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High schoolers help cook up “ got veggies ?” wellness efforts
District staff teamed up with high schoolers to encourage healthy meal choices in the school lunch line , and at home .
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
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Anoka-Hennepin Community Education offers gift certificates for adult learning classes and activities .
You can plan to cross someone off your holiday shopping list by visiting discovercommunityed . com beginning Wednesday , Nov . 23 . Anoka-Hennepin Community Education offers 20 percent off gift certificates in the amount of $ 25 , $ 50 or $ 100 to be used toward an adult learning class or activity .
Purchase your gift card online over the holiday weekend , or call our office at 763-506-5766 on Monday , Nov . 28 before 5 p . m .
Champlin Park High School student leaders developed an educational wellness campaign with district staff .
Champlin Park High School ( CPHS ) students served up vegetables in the form of harvest sampler salads to students at Oxbow Creek Elementary School while asking their younger peers if they “ got veggies ?” on their plate . Their presence and conversation at the lunch table was really just a taste of a new educational wellness campaign , designed to inspire students to make healthy choices in the school lunch line , and at home .
A recipe for success
“ We have always offered a lot of fruits and vegetables in our schools , but we wanted to send a message that spoke directly to our students , that while fruits and vegetables may not be their favorite , they can be a fun and tasty part of their meal ,” school district child nutrition director , Noah Atlas , explained . The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 made fruits and vegetables a mandatory addition to each student ’ s school meal . While Anoka-Hennepin Schools offers students as many fruits and vegetables as they care to eat , when it became mandatory Atlas says that his staff saw more fruits and vegetables on trays , but also significantly more that went uneaten – which provide no nutritional value . “ We felt that with a program like this , we could find a way to speak to our students in a way that they wanted to be spoken to .”
Oxbow Creek Elementary students sampled harvest salads in celebration of the poster unveiling Oct . 25 .
Atlas and Jen Gilbert , district wellness coordinator , knew that students learn more than just academics in school . They also learn about health , wellness and how food fuels their bodies to help them learn and grow . Students don ’ t just learn this through lesson plans — but also through role modeling and looking at what is served every day for breakfast , snack and at lunch .
Gilbert pitched a role modeling idea to the Hennepin County SHIP office , and grant dollars through the Statewide Health Improvement Program ( SHIP ) brought the campaign to life .
Cooking up a creative campaign
Child nutrition , wellness and communication teams at Anoka-Hennepin Schools worked with CPHS to cook up the “ got veggies ?” campaign by conducting focus groups with student leaders involved in athletics , theater , debate and other extracurricular activities .
As part of the focus groups , the high school students met and reviewed the statistics and the number of students that were selecting and eating fresh vegetables during school lunch . " The numbers were kind of crazy , and the whole group thought it would be a great to get involved ," Erin Magner , a theater student and student council president , recalled .
The students worked together to brainstorm catchy phrases and envision how the groups could pose for photos to be used on posters reminiscent of the famous “ got milk ?” ad campaign launched in the 90s .
Posters feature Bennett Otto , a tenth-grade football player donning his Rebels uniform with an eggplant rather than a ball ; and Izzy Ashburn , a tenth-grade volleyball player , bumping a head of lettuce to her teammates . " We thought it was a fun and cute idea - without being too serious ," Ashburn said . Feeding the conversation
The posters are now on display in the cafeterias of Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy , Dayton , Evergreen Park , Oxbow Creek , and Monroe Elementary Schools ; Jackson Middle School ; and CPHS , starring the very students that helped develop the campaign .
By including the high school students in the launch event , they were able to see its impact come full circle - all the way around the lunch table . " It ' s cool to see that the elementary school students are super excited and engaged ,” Magner said . “ Now that we are here as role models , we can see that what we say can really make a difference .”
“ I love talking to the kids . They are telling me what their favorite vegetables are , why they chose them and what they know about each one ,” Chloe Fisher , twelfth-grade student council vice president and member of the school senate and link crew , said .
Atlas and Gilbert are now in the process of working to develop similar campaigns for other high schools and their feeder schools across the district . “ It ’ s a pilot program ,” Gilbert said . “ If the students are excited about it , we hope to continue working with student leaders to expand the ‘ got veggies ?’ effort to all of our schools .” ■
Winter classes and activities !
View our new catalogs and classes beginning in December .
Visit discovercommunityed . com or follow us on Facebook at facebook . com / discovercommunityed to get more news and information about lifelong learning opportunities .
Tutoring available through Community Education
Don ' t wait until the end of the trimester to catch up – or offer your child the extra boost that they need to speed ahead !
The district tutoring program , Tutor Connect , offers quality academic services at competitive prices . We provide families with regular progress updates and can meet with your child ' s teachers to understand where a student is at and what areas would be best to focus on in the sessions . Tutors adjust activities to meet the needs of each student .
Learn more at anoka . k12 . mn . us / tutorconnect or call 763-506-1265 .
When the weather is cool , you can still enjoy a pool !
Community Education offers private pool rentals for parties and groups , swimming lessons , aquatic exercise and open swim all winter long . Visit anoka . k12 . mn . us / aquatics to view all offerings or call 763-506-5980 .