When a group of Onaway families approached principal Amy Davis about exploring some greener concepts for the lunchroom, they were greeted with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Amanda Schindley, director of AVI Fresh, was also ready to jump on board.
Says PTO Co-1st Vice President Stacey Hren, “We asked if we could re-imagine the whole lunch room experience,” by enticing students to try healthier foods, reduce waste, and improve students’ nutritional knowledge and etiquette.
Jenny Steadman, another Onaway parent, paired up with Hren to find out what improvements other Onaway families and students wanted to see.
The result is a pilot program that features a new daily salad bar with an abundance of fresh greens and veggies (locally sourced when possible); grants for new waste-sorting stations and compost bins; and a recipe contest for students sponsored by AVI.
Not only were students excited about the ideas, they pushed for some of them. Says Hren, “We had students asking about the amount of waste we produce, and why we aren’t composting.” Thanks to a grant from the Shaker Schools Foundation, third-grade teacher Martin McGuan will be able to help the students create the compost bins they requested.
In response to parents’ request for more fresh vegetables on the daily menu, AVI agreed to provide the salad bar on a trial basis to gauge student interest. “The first two days, we ran out of ingredients and had to run to the High School to get more,” says Hren. “Right before our eyes, the students dispelled the myth that salad is an ‘adult’ food.”
Says one first-grader, “I’ve gone to the salad bar every day since it opened. I even asked for broccoli.” Another boasts of trying cucumbers and red peppers. The students receive a “risk-taker” sticker whenever they try a new food.
Students also got into the action with a “Taste-Off” contest. Each third-grade class created a new recipe using fresh ingredients. Families can soon expect to see the winning recipe - spinach lasagna- on the District’s K-4 lunch menu, thanks to the students in Brad Gillette’s class.