On Thursday, October 18, youth wellness champions and their adult coaches from sixteen area schools attended the first of four 2012-2013 Food & Fitness Regional Youth Leadership Team Meetings. The meeting was held at the West Union United Methodist Church. It was a day jam-packed with activities centered around school food. Continue reading
Can you believe October is more than half over? I know I can’t believe it, but as this month draws to a close, there is one thing on every kid’s mind… Halloween! In celebration of this spooky holiday, the After School Program at Starmont was treated to Green Monster Smoothies. Continue reading
Katie Lay is an AmeriCorps service member and resource contact for North Fayette, Starmont, and West Central Schools. Continue reading
The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) hosted a School Wellness Retreat on March 21, 2012 at Luther College. Continue reading
The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative held its annual conference today at Luther College. The conference was an opportunity for Northeast Iowa K-12 schools to learn about the vast number of accumulating resources to help them accomplish their wellness goals. Food service directors, classroom teachers, parents, administrators, community members, P.E./health teachers, youth coaches and youth representatives from 19 different school districts attended mixer sessions, a keynote speaker, team-building sessions and enjoyed a locally produced low-budget lunch.
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On Wednesday, March 7th students at Starmont’s After-School Club asked the question, “Why can’t we grow pineapples in Iowa?” To answer that question, and also to prepare students for the planting of a new school garden, Resource Contact Elizabeth Makarewicz visited these inquisitors. Continue reading
On January 26, 2012 food service directors and staff from area attended a networking meet at Luther College. They toured the Luther College Dining Facilities and listened to guest speaker, Patti Delger, with the Iowa Department of Education and Team Nutrition, provided information about the U.S. Healthier Schools Challenge. Currently, there are 20 schools in Iowa who have achieved bronze, silver or gold status. There is a lot of local interest in this prestigious opportunity. Check out details: U.S. Healthier Schools Challenge. Continue reading
As school budgets tighten, family and consumer science course options are often some of the first cut. However, ask any FCS teacher (or member of Food & Fitness) and he or she will certainly enlighten you to the benefits of such education. Continue reading
Starmont’s after school program has recently teamed up with Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative to provide an education and interactive lesson and taste test to its K-6 students on local foods. Every other week the FFI Resource Contact, Elizabeth Makarewicz, visits Starmont to sample a locally sourced snack and teach a short lesson to after-schoolers. Continue reading
When Mary Emery, Food and Fitness Evaluator at Iowa State University, informed Starmont Principal Mrs. Burrack about an opportunity to involve high school students in grant writing, she jumped on the chance. Continue reading
