State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster issued the following press release:
Students will crunch on carrots or cauliflower, or whip up a fruit smoothie while learning the importance of eating fresh produce in 25 schools throughout the state, thanks to a federal grant that brings Wisconsin into the successful U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
“This grant allows us to offer more fresh produce to all students as a supplement to the school breakfast and school lunch programs,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “Many schools will offer the fresh fruits and vegetables at times during the day when children would otherwise be hungry, or might need an energy boost to improve their attention in the classroom. We know that hungry children can’t learn, so this program supports our efforts to boost achievement for all students and close the achievement gap.”
The following schools received the grants:
Abbotsford Elementary School, Abbotsford School District — $ 23,896
Bluff View Intermediate School, Prairie du Chien School District — $ 33,318
Butte de Morts Elementary School, Menasha School District — $ 27,288
Edward Bain School of Language and Art, Kenosha School District — $ 58,797
Glidden K-12 School, Glidden School District — $ 16,508
Howe Elementary School, Green Bay Area School District — $ 35,580
Ladysmith Elementary School, Ladysmith-Hawkins School District — $ 26,308
Lakeview Elementary School, South Milwaukee School District — $ 22,689
Logan Middle School, La Crosse School District — $ 40,027
Marinette Middle School, Marinette School District — $ 61,209
Mead Elementary School, Wisconsin Rapids School District — $ 35,278
Milwaukee Public Schools
Forest Home Elementary School — $ 61,133
Kosciusko Middle School — $ 34,976
North High School, Eau Claire Area School District — $ 132,368
Northern Lights Elementary School, Superior School District — $ 48,168
Parkside Middle School, Wautoma Area School District — $ 38,067
Rock Elementary School, Hudson School District — $ 45,304
Salem Elementary School, Salem School District — $ 84,351
Sherman Middle School, Madison Metropolitan School District — $ 40,555
Turtle Creek Elementary School, Delevan-Darien School District — $ 41,836
Viroqua Middle School, Viroqua Area School District — $ 18,091
City of Wausau
GD Jones Elementary School, Wausau School District — $ 18,468
Newman Catholic School, Wausau — $ 15,679
Webster Stanley Elementary School, Oshkosh Area School District — $ 33,469
Wilson Elementary School, Janesville School District — $ 23,745
Sherman Middle School is in MMSD and they’re part of the program.
Steven,
I’m glad that Sherman is in the program, which sounds excellent. Maybe the DPI list is only NEW schools in the program. Does anyone know of other Madison schools using it?
I am assuming this is a “snack time” at Sherman Middle or will they have this as an additional supplement to their ala cart meals? Elementary level schools have families bringing in snacks, some classrooms have each child take care of themselves while others do class snacks. Depending on what parents bring in, depends on what kind of snack there will be. I have not heard of any middle schools having snack times.
Is there someone from Sherman who can tell us more about how their program works and how they arranged to participate? This sounds like an opportunity to learn from one school’s model and I’m sure that there are other schools that would very much like to follow suit. It would be great if there is a way to get more nutritious lunches without reinventing the wheel.
Lucy
This was a grant given to the various schools by DPI, who selected the schools. It is accompanied by ideas and lesson plans to incorporate fruits and veg into learning in various disciplines, like math and world history.
I assume that DPI selected schools from those that applied. I don’t know whether the MMSD submitted an application. Does anyone know whether the MMSD has a set of priorities that it uses to decide what grants to pursue?
Sherman received a grant to do the home-grown lunch as part of a snack program, although as mentioned above, the school is tying it into both the curriculum and special events occurring in the school. (Sherman has always had a snack program, as do other middle schools. They can purchase snacks from The Eatery or bring in snacks from home.) I believe there is a research component to it, because I read a permission slip talking about how the program would be evaluated.
My 7th grader is keeping a wellness log that looks at many things: how much she exercises, how many fruits/veggies she eats, whether she is watching TV; whether she drinks soda, etc. All have point values for healthy choices. Her class is doing this over a 4-week period and tallying points. Her class is also tying it into a unit on their own cultural heritage and the foods that are part of different cultures, culminating in a family potluck next week. The school is planning a fun run/walk later in March and there are other events as well. The school also has eliminated its school store options for candy and soda this year, and has decreased the number of bake sales it holds to raise money for student organizations (substituting other moneymakers instead.) It’s really great to watch.
Please change the headline in SIS about no schools receiving this grant. The press release from DPI clearly states that Sherman Middle School, part of MMSD, received a grant of $40,555 to participate in this program.
Sorry that I missed Sherman Middle. I must have read that list ten times to see whether a Madison school received a grant, and I blew past it every time.
Don’t take anything from the MMSD — or me — at face value. Always check for errors, omissions, misrepresentations, and other glitches.