Healthy Schools Campaign

Spring Produce Spotlight: Rhubarb

By Lana Buseman

This season’s produce spotlight is on rhubarb. Rhubarb is technically considered a vegetable but it is widely thought of in the United States as a fruit because it so commonly found in desserts.

Photo credit: Rhubarb Recipes

Rhubarb gets its red hue from anthocyanins, which are flavonoids that give other kinds of produce like apples, blood oranges, eggplants and acai berries their deep pigments. A high concentration of anthocyanins, which can be found in fruits and vegetables with red, purple and blue hues, can help fight against cancer, diabetes and infection and are an important part of our diets.

Rhubarb is seasonal starting in late April and continuing through May and then again from June to July. Rhubarb is crisp and tart in flavor and can be eaten raw. Just be careful to remove any leaves before consuming because the leaves are not fit for consumption.

Here are some fun ways to use rhubarb!

• Cut the raw stalks like you would with celery and dip them in honey.
• Make rhubarb ants on a log! Spread some peanut butter on a raw stalk and top with raisins.
• Slice a few stalks of rhubarb into ½ inch slices, throw them into a stock pot and cover just slightly with water. Stew the rhubarb until it is soft. Add a pinch of cinnamon, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some honey or agave. Spoon this mixture over plain Greek yogurt for a sweet treat.
• Make a fruit salsa with fresh strawberries, melon, pineapple and rhubarb or your other favorite fruit! Serve with toasted pita bread sprinkled with cinnamon.
• Make a rhubarb spritzer! Muddle stewed rhubarb with some fresh mint, add ice and sparkling water. Substitute lemonade or iced tea for tasty variations!

 Enjoy!

Cooking up Change with Winston-Salem

Students in Winston-Salem are creating a healthy future for school food! We are happy announce that culinary trio Brianda Cisnenos Hernandez, Mari Jose Gorgon, and Jarion Southerland took first place in the local contest and will represent their city in the Cooking up Change national finals this May!  The North Carolinians will join teams from Chicago, Denver, Jacksonville, St. Louis, and Santa Ana at the national finals in Washington, DC.

Cooking up Change Winston-Salem winners Mari Jose Gorgon, Brianda Cisnenos Hernandez, and Jarion Southerland

When the first-time competitors heard the winning announcement, they were surprised and really nervous. Reynolds High School student Jarion said, “After we found out, it felt like a dream!” 

The gracious team was proud of their teamwork, but most proud of their peers. Reagan High School student Mari Jose noted, “I’m proud of my team, they’re good to work with! I’m proud of everyone that was in the competition. They worked really hard.” 

Team members also emphasized the value of healthy school food to education and long-term health. “We all need energy, to be fit and to concentrate at school, do well at school,” said student chef Brianda. “Education is the number one thing, and you need a nutritious meal to be able to focus.”

The three unanimously agreed that the best part of the contest was learning to work well under pressure. “It’s like an adrenaline rush that goes through you. You think time is running out and you just want to get things done,” said Parkland High School’s Brianda, who cried when the shock wore off. Her teammates credit her with naming their “Mexican-themed, Southern flare” entree, el taco loco, black beans and veggies, and a homestyle apple pie tortilla. Their taco contains diced chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and lime juice in a whole wheat tortilla.

Cooking up Change winning student-created meal

Congratulations Brianda, Mari Jose, and Jarion!

Learn more about the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest on our blog or at www.CookingupChange.org.

Bonus: Check out Winston-Salem/Forsythe School District’s spotlight on the Cooking up Change contest.

Cooking up Change with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel!

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with the Cooking up Change team from Chicago Vocational Career Academy

Today, the winning team of student chefs from Cooking up Change Chicago shared the school lunch they designed with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel!

The mayor enjoyed seconds of the award-winning meal of oven-fried chicken, sautéed cabbage and collard greens and sweet potato salad created by students from Chicago Vocational Career Academy.

"It felt good to see him enjoy our lunch," said team member Sheanice Dishmon. "It was a new experience because I had the opportunity to sit with him and enjoy the meal our team created together."

As part of Cooking up Change, the students created their meal to meet strong nutrition standards on a tight budget, comparable to that of school food service. Limited to ingredients that school dining managers in Chicago Public Schools can order for school lunch, the students took advantage of an ingredient that is new this year: drumsticks from chicken raised without antibiotics on Amish farms in nearby Indiana. In May, the team will prepare this lunch when they compete in the Cooking up Change national finals in Washington, DC. Chef Instructor Lorraine Harris said Mayor Emanuel told the students "we’re going to win and bring that victory to Chicago!”

Congratulations to the student chefs and thanks to Mayor Emanuel for spotlighting their great work!

P.S. Check out the Mayor's Facebook page and his congratulatory words to the team.

Make sure you like the Healthy Schools Campaign's Facebook page as well!

Webinar this Thursday: Improving Education through Wellness

We're thrilled to announce an exciting webinar that HSC is hosting this Thursday with Dr. Charles Basch, author of Healthier Students are Better Learners. You can check out the description below and register here.  Please join us for this thoughtful and dynamic discussion.

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Health in Mind: Improving Education through Wellness

March 29, 2012 · 12:00-1:00 PM central · Webinar

Research documents what parents and educators know: healthy students are better prepared to learn. How can we put this simple fact into action to boost achievement in our nation’s schools? This webinar will provide an overview of Health in Mind: Improving Education through Wellness, a new initiative from Healthy Schools Campaign and the Trust for America’s Health. Health in Mind encompasses specific, practical policy recommendations the nation can implement to make immediate improvements without significant expense. Speakers, including Dr. Charles Basch from Columbia Teachers College, will highlight the important role schools can play in disease prevention and health promotion and will discuss the connection between health and learning.

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HSC is hosting a series of webinars throughout the spring on issues related to school food and health in schools. Check out the links below to learn more and register.

A School Nurse in Every School: Addressing Barriers to Adequate Funding for School Nursing
April 9, 2012 · 11 AM - 12 PM central · Webinar
Learn more and register here »

Quiet Innovation for Healthy School Food
April 16, 2012 · 1-2 PM central · Webinar
Learn more and register here »

The Small Business Side of Improving School Food
May 1, 2012 · 1-2 PM central · Webinar
Learn more and register here »

We hope you'll join us!

Healthy Children, Healthy Planet: Why We Care About School Food

HSC recently hosted the second event in our School Food Webinar and Event Series. For our two-part panel discussion, Healthy Children, Healthy Planet, we partnered with PEW Charitable Trusts and Whole Foods Market to present a dynamic dialogue around innovation for school food in Chicago.

The event brought together experts and leaders in the movement to ensure that school food is good for our children and good for our planet.  So many moving parts work together to provide healthy school meals. The panel provided a look behind the scenes at the many systems -- from farming to transportation and small business markets -- shaping the food that we ultimately serve to children at school. 

Dr. Angela Odoms-Young of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Applied Health Sciences discussed school nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, the science behind these recommendations and what they will mean for school food. 

Comfort Cakes entrepreneur Amy Hilliard shared her perspective as the entrepreneur of a small business that sells whole-grain pizza crust to Chicago Public Schools. The minority-owned company created CPS’ first whole-grain pizza crust, refining the recipe to make sure it appeals to students.

Amy Hilliard shares her experience creating a whole-grain pizza crust for school meals

Since getting involved in the school food market, she’s now expanded her business to provide healthy products to hospitals. She credited the school district with creating demand in the marketplace for healthier products and offerings.

Dr. Lance Price of TGen North Center for Metagenomics explained how antibiotic use in food production is a serious threat to public health that encourages the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He discussed the public health impact of the recent Chicago Public Schools decision to procure chicken from a regional Amish farm where poultry is raised without the use of antibiotics. 

Dr. Lance Price addresses the audience 

Rich Wolff, regional meat coordinator for Whole Foods Market, discussed Whole Foods’ commitment to playing a role in changing how food is raised and discussed Whole Foods’ role in connecting the school district with regional Amish farmers who provide chicken raised without antibiotics.

Chicago Public Schools’ health and wellness promotions manager Annie Lionberger was on hand to discuss school health and wellness innovation, including the district’s recycling program to reduce waste around breakfast in the classroom.

 Annie Lionberger answers questions during the panel discussion

Many thanks to these insightful panelists and all the engaged audience members who took part in each discussion! 

If you’d like to learn more about school innovation, please join us for our upcoming webinars:

Quiet Innovation for Healthy School Food
April 16, 2012 · 1-2 PM central · Webinar
Learn more and register here»

The Small Business Side of Improving School Food
May 1, 2012 · 1-2 PM central · Webinar
Learn more and register here»

Did you miss our first webinar on school breakfast? Check out the archived session here.

Moving Forward for School Food & Fitness Following Chicago Public Schools' Recent Ethics Investigation

by Rochelle Davis, President and CEO

By now many who follow school food in Chicago have heard about the recent ethics investigation at Chicago Public Schools focused on the school nutrition department and the companies that provide food service to the district. Following this investigation, CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard has called for Louise Esaian, head of school nutrition for CPS, to be fired. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has publicly supported this position, and the Board of Education is expected to make the official decision at its board meeting on March 28.

As we have worked closely with CPS and Ms. Esaian over the past few years to make significant changes to the food and fitness environment in Chicago schools, I want to let you know how we plan to move forward given this change.

HSC remains committed to working with CPS to make ongoing improvements to school food and physical activity across the district. In its search for a new director of school nutrition, we encourage the district to identify leaders who will be able to build on recent progress for healthy school food and continue to make important changes prioritizing student health. Moving forward, HSC will:

• Continue to work at the school level with CPS staff, principals and school stakeholders to challenge and support all CPS schools as they strive to meet the school food, nutrition education, physical activity and physical education requirements of the HealthierUS School Challenge.
• Continue to work with CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and other district leaders on district-wide initiatives including reinstating recess, improving PE, incorporating health into the new school improvement planning process, and supporting the integration of health and wellness into the longer school day.
• Continue to support improvements to the school meal program, building on advances made to date including the breakfast program, expanding the district’s local procurement program and continuing to advocate for food that is grown and raised in a healthful way.

We realize that some of our efforts may be impacted by this change in leadership, but we are committed to working with CPS on health-promoting initiatives for all students.  I am  confident that the broad set of relationships we have established throughout the district and the city will serve us well during this transition. 

As we continue our efforts to improve the food and fitness environment in Chicago schools, I  hope that the school, business and community leaders we work with in this effort will remain committed to supporting student health and wellness.

Cooking up Change in California!

Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez with team captain Ashley Blanco, and Ivan Lope

We recently shared how excited we were to help bring our Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest to the West Coast, thanks to the work of local host Kid Healthy. We are happy to announce student chefs Ashley Blanco, Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez, and Ivan Lope took first place in the local contest and will represent Santa Ana at the national finals in May 2012.

The Valley High School students quickly adjusted to the spotlight! They got tips from Chef Katy Clark, of the reality television show "Food Network Star."

Cooking up Change Santa Ana student chefs with “Food Network Star” Chef Katy Clark

“It’s a blessing to know that my vocation for cooking will make a change in my community soon,” said Alex. “It’s an honor to be recognized this way. I am truly grateful for the opportunity I received -- the excitement I am feeling is unexplainable. It is a dream coming true.”

The trio will prepare lemon and spinach chicken, Tuscan bean salad, and cinnamon poached pears when they compete in the national finals alongside teams from Chicago, St. Louis, and Denver.

Cooking up Change Santa Ana’s student-created meal

Delish!

Congratulations Ashley, Alex, and Ivan! 

We have two more exciting local contests coming up!. Stay posted for more Cooking up Change updates on our blog. For more information about the healthy cooking contest, visit www.CookingupChange.org.

Plus: Read more about the Santa Ana team here! 

School Nurse Leadership Spotlight on Ponzella Johnson: "No nurse is ordinary -- we’re all extraordinary."

by Brittany Wright, HSC media and outreach specialist

After hearing school nurse Ponzella Johnson sing the song she uses to energize her 400 students, I knew that she was an extraordinary woman. This weekend, Johnson will celebrate her nine year career serving as a champion for wellness. 

The New York native and school nurse at Harriet Tubman Learning Center has a well-rounded background in the fields of psychology and women’s health that she developed before bringing her expertise to schools as a nurse. Her biggest inspiration for transitioning to school nursing was starting a family. When her son was born, she looked ahead and knew that she wanted to be able to enjoy quality time with him and that school nursing would allow her to share the same time out of school.

When I asked her what she loves most about her position, she said, “the children, making an impact on [their] lives. That’s what propels me to get up every morning.” She adds, “I live in the community, the kids look like me. They trust me to make a difference. When you love what you do, they know it.”

At P.S. 154 in New York, Ponzella Johnson serves as the asthma and diabetes educator, teaching students and staff how to manage these health issues. She also serves on the wellness council where she imparts what is expected from both a medical and public health perspective. Additionally, she serves on the safety council to prevent children from being hurt. The council oversees every aspect of safety from the meals served to playground equipment safety. 

The school nurse applies her personal motto, “teamwork makes the dream work” to her vision for school wellness. “Dream is an acronym for Daring to Reach Enormous Attainable Milestones,” she said. That daring attitude has led to impressive accomplishments: the school has received recognition and grants for its strong wellness programs.

Earlier this year, Johnson worked with the physical education teacher to identify 16 students who were obese and facing other health issues. Together, they follow the students’ weight and blood pressure and provide opportunities for physical activity. The students also learn about nutrition and do self-esteem exercises. She has already seen a difference in the student’s eagerness to make healthier decisions and has noted that their attendance has increased. “The focal point is action,” she said. The program has become very popular, with requests from dozens of other students!

In addition to supporting at-risks youth, Ponzella has created a walking club program with pre-K and kindergarten students and teachers. She is excited to see the program double in participation with increased attendance. “They’re walking to school, they’re healthy and they feel good. We do it twice a week, but now, they want to do it more. It’s very popular,” she explained. 

The school nurse doesn’t just challenge students to live healthy, actively lives, but staff and colleagues as well. She encourages participation in group fitness and encourages them to be role models for the school. “Being a role model helps me while I help [kids],” she said. “It helped me look in the mirror in terms of being healthy.”

Johnson said she was amazed by her experience participating in HSC’s School Nurse Leadership Program this year. “It was important for me and my colleagues to hear from other school nurses,” she said. 

She advises other school nurses who want to impact the school community’s health to start by building a relationship with the principal. “Let the principal see how wellness can impact the school,” she said. She also encourages school nurses to use other schools’ experiences as a springboard. She frequently receives calls asking for advice on wellness and said nurses can learn valuable strategies from simply reaching out to each other. 

Working with parents has also strengthened the Johnson’s priority on wellness. She said parents are willing to help, especially when it comes to their children. Lastly, she encourages school nurses to tell people what they are doing. Ponzella added that sharing her wealth of knowledge has made her a valuable player, especially in fighting stereotypes around her job title.

As I concluded our call, I complimented Ms. Johnson on her extraordinary work. She replied, “No nurse is ordinary, we’re all extraordinary. Do it with the children in mind. Nothing but good comes from that.”

We couldn’t agree more! Congratulations to Ponzella Johnson on her remarkable work and nine year anniversary as a school nurse!

Physical Activity Break: Wellness and Fun with the Metamorphosis Game!

Physical activity breaks boost student wellness and can provide a fun break during a sedentary day. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPHERD) notes that a 10-minute physical activity session results in improved fitness and health for students!

At a recent Fit to Learn session, teachers learned about different types of physical activity breaks -- including the fun, active metamorphosis game that we’ll spotlight today. This game offers a good way to teach students about life cycles. The game includes four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis (cocoon), and butterfly. 

In this game, students act out each transformation: 

1. Everyone starts off as an egg and crouches down
2. Each student plays rock-paper-scissors with another student who is in the same stage. The winner progresses to the next stage! The student who does not win goes back a stage. Both students find another person in their stage to continue moving through the series
3. In the caterpillar stage, each student inches along the floor in a modified bear crawl
4. In the chrysalis stage, each student spins around with arms crossed across their chest 
5. In the butterfly stage, each student flies (slowly) with their "wings" outstretched 
6. After reaching the butterfly stage, each student becomes an egg again so the game can keep going 

 

Fit to Learn teachers learn how to play the metamorphosis game

The metamorphosis game is a great way for students to socialize with each other and get active. Additionally, the game incorporates matching and allows students to creatively interpret each stage of a butterfly’s life. Fit to Learn facilitator Amy Christiansen notes that the game allows you to use your imagination as some teachers have substituted dinosaurs and superheroes instead of butterflies!

Studies continue to show that activity increases recall and focus. Try this fun activity break to boost learning in your classroom! 

Is It Really Mystery Meat? What Can You Do? Pink Slime in School Meals

By Mark Bishop, vice president of policy and communications

School food advocates, parents and media have been abuzz the last week with the news that the USDA has purchased 7 million pounds of “pink slime” for inclusion in school meals. Also sold under the name “boneless lean beef trimmings,” this beef filler is composed of connective tissue and other beef parts that are processed and treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill bacteria and prevent food-borne contamination. 

While fast food giants McDonald’s and Taco Bell stopped using pink slime after public outcry earlier this year, the USDA has approved the product as safe for consumption. Ammonium hydroxide is considered a processing agent and is not required to be listed on food labels. Generally, the “pink slime” is mixed with other ground beef and processed into foods such as hamburgers. 

How bad is it? It might technically be safe but it’s certainly not something we want to see served in the cafeteria. We need to move school meals in the direction of real, less-processed food, not the type of highly processed products that need to be treated with ammonia. I hope the public outcry around this issue brings us one step closer to a food system that supports schools in serving healthy, less-processed meals with ingredients we understand. 

Dr. John Torres, quoted in USA Today, explains it like this: "The big concern is that this is a chemically processed food, it doesn't have nearly the nutrients of normal beef. . . It's one of those things, 'Do I want my child to have this?' On a short-term, moderate basis: maybe. On a long-term basis: no."

As a parent, I was relieved to learn that Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where my son attends kindergarten, does not include “pink slime” in the food it serves. CPS procures its beef from J.T.M. Food Group. Brian Hofmeier, senior director of school sales for J.T.M. Food Group confirmed that the food processor, “does not use ammonium hydroxide in [their] process and [they] do not purchase material from any suppliers that use ammonium hydroxide in their process.”

It’s good to know that some districts are avoiding the “slime” but many are not, as evidenced by the 7 million pound USDA purchase. 

What can you do about the issue? We urge everyone who cares about healthy school to:

Talk with your school food service director. Learn what the school food leaders in your district are doing to meet nutritional guidelines and make food healthy and appealing to students.

Raise your voice. HSC friend Bettina Siegel of The Lunch Tray has created a petition calling for an end to pink slime in school food. You can learn more and add your name here.

Learn about school food innovation efforts. Learn more about efforts to transform school food through HSC’s upcoming webinars and events on school food innovation. These exciting discussions provide a national policy perspective and highlight the efforts of on-the-ground players who are making changes with important and far-reaching results. For more information about school food, check out our latest webinar and event series. 

The effort to create a new future for school food is about more than one ingredient. But in this case, one ingredient with a particularly appalling nickname is creating an uproar that can help us all think about how important it is to serve healthy, real food for lunch. 

Today’s Chicago Tribune Story on Chicago Public Schools Food Service

Update (March 23, 2012): As many readers know, the initial Chicago Tribune article discussed in this post has been followed by several stories in the Tribune and one in the Chicago Sun-Times detailing select findings from the Inspector General’s report. The most recent development is a retraction from the Chicago Tribune of a number of key facts in their story about the Inspector General’s findings. In this most recent article, the Tribune reported that the value of the gifts exchanged was “far less than stated” in the original article and that they wrongly reported that certain expenses were charged on school nutrition director Louise Esaian’s CPS credit card when in fact they were on Ms. Esaian’s personal credit card.  The Inspector General’s report has not yet been made public. This story continues to unfold; we will share updates as more information is available. To read about HSC's efforts moving forward, click here.

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by Rochelle Davis, President and CEO

This morning, readers of the Chicago Tribune found a front-page story reporting that the Inspector General for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is investigating allegations that Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, the company that provides food service to many CPS schools, gave gifts to a high-ranking CPS employee, in possible violation of the district’s ethics policy.  

HSC has worked closely with CPS on making improvements to their food program, and Chartwells-Thompson has been a long-time sponsor of our Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest. I’d like to share some additional background about HSC's work with both of these organizations.

The article discusses Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality’s community involvement and mentions that Healthy Schools Campaign is one of the organizations, in addition to After School Matters, that receives support from Chartwells-Thompson. As many readers  know, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality has been a sponsor of Cooking up Change, Healthy Schools Campaign’s annual culinary competition, for many years. Through this sponsorship, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality has donated a total of $111,500 to Healthy Schools Campaign over five years, beginning in 2007. Cooking up Change focuses on HSC’s effort to engage high school culinary students in the movement for healthy school food.

HSC has also worked closely with CPS and by extension with Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality to make improvements to the school food program in Chicago. These improvements include more fresh fruit and vegetables, more whole grains and more freshly-prepared food in school meals, a large farm-to-school program and other health-promoting changes. Through this work, we have seen leaders at CPS and at Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality make important decisions about school food that prioritize children’s health. There is still much work to be done in this area, and I hope that everyone involved -- at CPS, at Chartwells-Thompson, and at schools across the city -- will remain focused on continued progress for healthy school food.

In response to the alleged ethics violations discussed in the Tribune, we will wait until the Inspector General completes his investigation and we learn what this investigation determines before we comment. We are glad that CPS has critical systems in place to make sure that decisions made by its employees are in the best interest of the district’s students.

We are continuing our efforts to improve school food in Chicago and hope that the school, business and community leaders we work with in this effort will remain focused on improvements that are so important for children’s health.

Cooking up Change Hits the West Coast!

We are always amazed by the phenomenal student chefs who participate in Cooking up Change. By creating an appealing and great-tasting meal that meets high nutrition standards on a tight budget, high school students bring the message of healthy school food to their peers, administrators and their community to show that change can happen when we all do our part to move it along.

Now, the West Coast joins the movement to transform school food! Yesterday, HSC joined local host Kid Healthy to present the first Cooking up Change contest in California! Thanks to Kid Healthy and Northgate Markets, the healthy cooking contest was presented in Santa Ana for the first time for the region. Teams of high school students from Santa Ana's High School Inc. Academies at Valley High School's culinary arts program competed to create a healthy school meal on a tight budget, meeting high standards of nutrition, taste, presentation and originality.

Cooking up Change Chicago presentation dish

Which team from Santa Ana will travel to Washington, DC to cook off in the national finals? We’ll announce that next week and introduce you to the winners! 

The winners from the Santa Ana contest will join teams of student chefs from Chicago, Denver, and St. Louis. In the weeks ahead, HSC will work wtih local hosts to present contests in Jacksonville and Winston-Salem as well! Be sure to follow the Cooking up Change section of HSC’s blog and stay tuned for results from the California competition! 

St. Patrick's Day Treat: Minty Green (and Healthy!) Shakes

By Lana Buseman

In college, I worked as a barista. During slow times it was fun to get creative and use the ingredients on hand to come up with original recipes. One of my co-workers always made himself what he called a grasshopper shake. It was a combination of matcha powder, chocolate chips, peppermint syrup and cream and it was delicious. This recipe aims to mimic my co-worker's grasshopper shake using fresher and healthier ingredients but without losing the great minty flavor. It's a fun treat for St. Patrick's Day!

I choose to make this with unsweetened vanilla almond milk from Trader Joe's, but soy, rice or regular milk can be substituted. One ingredient I kept in my version of this drink is the matcha powder. Matcha is a refined form of green tea and is very high in antioxidants. Plus: matcha is what gives the grasshopper its green color! You only need a small amount of the matcha powder to reap its benefits -- a little bit goes a long way.

I swap out the chocolate chips for carob chips. Carob chips are similar to chocolate chips in look and taste but are naturally sweeter and therefore do not need to be processed with added sugar. They are also a natural source of fiber and calcium.

Finally, for the minty flavor I swap out the sugary peppermint syrup and go straight to the natural source: fresh mint. Mint is not only a natural breath freshener, but it is known to help ease stomachaches and headaches and can help clear up congestion. It is also bursting with fresh flavor and natural sweetness that helps make this treat really delicious.

Ingredients

1 tsp Matcha powder

2 tablespoons carob chips

Handful of fresh mint leaves

¾ cup almond milk

½ cup ice

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy as a fun green treat for St. Patrick’s Day!

Photo credit: Lana Buseman

Healthy Children, Healthy Planet: Why We Care About School Food

We’ve teamed up with PEW Charitable Trusts and Whole Foods Market to present a dynamic discussion on school food entitled, “Healthy Children, Healthy Planet: Why We Care About School Food.” The free panel discussion will take place next Wednesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. and again on Thursday, March 15 at 10 a.m. at Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park located at 1550 North Kingsbury Street.

“Healthy Children, Healthy Planet” will examine the factors that work alongside each other in the lunchroom and provide a behind-the-scenes look at efforts to ensure school food is good for students and the planet in one of the largest school districts in the country.

“Healthy school food nourishes students’ well-being and potential, but it should also sustain the livelihood of local farmers and the environment,” said Healthy Schools Campaign president and CEO Rochelle Davis. “We are honored to bring together respected voices to showcase efforts to move nutritious meals and healthy school communities forward.”

Chicago is quickly emerging as a center for school food innovation. Earlier this year, Chicago Public Schools began serving scratch-cooked chicken, using unprocessed chicken from the USDA and unprocessed chicken raised without antibiotics on an Amish farm in Indiana. This effort builds upon a history of ground-breaking initiatives to improve school meals.

“Healthy Children, Healthy Planet” panels include Rochelle Davis, president and CEO and Mark Bishop, vice president of policy and communications for Healthy Schools Campaign; Angela Odoms-Young, PhD, assistant professor for UIC College of Applied Health Sciences; Rich Wolf, regional meat coordinator for Whole Foods Market; Dr. Lance Price, director at TGen North Center for Metagenomics; and Annie Lionberger, Manager of Health and Wellness Promotion for Chicago Public Schools.

We encourage parents, supporters, and advocates to register for the March 14 panel here and for the March 15 panel here.

We look forward to you joining the discussion!

Leadership for Student Health: Spotlight on School Nurse Diane Driver

After developing pneumonia and chronic fatigue syndrome, Diane Driver -- who had always described herself as active and healthy -- decided to shift the direction of her 22-year nursing career to take care of herself and educate children and families to do the same as a school nurse in Waukegan, Illinois. From this role, she participated in HSC’s School Nurse Leadership Program. 

While serving an elementary school, the School Nurse Leadership alum secured a variety of grants to promote health and wellness. Eventually, she became the district nursing supervisor. In this role, Diane's leadership was key to helping nurses and other school leaders work together. 

She encourages school nurses to create buy-in with school administrators. Diane advises that "even with a district policy, you need to figure out how to make the building administrator passionate." For example, one of Diane's principals was a big current events reader, so she clipped every research article on obesity and gave them to him until "he finally gave in and got rid of the vending machine." When another principal was hesitant to give up birthday celebrations with unhealthy treats, Diane created the "You've Been Snacked" party consisting of contests, prizes, and fruit and veggies and got the students to try a variety of fruits and vegetables. 

Last school year, Diane again called on her leadership skills when the district decided to eliminate 13 Certified School Nurse positions. She worked with other nurses and collected data on the value of school nursing translated into dollars and presented that information, along with data on attendance reimbursement, nurses' work with special education students, Medicaid reimbursements, and issues around the Nurse Practice Act to the school board. As a result, not only did the district retain the 13 positions, but they added two additional positions that the nurses hadn't even requested! Diane explained that "our message was that we were saving students’ lives, not saving our own jobs."

Diane’s goal is to make the public understand the value of a school nurse. "We need to talk about what we do,” she said. “They need to see how important we are to the health of the kids."

Diane also devotes her time to mentoring new nurses in her school district and feels this type of mentoring improves job satisfaction and increased the nurses' comfort in the role. 

Most recently, she assumed the presidency of the Northlakes Division of the Illinois Association of School Nurses, "as a part of my pursuit of leadership in nursing." She added, "I hold myself to high standards to stay current with knowledge in my profession, and actively seek ways to share my knowledge and experiences with others." 

Kudos to Diane for her leadership for student health and for the field of school nursing! 

Stack Up Education and Health With In-Class Physical Activity: Speed Cup Stacking

By Brittany Wright, HSC media and outreach specialist

GET READY! GET SET! GET MOVING (IN THE CLASSROOM)!

Educators continue to find that students benefit from in-class opportunities to move. Physical activity improves cognitive, emotional and physical health. They are also a key part of a classroom culture that promotes wellness. A fun and easy way to incorporate movement is sport stacking!

Last year, I got a chance to learn about this sport at a Fit to Learn booster session. The session focused on the importance of physical activity and introduced sports stacking as one of many exercises to do with students.

In addition to connecting education and health, sport stacking or speed cup stacking is a fun way to improve hand-eye coordination and motor skills. This sport challenges participants to stack cups in pyramid sequences in the shortest amount of time. Speed cup stacking started in the early 1980s and has experienced continued popularity growth. Co-founder Bob Fox describes the activity as “a track meet for your hands!”

During the booster session, facilitator Amy Christiansen discussed how popular and easy this activity was in her classroom. Teachers even got a chance to play the sport and learn techniques to take back to their classrooms.

I have to admit, I started sweating at the sight of the group cup stacking! I was blow way by how much  fun I had and how energizing it is when I got a chance to try it myself.

Amy Christiansen (center) practices sports stacking with Fit to Learn teachers 

One reason speed stacking is a great activity for the classroom is because all you need is a flat surface and cups! Check out this introductory video by the World Sports Stacking Association. For more information about sports stacking, click here.

Fun Fact: The sport gained national prominence when it was featured on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” in 1990!

Plus, check out more fun activity ideas from Go for the Gold, a partnership of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Healthy Schools Campaign to support schools in meeting high standards for food, fitness and nutrition education. Check out the new free online resource center for more ideas to incorporate physical activity in the classroom. 

Teachers, have you tried speed cup stacking with your classroom? How was your experience?

Congratulations to Cook County School Nurses!

by Donna Fishman

HSC is proud to announce the graduation of 14 school nurses from the School Nurse Leadership Program in suburban Cook County this winter. An additional 10 nurses participated in the three-day leadership course that was sponsored by the Communities Putting Prevention to Work of the Cook County Department of Public Health. The school nurses in the program serve thousands of students across the area. 

We were so impressed with their accomplishments in the area of wellness, especially given the high ratio of school nurses to students, funding cuts and the increasing number of students with special health care needs in their schools. On the second day of the program, HSC asked the nurses, “What one change will you make after today?” Here are some of the responses: 

• I will continue working on a strategic plan with a new food vendor.
• I will investigate staff wellness programs.
• I will step up as a leader.
• I will suggest starting discussions with food vendors about food choices/selections that better meet the needs of the school population.
• I’m going to start a wellness committee.
• I’m going to meet with my school wellness team to develop an action plan.
• I’m going to start presenting ideas to the administration.

Some of the school nurses have already put ideas into action. One participant said, “For the last couple years, I have wanted to start an employee wellness program and now the wellness committee is on board with the idea.”

The Cook County SNLP alums were dynamos and I was thrilled to see them gain new leadership skills. As part of their third and final day of training, school nurses made presentations on school wellness topics such as healthy fundraising, physical activities, and making healthy decisions. 

One participant summed up her experience in the leadership class this way: “I need to be refueled and re-energized sometimes and this workshop has done that. I really appreciate the  support of HSC. There is still lots of work to be done at all levels in schools and districts. Let our voices be heard about school health.”  

Congratulations again to the School Nurse Leadership Program graduates!

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