Birthday kids at Duxbury's Chandler School next fall will get dragon stickers, special seat covers and starred birthday sashes they can wear all day.

 

  But no cupcakes - they're bad for you.

 

  The tradition of cupcakes at school birthday parties died last month when the School Committee unanimously ratified a new handbook that redefines the way students celebrate in class.

 

  ``I'm a little saddened,'' said Chandler parent Nancy Krahmer, who favors healthy eating but mourns the loss of the childhood ritual.

 

  School officials made the change, part of a district-wide move to improve student health, after a poll of parents found nutrition to be one of their top concerns, Chandler School Council member Ann Kalous said.

 

  Frequent classmate parties once had students consuming numerous unplanned cupcakes each school year.

 

  ``It would be 23 times during the year that other families would not be anticipating that their kids are going to be eating something sweet,'' Chandler Principal Deborah Zetterberg said.

 

  The new system will substitute copious special attention for frosted goodies, Zetterberg said. In addition to the sash, seat cover and dragon sticker, each birthday kid will get a birthday pencil.

 

Oooh Oooh a birthday pencil

Pencils taste real good

 

Wait a minute....

 

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This is just going too far. Taking away youngsters' cupcakes? Come on, this is a bit drastic