Boston Public School District, MA

The Department of Food and Nutrition Services at the Boston Public Schools is proud of the enthusiasm shared by the principals, Team Nutrition Leaders, cafeteria staff, teachers and students during Team Nutrition Days.

The greatest success of Team Nutrition Days is that it helped solidify some of the partnerships our Department has made with community organizations. We also are very proud of our efforts in our satellite cafeterias. The fruit and vegetable festivals were truly enjoyed. The students' enthusiasm at the various events was the largest payoff of all.

If another school wanted to know how to conduct similar Team Nutrition Days events, my advice would be to form a team or committee of people that could assist in planning the events. Having the Team Nutrition Leader guide the group is helpful. Giving each person a task to complete is of key importance; as is brainstorming!! With a brainstorming session planned, the possibilities for Team Nutrition Days are endless.

Signed,
Tricia Liberti
Department of Food and Nutrition Services
Boston Public Schools




Celebrating an agricultural theme, activities were held throughout Boston. The Food and Nutrition Services Department of the Boston Public Schools sponsored fruit and vegetable festivals in 11 cafeterias across the city:

Mather Elementary, Dorchester, MA
P.A. Shaw Elementary, Dorchester, MA
Patrick O'Hearn School, Dorchester, MA
Mattahunt School, Mattapan, MA
Boston Latin Academy, Boston, MA
James M. Curley Middle School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Mary E. Curley Middle School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Dearborn Middle School, Roxbury, MA
James A. Garfield Elementary, Brighton, MA
John W. McCormack Middle School, Dorchester, MA
Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Dorchester, MA

In the full-service cafeterias, students had an all-you-can-eat fruit and vegetable buffet. In satellite cafeterias, students received pre-packaged fresh fruit and vegetables in addition to their regular meals.

At the fruit and vegetable festival in the O'Hearn Elementary School, Dr. William Henderson, School Principal, dressed up as a banana and Patricia Dennehy, School Nurse and Team Nutrition Leader, dressed up as a bunch of grapes. They spent the day encouraging the students to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

The Wilson School had a variety of activities going on in celebration of Team Nutrition Days. The students worked on food pyramid collages and made their own food labels. Sheila Drain, the Team Nutrition Leader, taught a unit on the food guide pyramid and focused on fruits and vegetables. The students also learned about fruit preparation and made fruit cups and fruit kabobs. On the last day of the week, the students had a pot luck lunch and described which food groups their recipes came from.

Classes from the Grew Elementary School in Hyde Park and the Conley Elementary School in Roslindale enjoyed field trips to Wilson Farm in Lexington. The students had a tour of the farm. They saw farming fields, greenhouses, farming equipment, an egg-packing facility and barnyard animals. Each student received a farm coloring book and an apple from Wilson Farm. Team Up at Home Activity Booklets were handed out, as well. The transportation was funded by the State Department of Food and Agriculture and the American Cancer Society.

Dietetic interns from Brigham and Women's Hospital spent a day with students at both the Grew School in Hyde Park and the Mendell School in Roxbury.

Students at the Hurley School learned all about honey-making from Mr. Barret, a New England beekeeper. Each student received a taste of honey and got to try on the "beekeeping outfits."