News Headlines
Source: News-Graphic, Georgetown, Feb. 24, 2009
Students snacking their way to fitness
By Lori Kersey
For Stamping Ground Elementary fourth-graders, snacks went from after school treat, to school projects last week. The school had its annual snack fair Friday.
The challenge for the fourth-graders: create snacks that have no added sugar, are low in fat, and that combine two or more food groups.
The challenge for fifth-graders: judge the snacks.
Joyce Ellis, a registered nurse for Scott County Schools, said the event is an effort to fight the obesity epidemic. Snacks are a big part of children’s development, she said.
“They see how you can create things at home,” Ellis said of the students. “You don’t have to eat a packaged snack cake. You can go to the fridge and put things together.”
The grand prize for the fair was 15 minutes of physical activity, though every group came away with some type of award.
While the students had several challenges, Ellis had one of her own: keeping hands clean and food safe during flu season. At each table, students preparing food were equipped with rubber gloves. Students were also warned not to cough or sneeze on the food.
“That’s what we went over intensely, especially because it’s flu season,” Ellis said.
In addition to creating the snack, students researched the food for nutritional value and developed a display and presentation to market their snack.
Fourth-grader Blair Bowden was part of a group that made Bunny Luncheon, a combination of celery, carrots, and ranch dip.
“We’re learning that by eating healthy snacks, you can have more energy and whiter teeth,” Bowden said. “When you get home you don’t have to grab a candy bar, you can have one of these.”
Principal Paul Krueger said he enjoys seeing the fair.
“I love this,” Krueger said. “I love it when we do this. It puts so many things together.”
Students learned economics, too, Ellis said.
“Sometimes we have to turn a snack down because it costs too much,” she said.
Ellis said the students enjoy the fair as well. All she has to do is say snack fair, and they get excited, Ellis said. The students always get creative in their snack making.
“We’ve got monsters, we’ve got boats,” she said. “We try very hard not to specifically mention things so they come up with it themselves and if it’s crazy, it’s crazy.”