All Students at Somerset Parkland Academy in Parkland, Florida (including Kindergarteners) are currently not permitted a snack time during the school day, with the exception of students who have a medical condition. This is in defiance of studies showing that regular, healthy snacks help increase concentration, productivity, and overall academic performance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students who consume nutritious foods, including during school snack times, show academic performance up to 23% higher than those who do not. By abolishing snack time, Somerset Parkland Academy is potentially depriving students of necessary nutrients and negatively affecting their learning abilities.

Students get so little time for lunch as it is, they barely have time to eat any of it. Now the school has taken away their snack time. The youngest kids eat lunch at 10:00 and won't get to eat anything else until they are dismissed at 3pm. And that is not accounting for additional waiting time due to the long carline. Even worse is the case for the very young students who are in sibling care, waiting for their older brother or sister to be dismissed. We are talking about almost 5 hours with no food. No one will be able to focus like this! 

We urge the Somerset Parkland Academy administration to reinstate snack time for the physical health and academic well-being of its students. Or at the very least, find some sort of compromise, such as allowing students to snack during recess period. Sign this petition to support our cause.