Think about the effect of these realities 1) Consuming high-calorie foods and drinks causes obesity. Obesity can create psychological stress, poor self-images, and potential for peer discrimination. 2) Calcium is needed for building and maintaining strong bones. Deficiencies create the potential for decreased motor skills and physical activity that would burn calories to maintain weight. 3) Iron deficiencies reduce resistance to infection. In summary poor nutrition can impact academic performance, emotional adjustment, physical and motor development and skills, behavior, and school attendance. What can we do as a community to overcome these deficiencies and help children become "healthy students today and healthy leaders tomorrow?"
Students, parents, principals, teachers, food service professionals, and community leaders can join together to ensure that students have access to healthy meals at home and at school. School breakfast programs can improve test performance, attendance, and behavior. The Fayetteville School Food Service encourages opportunities for students to have breakfast. We have adjusted breakfast hours to: 1) accommodate bus schedules; 2) provide kindergarten students an alternative time and place to eat breakfast; and 3) offer a variety of choices to encourage students to eat a nutritious breakfast.
Our lunch program offers students many choices. We vary preparation and presentation techniques to encourage students to select healthy foods. Surprisingly, when students are allowed to choose they will eat fruits and vegetables they would otherwise refuse to eat when not given a choice. Menus and recipes are reviewed to improve our offerings and to meet the various taste preferences of a diverse community.
Fayetteville School District renovation funds have created improvements at Butterfield, Leverett, and Washington Elementary Schools. Butterfield was converted to a full kitchen; Leverett was remodeled; and Washington got a new kitchen and cafeteria. Other school kitchens or cafeterias received minor repairs. As a district we will continue to make an effort to provide adequate space for preparing, serving, and eating school meals. Enhanced serving areas and dining atmosphere improves the presentation of choices, minimizes the waiting time, and provides students more time to eat and socialize in a pleasing environment.
We adults can be role models to encourage children to make healthy choices. Eating fast fried foods and sweets; neglecting to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day; and selecting "unhealthy" beverages—none of these patterns of behavior foster healthy eating habits. Messages promoting personal goals that encourage a healthy lifestyle need to be delivered throughout our community. Working together we can ensure that today’s students will be healthy adult leaders in our community tomorrow.
You are invited to come see the changes in our school breakfast and lunch programs. Many parents have stated that today’s school meals are nothing like when they were students. The "traditional" school meal has disappeared. You will find "comfort" or "home-style" meals. You will find food that is what today’s generation wants. These offerings can accommodate the needs of all students--those who wish to eat light, who have special dietary needs, who have ethnic preferences—even vegetarians! Check out our Web page for menus, meal prices, and other information (http://www.fayar.net/admin/food/food.htm)