This Mother Got to the Bottom of Why Her Daughter Was Coming Home From School Hungry

Parents everywhere are fiercely debating the issue of school lunches. Recently, a Colorado mother packed her daughter what she believed was a healthy lunch, only to be met with disapproval from her school. 

Leeza Pearson’s worst fears were confirmed as she opened her daughter’s lunchbox to find it empty and a note inside. She was shocked to learn that her daughter had gone to school without lunch, despite having carefully packed it the night before. 

Leeza Pearson and her family live in Aurora, Colorado, a city that is usually renowned for the exemplary way the people treat each other. However, this was not what Leeza and her daughter encountered when they visited Aurora’s Children Academy. They were met with a level of mistreatment that was simply inexcusable to any parent. 

Leeza Pearson was a loving mother who wanted the best for her daughter Natalee. With her growing up in a highly demanding and competitive environment, Leeza enrolled Natalee in the Children’s Academy at a young age, believing it would afford her best chance of success. 

When Leeza Pearson was looking for a preschool for her daughter Natalee, she knew that The Children’s Academy & Childcare Center was the best choice. With the capacity to accommodate up to 150 kids, this premier preschool provided a safe, nurturing and stimulating learning environment. 

Leeza and Natalee were on the path to success. Leeza was close to achieving her degree and Natalee was excelling in her preschool. Life was looking good, and it was a wonderfully contented time. 

Friday was supposed to be a great day for Leeza Pearson and her husband Nate, but instead it brought great frustration. After a year of peaceful relations with the preschool, a single incident changed everything. Suddenly, Leeza was faced with an issue that made her question the school’s policies. 

Leeza’s life was already hectic, but with a young child to care for, days could get even busier. One day, Leeza didn’t realize she had no fruits or vegetables to add to Natalee’s lunch. So she packed the meal as usual, but without these healthy snacks. 

Natalee often has a healthy lunchbox made up for her school lunches, but on this particular day, her mom Leeza made a different decision. In lieu of her usual fruit snacks, she decided to treat her daughter to some yummy cookies – Oreos! To complete the not so nutritious lunch, Leeza added a ham and cheese sandwich and string cheese. 

Are Oreos simply the innocent delicious treat they seem to be, or a health hazard waiting to happen? With all the additives and high sugar content, it’s easy to see why a school would be concerned about a student’s consumption of them. 

When Natalee walked in from preschool that afternoon, Leeza could tell immediately something was wrong with her daughter. As Natalee complained of being hungry, her mother opened her lunch box only to find something rather unexpected. 

Leeza couldn’t believe her eyes as she read the note. In it, the school was lecturing her on how to be a good parent, and making sure her child brought a nutritious lunch to school. The letter specified that a fruit, vegetable, and healthy snack, along with milk must be included. 

Leeza was outraged. Her daughter had been sent home from school with a note saying that her snack was not considered healthy enough by the academy. The letter even went as far as to suggest that chips, fruit snacks and peanut butter were not acceptable options. 

When Leeza received the note from her child’s preschool scolding her for her parenting, she was shocked. But when she posted a picture of the note online, she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from her friends and other parents in the community. 

Gone are the days when childhood obesity was a rarity. Now, with its increased prevalence, more and more people are striving to keep their kids healthy and fit, and schools are often leading the way. It was likely with this front and center of mind that the Aurora Children’s Academy sent the note home to Leeza. 

When Leeza’s daughter was denied her snack at The Children’s Academy, she knew she had to take action. Rather than let her daughter go hungry, Leeza decided to stand up for her rights and fight for what was right. Her inspiring story of standing up for her daughter soon made headlines, prompting national discussions about the need for the Hunger-Free Kids Act. 

Nutrition plays an essential role in educational success, and this is something that Associate Professor of Economics and Education Policy Sean Patrick Corcoran of NYU knows all too well. A recent study showed that students who eat regular, healthy meals are more attentive in class, retain more information, and don’t tire as easily. 

Leeza was taken aback when her child’s school called her out for the choice she had made with that lunch. She felt like she was being made an example of and that her parenting was being judged. It was a difficult moment, one that left her feeling like she had done something wrong. 

Leeza recently spoke out about the school’s strict healthy eating policy. She expressed her feelings of being “shamed” by the incident and that it was unacceptable for the academy to dictate what her daughter could, and couldn’t eat. 

Leeza was outraged when the school stepped in to dictate what her daughter should eat. “What the school thinks is healthy for her may not be what I think is healthy for her,” she said. “That’s between me, and her, and our doctor, not the school.” 

Leeza was a good mother and naturally cared deeply for her daughter’s health and wellbeing. And the results showed – Natalee was an active, fit, sporty and healthy young girl. 

Leeza was in a difficult situation. Though she conceded that cookies were not an ideal snack, it was a rarity for her to include these in Natalee’s lunch, and there were certainly no concerns over her weight, which is why Leeza dug in for the fight. 

When Leeza Pearson was called out for sending an unhealthy snack for her daughter, she was determined to take a stand. After all, the school had previously provided her child with treats, making their words now appear rather hypocritical. 

Leeza continued to defend her choice and right to decide what was best for her child. Natalee was a healthy little girl and enjoyed Oreos. Who was the school to say that she couldn’t give her daughter a special treat occasionally. 

School food has a notorious reputation for being unpleasant and unhealthy. Unfortunately, it’s also not uncommon for teachers to give their students candy as a reward. But it’s time to put an end to these outdated and unhealthy food habits. 

When Natalee returned home from school with the note, little did her mother know what her response to it would spark. Brenda Dean, Director of the Children’s Academy, was determined to uncover the truth behind the note. 

But that’s not quite where our story ends. You see, as is often the case, there was a whole other side to it. Whilst the school did indeed instruct Natalee to not consume the Oreos, they didn’t exactly leave her with nothing to eat either. 

Do healthy choices have to be punitive? At Aurora Public Schools, they don’t believe so. Patti Moon, Chief Communications Officer at the school, recently came out and said that while they do like to keep parents informed of healthy options, they don’t want these options to be seen as punishing their kids. 

But Natalee declined to eat the alternative snack when it was offered to her. While her peers enjoyed their food, Natalee was steadfast in her refusal. Was her stubbornness unreasonable, or was Natalee fairly standing up for her rights? 

After months of tension, it seemed as though Leeza Pearson and the academy would never be able to reconcile. But when Natalee began elementary school, the two parties were able to put their differences aside and reach an understanding. It took a lot of work, but both sides were finally able to come to a peaceful resolution. 

Natalee Pearson’s story shone a light on what – if any – role schools should have in deciding what their students consume. After a severe backlash, the school reassessed its stance and won’t be sending any more such notes home to parents. And young Natalee happily moved on to elementary school.