Osceola District School Leading the Way to Health and Fitness By Deborah Brintley, MS, RD, LDN Osceola School District, FL
“Gateway to Better Health” was the theme recently at the Fruit and Vegetables Festival on October 27, 2006 at Gateway High School. The school's Cafeteria and Campus Grille staff turned the school's courtyard into a sea of fresh fruits and vegetables. Reportedly, only 14% of school children eat the recommended servings of fruits and only 17% eat the recommended serving of vegetables each day. A sail boat of various fruits and vegetables was created and displayed in the lunch court yard to educate and encourage the students to consume more fruits and vegetables. The students were allowed to taste test the different fruits and vegetables displayed.
The highlight of the festival was the Power Panther from USDA's “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” campaign. Power Panther was able to visit and talk with the students and tell them how important it is to get five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. He wanted them to know that good health and nutrition may help them achieve better success in school and to help reduce the risk for obesity and chronic diseases. Power Panther gave out fruit and nutritional information and encouraged the students to taste the fruits and vegetables on display. The students were very eager to shake hands and to take pictures with this Panther that was concern about their health and agreed to eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables will be offered daily in the school cafeteria.
The festival concluded with games and prizes awarded to the students for answering nutrition related questions and participation in the festival. Gateway High School showed that the “Gateway to Better Health is the right way to go. Gateway High School went on to win the 2006-2007 Nutrition Award at the Florida School Nutrition Convention.
Palm Beach County School District
PRESS RELEASE
Produce for Better Health Foundation
2005 National “5 A Day” Excellence Award
The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, School Food Service
Department has won the 2005 National “5 A Day” Excellence Award in the
category of: Companies & Organizations affiliated with Foodservice Industry
for their efforts in creating a healthy environment promoting fruit and
vegetable consumption.
School Food Service Director, Steve Bonino, took home honors on April 1, 2006,
from the Produce for Better Health Foundation. This award recognizes one
company/organization that has best sustained comprehensive support of the
Produce for Better Health Foundation, created a healthy environment
promoting fruits and vegetables, and has achieved overall excellence in helping
to spread the “5 A Day” message.
The School Food Service Department was acknowledged for its proactive
approach in the promotion of fruits and vegetables. This is evident from their
successful health fairs. The focus was on increasing fruit and vegetable
education and creating a foundation for children to build lifelong goals of good
health habits. The intended message to students was: “The best desserts are
Mother Nature’s desserts.” These health fairs reached over 4,000 students,
faculty, and community members. The Local Wellness Policy is another
worthwhile 2005 endeavor. As the policy process is completed, the successful
outcome will yield a realistic Wellness Promotion Policy enriching residents’
health in the tenth largest school district in the United States.
Congratulations to this trailblazer for their exemplary efforts to increase
America’s fruit and vegetable consumption for better health!
Manatee Elementary Palm Beach County, FL
On January 24, 2003, Manatee Elementary held a Health Fair in their auditorium, organized by teacher Judy Saraga. Many booths lined the perimeter of the auditorium, each booth containing a display and materials for health education. Several booths were dedicated to nutrition education, with most materials being borrowed from the Florida Department of Education Food and Nutrition Resource Center Materials Catalog. Students from the Discovery Lab worked each booth, educating each passing group of students.
In the center of the auditorium was a table that held beautiful displays of colorful fruits and vegetables. Several trays of testable fruits and vegetables were attractively presented. As the students passed by, they were excited to taste the different choices.
At two different times during the fair, the "Power Panther" made a grand entrance and tour around the fair. The students were very excited to see him with a fruit and a vegetable in his paws while he flexed his muscles. The Power Panther and the Health Fair were great tools for educating the students on the importance of good nutrition and physical activity.
In addition to the action at the health fair, there were nutrition lessons being taught in classrooms. Kindergarten students sang a song about fruits being buried under the snow. After the song, the students were able to sit with the teacher and make a fresh fruit cup with light-whipped cream on top, like "snow."
Chiaramonte Elementary Tampa, FL
The American Culinary Federation's Tampa Bay chapter, in conjunction with
Team Nutrition Days, prepared breakfast for Chiaramonte Elementary students
and teachers on Friday, March 3, 2000. The chef members offered a menu of
fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, ham, tater tots, muffins, rolls, juice, and
milk to the 500 plus students and staff. Chef and Child Chairman, Ray
Benton, CCE, spoke with the children about nutrition and the importance of
eating a balanced breakfast every morning.
Chef and Child Chairman: Ray Benton, CCE
at Chiaramonte Elementary
This is the fourth year the ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association has been
involved with the breakfast program at Chiaramonte Elementary. It is one of
the chapter's favorite events as they are always so warmly received by the
students who look forward to an annual visit from "those guys in the big,
white hats!"
“Gateway to Better Health” was the theme recently at the Fruit and Vegetables Festival on October 27, 2006 at Gateway High School. The school's Cafeteria and Campus Grille staff turned the school's courtyard into a sea of fresh fruits and vegetables. Reportedly, only 14% of school children eat the recommended servings of fruits and only 17% eat the recommended serving of vegetables each day. A sail boat of various fruits and vegetables was created and displayed in the lunch court yard to educate and encourage the students to consume more fruits and vegetables. The students were allowed to taste test the different fruits and vegetables displayed.
The highlight of the festival was the Power Panther from USDA's 
The festival concluded with games and prizes awarded to the students for answering nutrition related questions and participation in the festival. Gateway High School showed that the “Gateway to Better Health is the right way to go. Gateway High School went on to win the 2006-2007 Nutrition Award at the Florida School Nutrition Convention.
