What does your plate of apples look like? Cinnamon Elementary School held their first annual family night which included UC CalFresh holding Nutrition Through Art. Families had the opportunity to learn about fruit while using pastels to create a work of art like Paul Cezanne. The still life pictures were exciting and creative and families were able to create masterpieces together. This event was so successful that another family night was held at Lincoln Elementary where families could also draw, laugh and learn about My Plate while drawing their own still lifes. These pictures will become part of the Nutrition Corner in the cafeteria. One parent was quoted as saying “This workshop will help me to eat more healthy and have fun activities with my children."

Saturday March 3, was the 2018 Piece Conference hosted by West Hills College Childhood Development and Education Department. This event offered Early Childhood Educators a day filled with learning opportunities from multiple presenters. Each workshop offered information that educators could learn today and take back to their classrooms on Monday. The theme was Be the Change! Over 250 educators attended this event.

The Tulare/Kings University of California Cooperative Extension Office hosted two workshops on Saturday. The UCCE CalFresh Nutrition Education program offered a CATCH workshop. Learn how to use the CATCH curriculum to promote children's enjoyment and participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and even during extracurricular activities with family and friends. Susan Lafferty is a certified CATCH trainer and gave the educators many ideas on how to use CATCH in the classroom.

The Tulare/Kings UCCE Master Gardeners hosted hands on a wonderfully innovative workshop. Teaching teachers, caregivers, and providers to help families promote sustainability and healthy eating by eating from farm to table

See our website for handouts and more information about these wonderful workshops.

Hanford Elementary School District READY after school program is gearing up for this year's READY'S Healthiest 5K on the Planet!

Roosevelt Elementary and Martin Luther King Elementary Ready programs joined forces to promote physical activity with their 3k Color Run in 2017. White t-shirts were tied dyed with the colors on My Plate. Students walked from MLK Elementary School to meet their pen pals at Roosevelt Elementary, who they had been writing to all year. Pen Pals started the course together and encouraged each other to finish the course. Over 90 students completed the 3K run and then started the My Plate obstacle course to learn how to stay healthy. All students who started the event finished in record times.The vote was to extend the distance to a 5K run this year. Roosevelt Elementary School READY program will host this year event. The Ready Teachers at both sites have reported that the students have been training for the distance and we expected record times again this year over a longer distance. This event will happen the first week of March.

Bailoterapia was launched in Kings County. Corcoran Family Resource Center hosted a physical activity day to promote physical activity in their community. Parents of preschool children attending classes at CRC along with the public were invited to take part in a Bailoterapia (dance therapy) class. Seventeen participants learned the basics of dance therapy and were quoted as saying “We need this type of activity on a regular basis”. Even parents that in the past, who have struggled to leave their children in the classroom, joined the fun and engaging dance therapy class. Many of the participants expressed later with the site coordinator that they would return if classes were offered.