Aliannah Earth School Code of Health and Wellness

Health & Packaging Expectations for 2025

What to Bring:

• Water: BPA-free metal or glass bottle only
• Lunchbox: Metal or BPA-free, and plastic free alternative
• Ice Packs: Metal
• Snacks: Packed in non-plastic containers like beeswax wraps, cotton/hemp/linen zip bags

Minimum Lunch Requirements:

• 1 Home-prepared meal with meat or veg protein + complex carbohydrate
• 2 Types of whole fruit/berries or whole vegetables
• 2 Other snacks: e.g. dried fruit, dried meats, nuts, healthy chocolate, smoothies, cookies, crackers

Optional: Juice/smoothie in non-plastic bottle

Not Allowed:

• Candy or drinks with artificial/synthetic colours
• Plastic packaging

We encourage families to transition this year. By summer 2026, these standards will become requirements.

Aliannah will offer optional BPA-free metal stainless steel water bottles with biodegradable stickers for purchase by summer 2025.

Families needing support may apply to the Health and Wellness for Aliannah Kids Fund. Donations of $20+ help us provide reusable bottles and healthy food for children in need.
Please consider donating to eagle@aliannahearthschool.org noting your charity in the payment transfer- Thank-you.

Why We’re Making This Change

At Aliannah, we teach children to live in harmony with Earth. Our students spend six hours a day outdoors, rain or shine. Food fuels their bodies, minds, and emotional growth and we believe what they eat and how it's packaged matters.

We’ve seen the impact of plastic waste firsthand: oceans littered with trash, toxic additives in common foods, and the slow buildup of microplastics in our bodies. We want to raise children who respect their bodies and the Earth.

This shift is personal for me, too. As a mother, I’ve found that setting loving boundaries like saying no to artificial candy or screen time creates space for real connection, creativity, and meaningful rituals. Making candy with my daughter from honey and foraged plants became a source of joy, not just a rule.

Last weekend, when my daughter and her friend asked for “Toxic Waste” candy, I didn’t scold, I showed them how to read labels and look up ingredients. They discovered artificial colours in toxic waste candy are banned in Europe and soon to be banned in other countries. We found better alternatives together, because we don’t want to eat artificial foods that are not good for health, and even planned to make our own candy with natural ingredients. The journey of exploring food as medicine and nourishment is the kind of empowered learning we want to foster with young children so they can take these lessons and skills to creating healthy choices in adulthood, and to their own children’s health.

I grew up with strict rules but few alternatives. At Aliannah, we believe in offering joyful, nourishing choices, not just saying “no,” but inviting kids into something better.

These aren’t rigid standards- they’re invitations to walk together toward health. We ask you to prepare at least one homemade item per lunch. Even soaking whole grains/nuts/beans to create a home made granola protein bar or lunch wrap or packing dried fruits and cutting vegetables with your child is a step in the right direction. We know it’s not always black and white. But intentional steps to a better healthy life matters.

Let’s build a culture where kids know how to care for their bodies, the Earth, and each other. If you have questions, ideas, or need support, I welcome a heart-to-heart.

Can you meet the Aliannah Health and Wellness expectations for 2025?

With love and commitment,
Jacqueline Christie
Founder, Aliannah Earth School
 eagle@aliannahearthschool.org/250-884-9779