Sedalia
Park Elementary
Marietta, Georgia
KidLink™ Rewarded for Healthy Efforts
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Jo
Ann Kilby receives a School Nutrition Association
National Award! |
When
Jo Ann Kilby set a goal to create a healthier environment
for her students, she didn’t know her efforts
would land her in the spotlight receiving the 2006 School
Nutrition Association’s National Louise Sublette
Award of Excellence! It is presented to a member who
successfully implements an innovative project focusing
on nutrition education, student/parent involvement,
or quality food. Jo Ann’s efforts as a Showcase
School garnered the national recognition of her peers!
Last
fall, Jo Ann targeted the importance of physical activity,
school meal participation, and snacks to make an impact
towards a healthier school and community for kids. She
led the Sedalia Park KidLink team and her school foodservice
staff to involve parents, teachers and, of course, the
kids to increase awareness of healthy habits. In addition
to activities mentioned in previous SpotLights, she
and her school were recognized for:
-
Decorating the serving line area using fruit and vegetable
characters, plush fruit and vegetable toys, and brightly
colored posters of healthy foods to make school meals
fun
-
Sharing the “Eat Smart/Play Hard” message
with the Power Panther (a USDA mascot) making a lunch
time appearance
-
Teaming up cafeteria staff and PTA to organize a spring
“Walk for Diabetes”
- Touting
the benefits of healthy eating and exercise using
monthly bulletin boards
- Encouraging
exercise by decorating the walls in the cafeteria
with posters created in art by the second graders
- Singing
“I’m a Fit Kid” from 5-A Day in
music class, kids also performing it for parents at
an awards program
-
Using a puppet show, the PE teacher and students sharing
the benefits of exercising at student assembly
-
Offering a tour of the kitchen and sampling vegetable
and fruit snacks to the kindergarten class
-
Starting the “After School” exercise program
for the kids which has also sparked interest from
the adults in a weekly (adults only) session
Jo
Ann’s efforts translated into measurable results!
Lunch participation increased from 79% at the beginning
of the school year to over 90% by December 2005. There
was a 66% increase in entrée salads chosen and
a 42% increase in fresh fruit and vegetables choices
from August 2005 through January 2006.
Jo
Ann said it best in her award application, “It
is going to take everyone’s cooperation and effort
in our busy and hectic schedules in a world of “super-sizing”
to bring healthy eating habits back into the family.”
HKC congratulates Jo Ann on her award and salutes all
the Sedalia Park KidLink team for their efforts in making
a difference for kids!
Healthy Snacks and More
Healthy
changes are making a hit at Sedalia Park and the stars
are the kids!
The Sedalia Park Elementary F.A.N. Club – (Food
and Nutrition Club) involving Wheeler High School students
volunteering for 2 hours once each month, provide healthy
messages for 150 kids in the after school program. A
team of 12 adults – parents and staff assist them
with:
- step
aerobics
- hand
washing
- a
nutrition puppet show
- “make
and eat” snacks
When
one hears the phrase “cleaning up the environment”
it may bring to mind policy changes, pollution reduction,
and a little more effort in daily tasks. Creating a
healthy school environment for kids is similar. Jo Ann
Kilby, Food Service Manager at Sedalia Park, followed
up on concerns expressed by teachers to create a Healthy
Snack Policy.
Setting
the stage for next school year, the governing board
approved the policy that features the “Dynamic
Dozen” twelve snacks for kids to bring to school.
Jo Ann said, “We wanted to encourage students
to bring healthy brain and body friendly snacks to school
while still giving parents a choice of items from which
to select.” The "dynamic dozen" healthy
snacks that Sedalia Park students choose within the
snack policy will be:
-
fresh fruits or vegetables
-
dried fruits
-
trail mix (or nuts)
-
plain popcorn
-
pretzels
-
rice cakes
-
crackers
-
graham crackers
-
granola bars
-
peanut butter
-
cheese
“I
feel very encouraged with the fact that we will have
this snack policy in place. I think it will relay a
message to kids and parents that we care about them.
By doing promotions this year about healthy eating and
exercising, I have also increased the participation
at my school in the cafeteria,” says Jo Ann.
Sedalia
Park is on the way to creating a healthy environment
in their school and the kids are the winners!
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