal for a child, and a great skill to have. It's odd that it seems to be happening so often though.

What is a pizza day school trip? Are they going to an Italian restaurant? What is it that you think is bad about pizza?

Unless it’s a deep pan, stuffed crust with extra toppings most pizzas are fairly healthy and school portion sizes are usually tiny. Making pizza is a good activity to teach knife skills, get kids to try new vegetables and toppings and easily adaptable for different dietary needs. This is not the hill I’d chose to die on with the school in my child’s first year there.

What's wrong with pizza? Sounds a great trip.

My daughter's class went to Toby Carvery when they were doing healthy eating, I think learning how to make your own pizza is a great improvement!

If you're going to criticise the idea you should probably come up with an alternative suggestion

Pizza Express offer school trips. Others might do similar too.

You are being SO unreasonable btw.

I remember as a student being told making your own pizza was a great way to get vegetables in your diet.

My child's school has arranged a pizza day as a school trip for year R (4 and 5 year olds). They had a pizza activity day at school a few months ago, and a couple of months before that the school catering company had a pizza day.

What sort of trip have they arranged?

On the face of it I think YABU, as from your post it seems as though they've only had pizza twice over a timespan of several months.

If the school pizzas are anything like ours it will be a wholemeal base, with as many vegetables as they can get away with hiding in the sauce and toppings. It's nothing like the ones you buy from a takeaway.

Oh for god’s sake

You're worried about pizza being "normalised"?! It is normal! A good quality pizza is just a type of bread with tomatoes, cheese and whatever other toppings you choose. How is that so terrible?

DDs primary school are having pizza once a fortnight for school dinner this term. What exactly do you think makes it unhealthy? Surely a bit of pizza with salad is a good meal? I doubt they're giving each kid a 12inch meat feast with chips?!

Oh god no one give her a biscuit....

They had a pizza activity day at school a few months ago, and a couple of months before that the school catering company had a pizza day.

This sounds like three pizza related things over about 6 months then? Pizza once every 8 weeks?

Worried about pizza being normalised 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

If I complain to the school, is this an overreaction on my part?

Yes.

It's pizza, not meth.

A child sized portion of pizza as part of an overall healthy/balanced diet is not going to do a child any harm. For the children who aren't having healthy diets at home, cancelling the pizza party isn't going to make them suddenly have access to healthy food. And let's not mention the fact that some of the children will be from households where a trip to a pizza restaurant is not affordable and so they wouldnt get to go otherwise.

If you don't want your DC to go then tick on the consent form for the trip that you do not give your permission but don't go complaining and ruining it for the other children.

Pizza 3 times a year! My goodness! Definitely report to Ofsted!

YABU. They haven’t completely banned having fun at school just yet.

Homemade pizza is a great food!

Worlds apart from what dominoes sell.

I’d much prefer school gave the kids bread, topped with tomatoes, cheese and some mushrooms/pineapple/olives on top, than burgers/hot dogs/nuggets/chips.

Pizza is carbs, fat, protein and veg, which for growing children, is a pretty balanced lunch, especially with a side salad.

'Normalising pizza'

Hilarious

Its bread with some toppings on top. Like a sandwich but without the top layer of bread

Do you eat sandwiches?

Pizza is a cheese and tomato sandwich in a good suit.

I share your pain. It’s a while ago now but ds food technology course involved them making a different pizza every week using different techniques for a whole term.