44- Chicken Nuggets

I don’t have any specific rules about food in my classroom. My students are allowed to bring a healthy snack to eat if they get hungry. I keep snacks (fruit, granola bars, and juice) in my storage closet for anyone who may be in need. I strongly believe that a learning brain works best on a fed stomach. So far, the kids and I are pleased with this arrangement.
Independent Reading is a popular time for my students to eat their snacks. They lounge on the floor with their books and their food, savoring the peaceful minutes of silence. It was during this time today that I noticed Hannah acting suspiciously about her snack. She would quickly reach into her jacket pocket, dart glances around the room, and then shove something into her mouth. Burying her face into her book, Hannah would chew, chew, chew as fast as she could and then reach into her pocket for more.
Some children eat hurriedly, and usually those are the kids who do not get a lot to eat at home; these children rely on school as their main supplier of food. Hannah does not fall into the needy category. She comes from a comfortable home, with parents who attend to her every need. Hannah’s suspicious behavior meant that she was eating something I wouldn’t approve of.
I assumed she was eating a forbidden snack (cookies, chips, candy, etc) and decided to investigate. As I approached the child, who is a bit of a tomboy, she stiffened. Her chewing slowed and she swallowed with a large gulp. Hoping I didn’t notice her, Hannah shoved her stringy dark hair out of her eyes and stared intently at the pages in her book. A reading child is rarely disturbed by a teacher.
I didn’t want to embarrass Hannah, so I squatted down on the floor next to her and whispered, “Hannah, what are you eating?”
Hannah let her hair fall into her face, hiding her eyes. As a child who never lied, she chose to not answer.
“Come on,” I prodded. “Spit it out.”
Hannah made a spitting motion with her mouth and I jumped back. “Not literally!” I laughed.
The joke made Hannah smile. “I’m eating chicken nuggets.”
“Chicken nuggets?” Weird snack. I asked, “You brought chicken nuggets from home? Ok…. Do they taste good cold?”
“Not from home. I got them at lunch.”
“Lunch?” I was confused. “We haven’t gone to lunch yet.”
“I saved them from another lunch. They’re leftovers. In case I got hungry. Like right now, I’m a little hungry.” Hannah reached into her pocket and withdrew a half eaten chicken nugget.
Another lunch?
Chicken nuggets are on Rotation Day 8 of our school lunch menu. So that meant… I calculated in my head, “Hannah!” My voice lost its whisper. “Are these nuggets from last Tuesday?” That would mean the nuggets were 9 days old.
Hannah bent her head down and started picking at a hole in her Converse sneaker. “Yep.” She muttered. “Last Tuesday.”
I confiscated the rest of her nuggets. There were six more in her pocket. Apparently, chicken nuggets are a favorite of Hannah’s. Last Tuesday, in the cafeteria, she convinced several classmates to give her their chicken nuggets. Hannah stored all the nuggets in her jacket pocket and has been snacking on them throughout the past week.
I sent Hannah to the nurse. The girl appeared to be in fine health, but I just wanted to cover all of my bases. Nurse returned Hannah to my classroom, thirty minutes later, with a little note that said:

I think all of the chemicals and preservatives in the nuggets may have saved her. Send her back if you notice vomit or fever.
-Nurse

At the end of the day, Hannah still seemed to be fine. I had tried to call her parents, with no luck, so I ended up sending a note home summarizing the day’s events. I included a copy of the note from Nurse.