- Author: Tacu Vang
- Editor: Emily Harris
UC CalFresh was invited to join Burroughs Elementary's Fun Day Event on June 8th, 2016. Students were rewarded with a fun day full of activities including face painting, slip and slides, bowling, water activities, and hair color spray. This event celebrated the students' hard work and success throughout the school year. Students used tickets that they earned during the year from their teachers for this fun day event to get different prizes and snacks as they participated in the various activities that were out there.
UC CalFresh showed up at the Fun Day event with a Re-Think Your Drink booth where we presented a quick lesson on sugary drinks and how much sugar is in soda, sports drink, and juices. Students couldn't believe the amount of sugar they saw in those drinks and were committed to making water their main drink, especially after trying two types of infused water: strawberry with mint and cucumber with lemon. As Potter the Otter would say, "Drink water for thirst and you should know, water is healthy, it helps you grow!"
Evelyn and Maira getting ready for the students as they make their way to the Fun Day Event.
Cucumber and lemon infused water.
Strawberry and mint infused water.
One of the water activities at the event.
Students wait in line to get their faces painted and their hair sprayed with color.
It was an amazing day of fun as students and teachers had a chance to enjoy the infused water for the first time from UC CalFresh. We hope to come back and enjoy this amazing event at Burroughs Elementary next year. Have a Fun Day!
- Author: Nath Say
Did you know that cotton is a food crop?! I didn't, but Mrs. Anderson's TK class at Rowell Elementary did!
According to the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, cottonseed oil is used in products such as margarine, salad dressing, toothpaste, ice cream and cosmetics. Cotton production in Fresno County averages almost a million bales a year. (Fresno County Farm Bureau)
Cotton is just one of the many commodities that the TK class learned about when discussing agriculture in Fresno County and California. They also learned that Fresno County continues to be the top producing agricultural county in the nation. (Fresno County Farm Bureau)
Mrs. Anderson's class took the learning process a step further by creating a spectacular wall titled, “We Grow Food in Fresno County.” The wall showcased a Farmer's Market with a variety of fruits and vegetables such as grapes, tomatoes, and berries. Mrs. Anderson shared that this project was a great way to both inform students about the abundance of local foods that grow in their county and allowed them to connect the healthy foods to MyPlate.
Take a look at these impressive pictures of the classroom's Farmer's Market!
Wow- Look at the variety of delicious foods!
What fruits and vegetables do you see?
I see grapes, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, and cotton!
Can you spot MyPlate?
Thank you to Mrs. Anderson and her students for their extraordinary work!
- Author: Kristi Noel Schultz-Sharp
From November to January, child- friendly MyPlate's were given to each Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and Kindergarten class enrolled in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program to place in their dramatic play area and use in their classrooms. In the dramatic play area there is usually a kitchen set up with plastic foods and items for dress up and dramatization.
- Author: Consuelo Cid
Kids spend the majority of their time at school. This makes school the ideal environment in which children can forge healthy habits at a young age. Healthy habits that stress the importance of a balanced diet, foods from MyPlate, and physical activity set our children up for academic and lifelong success!
Vang Pao Elementary School teacher, Mrs. Garcia, spent a week dedicated to teaching her Transitional Kindergarten students about nutrition. During this week-long nutrition immersion, students enhanced their understanding of MyPlate by categorizing common foods into their respective food groups.
Students further reinforced their knowledge by interacting with MyPlate. The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education program provided enrolled teachers (Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten teachers) with a child's MyPlate to encourage and enhance the nutrition education in the classroom.
Mrs. Garcia has her students organize foods into the correct food groups.
Students also showcase their artwork by creating MyPlate collages.
Students can identify their favorite foods!
Moderation is key to a healthy lifestyle, so learning which foods are healthy or "anytime" versus "sometimes" is critical to making the best food choices.
What better way to teach important life skills such as...shopping, handling money (planning/selection, buying, and budgeting) than a TK Market, of course!
Students are encouraged to select and purchase healthy food items!
Beautiful work, Mrs. Garcia's TK class! Your hard work will inspire and help others to make healthy choices! Go all-stars!
Let's inspire future healthy all-stars! If you have a success story, share it with us by commenting below. We can also be reached on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
- Author: Emily Harris
On Friday, March 18th, 2016, third graders throughout Fresno County made their way to Farm and Nutrition Day at the Fresno Fairgrounds. According to the Farm Bureau, Farm and Nutrition Day, “allows students to participate in activities that showcase both the agricultural industry, as well as focus on the benefits of making healthy eating choices.”
In order to encourage students to choose “anytime” foods, like the abundant produce available here in California, the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program put on a nutrition play titled, “Be Strong with ‘Anytime' Foods.”
In the play, Sometimes Sam (played by Kristi Sharp) brought “sometimes” foods high in fat and sugar to eat for lunch at school, but thanks to the help of Anytime Anne, (played by Consuelo Cid) she learned that “anytime” foods are full of vitamins and minerals that make us feel good.
Anytime Anne crosses the finish line in first place, proving to Sometimes Sam that "anytime" foods have given her strength and energy.
By the end of the play, Sometimes Sam learned how to make healthy food choices, and so did the 3rd graders! By using MyPlate as a healthy eating guide, the students are now better equipped to make food choices that are great for their bodies.
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