Del Monte - Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms

	November 7, 2011 Ally Baker South Woods Elementary School Elkton , Florida My name is Ms. Baker and I am a Kindergarten teacher at South Woods Elementary. I am very passionate about Del Monte’s Teacher Monday program and I am a firm believer in teaching students at a young age to love themselves, enjoy healthy food, love exercise, and to love sweets in moderation. I must say that this is a new found passion. Not only am I a proud kindergarten teacher but I am a proud survivor of anorexia nervosa. The battle with this illness almost took my life and I am so thankful to now be living healthy, whole, and happy. As a result of struggling with this illness from a young age, I am very passionate about teaching kids to fall in love with WHO they are and to fall in love with healthy food. In my classroom, we begin each day with our “Wake-Up Brain” activity, followed by a “Wake-Up Body” exercise routine. My students know that to be “Ready to Learn”, their mind, body, and tummies must be ready and working together. Once all three parts are synergized, we can progress to a day full of fun filled leaning. About 2 hours later it is time to recharge and have a healthy snack. The students are often yelling, “Is it snack time yet? What are we having?” They have fallen in love with our healthy snack choice and I am so excited to be able to expose children to different kinds of food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables that they may not see at home. This year one of our learning opportunities was an apple celebration. We made apple stamps, apple juice, collected seeds and ate apples, and we even dipped them in a little caramel! Throughout October, we continued our apple theme with a unit to help us learn about all the different types of apples. We graphed by color, sorted into groups, and even used apples to help us explore using our five senses. We have become apple experts!! I can blindfold any student in the class and put an apple in their hand and they can figure out the color just by touch! We can also tell by the smell and the taste. My students have fallen in love with apples and healthy living and our room is filled with apple graphs and apple paintings. Our room also has fall pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. We just collected pumpkin seeds and cooked them. We had a blast learning the parts of a pumpkin and scooping out the seeds, and we really enjoyed pumpkin seed math! Looking ahead, we cannot wait for Thanksgiving because we will be learning to peel different fruits and vegetables and we will be making healthy Thanksgiving items. Then we will even be inviting our parents to come and taste our healthy treats! If my class was to win the $1,000 we have decided that we want to share our knowledge with our whole school. We want to create a “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” program. This program would include teaching teachers how to implement standards based lessons using fresh fruit. We would like to have nutritionists come into the school and do lessons with each class on healthy eating and the importance of fresh fruit. We would also like to send newsletters and fresh fruit learning facts home to the parents because we know that eating healthily is a partnership between parents and students. The final part of the program would include having people who have recovered from an eating disorder come and share their “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” life story with high school students. Their talk would be focused on eating disorder awareness and the importance of healthy eating. It would also provide resources to go to if they need help or have a friend who needs help with an eating disorder. My class is so passionate about eating fresh fruit and healthy snacks, along with positive thoughts and exercising. We are learning so much and I’m excited to see where our fruit passion will take our learning next!
	November 7, 2011 Amy Rutherford Apollo Bossier City , Louisiana As a literature teacher, we not only explore various genres, but also various cultures during our reading. I would like to extend that experience to the students by providing fresh produce/fruit, giving my students a well rounded experience with the stories we read. The fresh fruit will also provide opportunities to discuss science and social studies during literature by discussing how and where the fruit grows. It hopefully will also encourage students to try new foods and to enjoy new fruits.
	November 7, 2011 Tammy Opbroek Fairfield Elementary Magnet Shreveport , Louisiana I teach both math and health to all of the fourth-graders at my school. I would like to incorporate healthy snacking into my health leassons. I would like to provide the children with fresh fruits and possibly the opportunity to taste and experience fruits they may have never tried before. I would like to teach/show the children that healthy snacking promotes healthier eating habits, which will in turn promote a healthier lifestyle.
	November 7, 2011 Lisa Jones Lehigh Elementary Walnutport , Pennsylvania As a Kindergarten teacher, I know that it is very important to teach children from the beginning how to achieve healthy eating habits. I start promoting healthy eating right from the beginning at our school’s annual Kindergarten orientation. I encourage the parents to send healthy foods for their child’s snack. During our daily snack time, I try to be a positive role model by eating a healthy snack with my class. We discuss what constitutes a healthy snack. I show them what I bring for my daily snack. It could be one of the following; fruit, crackers, peanuts, granola bar, cheese, yogurt, water, etc. In Kindergarten, we do various learning stations throughout the year such as; doing a food sort, playing healthy/unhealthy foods “game show”, creating a healthy food collage, writing in journals, reading stories, creating dramatic play situations. In our kitchen/restaurant center, the children role-play in an area that is stocked with healthy foods. Due to recent budget cuts to many schools, winning this contest would mean a great deal to my students and my school community. I would be able to promote healthy eating even more with the wonderful help from Del Monte!
	November 7, 2011 Joe Martin Woodside Elementary Concord , California Imagine trying to take your car on a long vacation without filling it with oil, charging its battery, or filling the tank with gas. Your trip is bound to fail! Similarly, at the core existence of student success is healthy eating and a nutritious diet. Our first homework assignment on the board every day is to eat a complete breakfast. We discuss this in my class several times a week, and students are rewarded with class tickets for eating complete breakfasts that can be verified by their parents. When students routinely skip breakfast or eat an unhealthy breakfast, I contact the parents and work with them to help their child receive proper nutrition at home. Students are required to bring a healthy snack to my class every day. If they forget, I have extra nutritious snacks on hand and I send home a reminder slip for their parents to sign. My students are educated with several lessons about which nutrients they get from each food group. We even play games and do illustrations demonstrating free radical attacks on cells, and the important role that antioxidants play in defending our cells in these attacks. We complete a baking project each month incorporating healthy food choices. For example, in October our students will be each kneading dough and baking whole wheat bread from scratch. Whenever we have class parties, we assign students to bring "antioxidants" which the students must eat prior to eating any treats. At lunch, students are encouraged to always have a fruit or vegetable and are rewarded with class tickets for doing so. We even make a class movie complete with sets, costumes, special effects and music on nutrition and healthy living. In the movie, we emphasize the importance of each food group, expose the dangers of too much junk food, and promote exercise as an essential component for optimal health. Every year, many parents contact me to thank me for all these efforts. I often hear that they have been trying for years to get their child to eat healthy; after being in my class, their children have finally become convinced of the importance of proper nutrition. Each year, these efforts have resulted in exceptionally high attendance, higher test scores, and better behaved students. Successful teaching is synonymous with proper nutrition and healthy eating. This should be the foundation for any learning environment. "You are what you eat" is an old cliché, but it rings with wisdom and truth.
	November 7, 2011 Carol Jolly Woodlees Christian Academy Covington , Georgia Welcome to the land of Jolly Good Time. In this land students are exposed to making and tasting wonderful healthy food items. These items are added to our curriculum to teach the children about healthy eating. I believe that when we give children hands on experience with the book information then the information is retained and becomes a part of their critical thinking skills. I want children in my class to be excited about school. They will come in every morning with anticipation expecting the unexpected. I love to see the joy on their faces when I bring out the activity for the week. One of the items we made was cooked apples with cinnamon. We cooked them in a crock pot after talking about Johnny apple seed.If I win this money it would help me to do more of these activities with my children. So sit back and get your taste buds ready for a wonderful experience. Please vote for me and my class.
	November 7, 2011 jennifer farist Mountain View Elementary Ellijay , Georgia Our school provides an after school enrichment program for high achieving math students in grades 2,3, and 4. We would like to use healthy Del Monte snacks to incorporate math lessons into our snack time for math club. Students will be taught to read and follow recipes and calculate the nutritional content of different foods. Students will also participate in lessons which reinforce basic math skills such as fractions, decimals, and graphing. The results of taste testing activities will be shared with the entire school with the goal of spreading a healthy eating and living message about after school snacks.
	November 7, 2011 brian fulkerson South Hopkins Middle School Madisonville , Kentucky Extended school activities can be a trying time for students. Our boys and girls require energy to go the distance. I would like to set an example for our young ambitious minds that fresh fruit is the best choice for classroom activities that go beyond normal school hours. I plan to offer fruit to my students when I direct after school activities. I intend to do this once a week and when I offer this fruit of the week I would like to give coloring pencils and index cards to each of my students. On one card they will draw the characteristics of the fruit and on the other they will research and list important facts about the fruit. I will post the cards on our hallway walls so that everyone can look and read about the delightful food we eat. I believe that if we want our children to develop healthy eating habits then we need to provide opportunities for them to do so.
	November 7, 2011 Sonda Smith TRAVERSE MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY Lehi , Utah We learn on Ipad’s in our classroom! This is a fun way to have interactive learning in my classroom. That is why I went bananas to learn that Del Monte had a free app that could be download on our Ipads. This will be a great way to help my second graders learn about healthy choices in their eating. From this fun and interactive app. While on the app they can explore all the delicious and healthy fruits that are available. In my lesson each child will write a small report on one of the 24 fruits listed on the app. The “Our Product” link is a great way have each student learn about the fruits and there nutritional facts. The students will then make a poster in the shape of their fruit to illustrate it. They would include on the poster all the great information provided by the app. When the children presents their poster, the other students will take a “Banana Face” picture of the child presenting their fruit poster on their individual Ipad. We will then vote on the fruitiest picture, and the winning child we get the “Go Banana Award”. We can then use these fruity pictures as our wallpaper on our Ipads, to encourage healthy eating. The “Why Does it Work?” “How does it work?” and “How Will it Help Me?” are great links about the role bananas play in weight loss, and they also teach ways to incorporate them into our diet for a healthy lifestyle. After we read about the great things bananas can do, the students will go the “Fun link” and touch “Banana Quiz” and then take the Banana Quiz.
	November 7, 2011 Shelli Mora Grassy Lake Elementary School Minneola , Florida The best way to get children to eat healthy, is for them to cook it themselves! Our curriculum focuses on energy sources and the sun for science and I love to have my students use solar ovens to cook. By having the students cook recipes that include fruits and vegetables, they will be more encouraged to eat the food they prepared themselves! We will use the solar ovens and healthy food to investigate questions using the scientific method. How long does it take to cook fresh green beans in a solar oven? What vegetables taste best on a pizza? How long does it take to bake an apple pie in a solar oven? When we learn the concepts of mixtures, suspension, and solutions, we can use dried fruits and nuts to make a trail mix to demonstrate a mixture. We can use a juicer to use vegetables to make suspensions and solutions. We will carry the message of healthy eating over to our daily snack. I will encourage them to leave the donuts, potato chips, and brownies at home and we will discuss all the healthy options available to eat each day for snack. Children learn best when the learning is hands on!
	November 7, 2011 Vicki Darby-Ruzity University Elementary School Bloomington , Indiana Classrooms are so important in a child’s life, and teachers have tremendous power to help families, and our nation, lay a foundation of healthful habits. I am firmly committed to a culture of good health and well-being in my classroom, which is so important for our children being ready to learn. A healthful diet and physical fitness is really becoming an integral part of our 4th grade curriculum, from the very first of the new school year, as my new class comes together to prepare for a year of learning. As we study the parts of the circulatory system, our bodies, and how to keep them healthy in our first lessons, our class works in groups to move mascots from unhealthy choices toward better choices and better health. We study the USDA website www.ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn about appropriate food choices and servings for children. We celebrate our successes in learning when our newly-fit mascots are presented, colored in by the children. The celebration features a great fruit salad, made with contributions brought in by the children, who take pride in welcoming their families into their classroom to see performances of songs about good health, participate in a work-out led by the children, finishing with everyone goes outside to run the fitness trail together. To reinforce the message of health and well-being throughout the year, classroom celebrations feature fruits and vegetables, rather than sugary treats. It is challenging for busy families to find the time to eat right and exercise, but children can be great motivators for their parents, and teachers can make a difference! My goal to include more healthy messages into our curriculum is to actually begin growing our own food in the courtyard outside of our classroom.
	Monday, October 31th Amy Joseph North Star Elementary Hockessin , Delaware North Star Elementary, in partnership with the community and the Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids non-profit organization, will build a school vegetable garden, and incorporate gardening into our k-5 curriculum. We will use the garden to encourage our students to eat more fresh vegetables and to provide hands-on activities that strengthen classroom learning. The monies from this grant will go towards our garden budget. We would like our students to experience “seed to table” vegetable gardening EACH semester of the school year. We will build raised bed vegetable gardens on our school grounds, and students will plant fast-growing, cool-weather crops, such as spinach, radishes, lettuce, turnips, and peas. This will allow the students to harvest and eat the crops before the end of each semester. Harvested produce will be prepared by the cafeteria staff and offered to the students during lunch, or will be served in the classroom. “Harvest Celebrations” will be announced and students will be encouraged to try dishes made with garden vegetables. We will SHOW students how to incorporate healthy vegetables into their diets, so that they receive positive messages about their ability to improve their own health. We also are offering a cooking club as an after school activity that will foster healthy eating.
	Monday, October 31th Phil Stone Woodland Star Charter School Sonoma , California As a first grade teacher at Woodland Star Charter School in Sonoma, California, I would like to incorporate healthy eating and living into my curriculum. By teaching the health benefits of fresh fruit as a creative, fun and unexpected alternative to our everyday lessons, we can become more mindful of our growing bodies. We already have time in our working school garden where we can talk about the growing of fruits and vegetables. It is my hope that we can grow enough in our garden, to then use the actual beans or peapods or apples, whatever the crop may yield, in our counting and basic addition and subtraction, as this might really keep the children interested and focused. Having fresh fruit available throughout the winter months will be a refreshing addition to most of my students’ lunches. This grant will open the doors to a whole new world of healthy eating and living.
	Monday, October 31th Diane Huisingh George Gilson Junior High Valdez , Alaska I teach in a unique situation. Because of poor test scores for our boys, we decided to take drastic action and separate our boy population and give them intensive and male oriented help. This left a population of girls to teach-which I inherited and love. We do a lot of work on self image. The counselor and I work together to help provide positive role models, literature, and projects that will re-enforce a positive female role. Because of budget cuts the counselor position has been cut and I am on my own. Fresh fruits would REALLY help in my struggle to discuss healthy living. In Alaska, fruit is so expensive and not very fresh so therefore not a popular choice for the kids. A healthy body would go a long way in our struggle for self -esteem! Thank you.
	Monday, October 31th Salwa Rayyan Kerr Elementary bossier city , Louisiana I teach students who come from different cultural backgrounds. During our lessons, we discuss the different types of food that are associated with each culture that is located in our classroom. My students need to be educated about healthy eating. They are so used to eating only the things that are included in their cultural foods and the foods that society emphasizes. I want to introduce them to different things. I would like to show them that they have other tasteful options for snacks besides all the processed things they are eating.
	Monday, October 31th Alice Hunt Haughton High School Haughton , Louisiana In a Biology classroom, we discuss foods and how they apply to student health in many ways. Nutrition is obviously incorporated when discussing different systems of the body. Students learn to read and interpret food labels. The students are able to gain a better understanding of the nutritional information provided and how it applies to their body. During discussions of the four macromolecule groups, different types of foods are discussed with respect to the chemical composition of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and how those molecules can be stored in our bodies, as well as, how our bodies use those particular molecules for energy. Again, using food labels, the students will be able to compare the amounts of Total carbohydrates to the sugars and fiber. With their understanding of lipids, the students will identify which foods have higher amounts of saturated vs. unsaturated fats. The students will observe that low calories does not necessarily mean that the food is healthier, especially when the calories from fat are high. Hopefully, with the knowledge the students gain in their understanding of the four macromolcules and their interpretation of food labels, the students will make healthier food selections.
	Monday, October 31th LESLIE DOYLE Forest Heights Academy of Excellence Baton Rouge , Louisiana Good nutrition is a vital part of a healthy living! In third grade, we spend a unit focusing on good nutrition and the food pyramid. Teaching children healthy eating habits encourages them to live a healthy lifestyle. Also, the eating habits children pick up when they are young will help them maintain a healthy lifestyle when they are adults. If my class were to be selected for Del Monte Teacher Monday, we would use the prize money to buy healthy snacks to enjoy in class. By modeling healthy eating and teaching students healthier alternatives to junk foods, we will become responsible and mindful or our daily diets.
	Monday, October 31th Aundrea Weinreber Haughton High School Haughton , Louisiana As a high school teacher, I often see kids eating less healthy foods for lunch and snacks. They are busy and grab whatever is convenient. Often, what is convenient is high in fat and “empty” calories. Considering that I teach chemistry, I want students to look at their food from a chemical breakdown aspect. I will have them research the foods they eat for a typical lunch and find the mass of the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in each food. They will convert each of those masses to calories. From this information and an acceptable percent range (50% carbs, 30% fat, & 20% protein), they will determine which food from their lunch is the healthiest and what is the least healthy. Students will then total the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for their entire meal and determine the percent composition of each to see if they are in the acceptable healthy range. Next, they will determine the amount of water necessary to provide energy for metabolic reactions to burn those calories. Students will provide a conclusion for their calculations, explaining how different chemical makeup contributes to how quickly our body uses food and how to make healthier food decisions. Hopefully, by the end of this activity, students will be able to understand how to make healthier food choices by understanding the chemical composition of their food and how much energy they have to use to keep their body from storing excess fat.
	Monday, October 31th Kristen Johnson Forest Heights Academy of Excellence Baton Rouge , Louisiana Healthy eating is a way of life that all children should learn at an early age. In my classroom, we plan to discuss the value of a healthy eating lifestyle and the benefits of keeping plenty of fruits in your diet. As a 4th grade teacher that gives the daunting LEAP test, for years I have supplied my students with fresh fruit before the tests begin each day! By winning this contest, I can provide my students with this awesome, healthy snack and reinforce the knowledge that a healthy lifestyle is the way to go!!!
	Monday, October 31th Tonya Gill Benton Elementary Benton , Louisiana As a mother of 3 children, I find the constant challenge of feeding my family healthy meals, while we are constantly on the go. Luckily, all 3 of my children are very active in sports, but helping them make healthy alternatives for “dinners on the run” as we go from one activity to the next is hard to incorporate in our busy schedule. Also, I hear my students complain of the same issues, when they tell me that they cannot complete homework assignments, because they have practice, ball games, etc. In addition, I watch my students at lunch, and how they seem to just waste food. It seems as though they do not understand the importance of lunch and how making good nutrition decisions as they go through the lunch line will affect their performance in the classroom. Therefore, I have decided to teach my second graders how the food choices that they make daily will affect their bodies’ performance, energy level, and their concentration level. Furthermore, I have done some research in our Louisiana Department of Education: 2nd Grade Curriculum, and I found a science unit that is titled the Basic Needs of Living Things. An activity from this unit that will help explain the importance of nutrition is Activity 6: Human Habitats and Food Sources (GLE’s 5, 9, 31, 32). As a matter of fact, recently there has been some changes to the look of the original triangular food pyramid. For example, the pyramid, which had six vertical stripes that represents the five food groups plus oils, is being replaced by a plate that features four sections that represent vegetables, fruits, grains, and proteins (plus a side order of dairy). My objective is to teach my class all the categories of the food guide pyramid/ plate and the importance of including large portions of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. One way that I would like to introduce this idea would be to have the students make a chart of what their favorite food is, and they will have to decide which category it falls under. As a class, we will determine how much of each category that we should be eating each day, discuss the importance of healthy food choices, and proper portion sizes. For example, some of the food choices that we will discuss for each of the categories are listed as follows: Grains (pasta, bread, rice) 6 ounces, Vegetables (lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers) 2 ½ ounces, Fruits (bananas, strawberries, oranges, apples) 1 ½ cups, Milk/dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) 3 cups, Meats & beans (chicken, fish, lean beef, soybeans, dried beans) 5 ounces. At the conclusion of this lesson, my students will understand that we need to eat the recommended foods in the food guide pyramid/plate, because they provide our bodies with the nutrients we need to continue to walk, run, talk, think, smile, and GROW big and strong! Furthermore, I would like to take the new food guide plate and cut the categories up into the 5 individual sections. Then, have the students organize the proper sections on a plate like a puzzle, and teach them that if our body doesn’t have all the pieces to the puzzle…. it isn’t complete! Then, I would love to let my class explore the different fruits that Del Monte has to offer by giving them “a hands-on approach” to understanding proper portion sizes of daily fruit/ vegetable intake. Lastly, if I am fortunate enough to win this grant, I would love to use the money to purchase an I-pad or a couple of lap top computers for my classroom. I am a first year teacher, and I would love to incorporate more technology in all of my lessons. I believe that my students need the experience of researching different topics from their desks, by “looking up” some information throughout the day that relates to the lesson and topic that we are discussing. I have learned that students have great ideas and the use of technology helps them express their creative ideas and encourages them to be confident in their discussions.
	Monday, October 31th Beth Michelle Smith Childs Elementary Bloomington , Indiana Dear Del Monte, My classroom would like to share with you a few ways we have already started incorporating healthy eating habits into our classroom. Last year, our school embarked on a new and exciting garden project. We worked collectively with our parents, teachers, and the students to design, build, and plant "lasagna style" raised garden plots. We wrote grants to fund our project, worked with Girl Scout troops, and families, community members, and built our plots from retaining wall blocks, leaves, compost, and top soil. Teachers and students began growing seeds indoors in both soil trays and in hydroponic growing pods and transplanted the seedlings outdoors when the frost date was safely past. Students and teachers watered and tended the gardens for the rest of the spring. When summer came around, a dedicated group of parents, students and teachers(myself included) volunteered to rotate the duties of watering, weeding and harvesting the various cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, peas and lettuce that ripened. During the summer months, the bounty was delivered to our Community Kitchen and our local food bank, Hoosier Hills Food Bank. However, now that school is back in session, our students are harvesting the vegetables and delivering them to our own Childs cafeteria for our daily chef salads and side salads. We are eagerly awaiting a new salad bar and will be adding our fresh vegetables to the salad bar when it arrives! Even the local newspaper, the Herald Times came out and did a school story on our project. Students in my class are working on a very exciting Healthy Eating= Strong Bodies unit in class. We have studied the portions and fractional parts of vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, and oils/sweets that should be represented on our plates according to the new food pyramid. Students have developed research projects based on the various nutrients needed in their bodies and how those nutrients fuel certain organs, as well as the collective health of the entire body. The 3rd graders presented their Power Points at Open House and shared their research with the parents. Additionally, we invited a physical therapist, nutritionist, and a pediatrician into our classroom to present information and we created interactive lessons with the students. We culminated our Healthy Foods = Strong Bodies unit with a picnic in our school garden last Friday. Children brought beautiful trays of veggies and fruits to share. Parents were invited to join us and we sat in our garden and enjoyed the gorgeous September sunshine and munched on crunchy, fresh food. We will continue to apply the scientific method to our healthy food s projects throughout the school year. For example, last Friday we dissected a cucumber to determine how many seeds were contained within it. Student guesses ranged from 12-215. Upon completing our dissection, we tallied 229 seeds in our cucumber. (That led to a fruitful discussion of diverticulitis, a condition that prevents certain people from being able to digest seeds, nuts and hulls) At any rate, the students are now taking the scientific experiment a step further and are trying to determine what is the best way to save seeds. We would like to plant the cucumber seeds in the spring to grow a new cucumber patch from the cucumber we just dissected. Students are trying to develop hypotheses on the best way to save seeds. Drying, baking, freezing and reflecting light on the seeds are among the hypothesis at work in my classroom. Our experiment will be monitored until spring when we plant each groups' seeds. Thanks to our little vegetable garden, students are eating, studying, experimenting, dissecting, and using the scientific method. These young citizens are fully engaged, working on real problems, and are becoming prepared to compete in a global economy! Thank you for considering our classroom project for the grant. We appreciate the opportunity to earn a $1,000 grant. We would LOVE to buy grow lights, a microscope, and possibly help fund our garden shed with the money we might earn from the grant. We would also appreciate being considered for a Del Monte Fresh Field Trip as well. Thanks! Beth M. Smith Childs Elementary 3rd Grade- Room 206
	Monday, October 24th Nicole Marshall Forest Heights Baton Rouge , Louisiana Do your students or children know how many servings of fruit they should eat each day? I am going to develop fun and fruity ways to teach my students how many servings of fruit they should eat each day. I will begin by introducing them to fruit and having them taste it. This will get their tastebuds excited about fruit especially if they haven't ever tried that certain fruit before. Hopefully by incorporating this activity and the food pyramid in my classroom, it will help the students start having healthier lifestyles!
	Monday, October 24th Sarah Thorne Mountain View Elementary Ellijay , Georgia At Mountain View Elementary, we strive to teach the "whole" child. Whether it's Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, P.E., Art, or Music, we want our students to be able to perform at their peak. Our students are encouraged daily to eat right and exercise. Because we are privleged to live in the apple capital of Georgia, many of our wonderful orchards donate apples to our students and we greatly appreciate it. With the money from Del Monte, we could introduce our students to new fruits and put new musical instruments in their hands.
	Monday, October 24th Jaimee Mercer Elm Grove Elementary Elm Grove , Louisiana At times, in a first grade classroom, it can be hard to keep the students attention. Instead of lecturing, paper/pencil activities, and seatwork, I am incorporating Daily 5 into my classroom. Daily 5 allows more small-group instruction and movement activities throughout the entire day. With this grant, I would like to purchase an iPod listening center, more "just right" books for students, and other Daily 5 materials that will allow Daily 5 to go more smoothly. Daily 5 will allow students to learn about fitness by movement and stories. Students would also be able to experiment and taste different fruits and vegetables from the DelMonte coupons.
	Monday, October 24th Allison Melancon Forest Heights Academy Baton Rouge , Louisiana Students are always excited with a treat. Being able to offer healthy alernatives to candy would teach them a healthy lesson... When my students are rewarded for good behavior or grades, instead of a piece of candy they will enjoy a piece of healthy fruit! When we observed and tasted different fruits in our classroom my students were thrilled! Several of them had never tasted a kiwi. Most wanted to taste the fruits again. By winning this contest, I would be able to intoduce more "new" tastes to my students. They could be inspired to continue eating in a healthy way for the rest of their lives!
	Monday, October 24th Marissa Marrero Sun City Bossier City , Louisiana I would like my third grade class to be considered as one of this year’s grant recipient. Interactive learning is an important component of our classroom. This year, I would like to incorporate various activities that address our current health and science grade level expectations. To address our health unit, I would like my students to go beyond cutting and pasting photos from magazines to create an actual food pyramid. I would like to be able to provide fun and meaningful lesson. For example, they will read about serving sizes and portion control for food categories. They will then complete a hands-on activity of categorizing and sorting real food to show equivalent per serving size. They will also compare the caloric content of fruits and vegetables with packaged sweets. My goal is let my students know that what they eat and how much they eat will affect their body. For the science unit, I would like my students to learn the skeletal and digestive systems through the use of real food, interactive games, and body system models. I would like to set up a food tasting day with healthy fruits and vegetables, and incorporate this activity with our unit on digestive system. They will evaluate the path food takes through the digestive system and the results of healthy eating habits on the human body. Interactive games will be used to review and incorporate concepts covered in our units. Thank you for your time and consideration.
	Monday, October 24th Jennifer Driskell Benton Elementary Benton , Louisiana I plan to incorporate healthy eating across the curriculum. The Del Monte grant will be used to implement resources and materials into the curriculum. We will also have a grade level healthy living celebration and incoporate fresh fruits into learning activities.
	Monday, October 24th Andrea Barton Legacy Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana Our school has wonderful opportunities for students to participate in extra after school exercise such as running club, jump-rope club and aerobics. I feel students need to be eating right to get the full benefit from these movement programs. I would love the opportunity to share with my students how beneficial fresh fruits as a snack or a part of their meals would be for them. What better way to do this than to actually provide fresh fruit along with our discussions about healthy eating and living. Just talking about it doesn't always give students the extra push they may require. Students actually getting to taste fresh fruits would pump up their spirits and encourage them to practice what they have learned about healthy eating and living.
	Monday, October 24th Tracy Regan McKinley Preparatory High School Boston , Massachusetts "Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." ~Doug Larson. I think this is the biggest challenge with teaching healthy habits for kids. We are inundated with commercials that make fast food and junk food attractive, convenient, and economical. There are so many gimmicks out there that sell this calorie laden, nutrition-free food. I want my students to understand that there are good, tasty, and healthy options. They don't have to sacrifice taste for nutrition. I plan on teaching my students how to make food that is healthy and nutritious as well as being quick and easy to prepare. We will take recipes that they like to eat and find a better more nutritious way to prepare it, without sacrificing flavor. We will also incorporate the FDA daily recommended food values and explore local sources for the foods that we use. We have started a garden and have planted many different vegetables and herbs that we will also use in our food preparation. I just want my students to realize that quick and easy is not always the best option for a healthy lifestyle. They can take pride in knowing the food they prepared themselves is healthy and satisfying.
	Monday, October 24th Jana Hinderberger Sun City Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana As a teacher my students look up to me and watch everything I do. With this grant I would use the fresh fruits and vegetables to teach my students about healthy eating and living healthy. I would use the fruits and vegetables for daily snacks. The fruits and vegetables would also be used in math, social living, and science lessons. Seeds can be graphed by size and shape. After graphing seeds students can then look at them under the microscope. I would buy a variety of fruits for the students to try. Children will try different food items when they eat them with their peers. If they see their friends eating the food they will be more likely to try the item also. After tasting different items we can then graph which ones they liked best. I would like to purchase 2 computers with the grant money. We could use the computers to do research on the differnt fruits and vegetables and where they came from. I would like to broaden my students minds and teach them about the different regions and countries the fruits come from.
	Monday, October 24th Tamra Baurys Greensboro Elementary School Greensboro , Maryland Got fruit? Got vegetables? We all wish we could eat better, but we especially want the best for our students. This year, Mary Ruth Higgs and I are starting the BEE FIT Club. It will begin meeting on Friday, October 7th from 7:30-8:30 a.m. It will run throughout the school year on Fridays. The club will focus on the importance of exercise and healthy eating habits. The exercise portion will consist of stretching to increase flexibility, walking and calculating steps, and group games. In addition, students will be taught the benefits of good nutritional choices and information will be sent home with students so that families can become more aware of healthier food choices as well as ways the family can exercise together. With First Lady Michelle Obama's Healthy Food Campaign to end childhood obesity in mind, students in this program will be supplied with pedometers and logs in which they can keep track of their steps, healthy eating choices, and ways they are getting exercise. Currently, our school is taking part in a breakfast program in which students eat their breakfast in the classroom after they unpack and get ready for the day. Miss Faye, our cafeteria manager, has reported that over 500 students take part in the program each day out of about 700 students. All students are able to get breakfast for free each and every school day. Some of the foods that are served are cereal, blueberry muffins, yogurt, graham crackers, milk, and juice. Students are very excited about this new program because without it, many would go hungry as they begin their school day. The BEE FIT Club has hopes that students will discover that it isn't difficult to work exercise into the family routine so the kids in the families can grow up as healthy young adults and therefore not develop many of the diseases and difficulties that those who do not watch their diet and exercise end up contracting. Please consider voting for our school. We would love to use the money on many much needed items as well as the idea of the fruits and vegetables in the classroom is something that is so greatly needed. The BEE FIT Club will be open to any student in grades 2-5 who has an interest in learning about good nutrition, better food choices, and wants to include exercise into their daily routine. Logs will be checked for additional incentives on a weekly basis. Both Mary Ruth and I are excited about the opportunity to work with students in a positive and healthy atmosphere.
	Monday, October 17th Chelsey Stolte Steward Elementary School #220 Steward , Illinois At Steward Elementary School we have a small student population, but sometimes the instruction of health and nutrition gets pushed to the side for more academic instruction. The students attend PE everyday for 30 minutes which offers a small amount of daily exercise needed to live a healthy lifestyle. Being able to use fruit in my classroom would be huge bonus for all the students. As part of our Science curriculum this year for 3rd and 4th grade, students are going to be studying about plants and how they grow. An important tie into the unit of study is what plants, particularly fruits and vegetables, do for us as humans. Knowing that fruits and vegetables provide healthy sentience for us is something all students should know. Having examples of the fruits in the classroom would be an awesome way to get them excited and interested in learning about them. Not only will they be able to learn what the fruits look and taste like, they will be able cut the fruits open and see the seeds, one of the most important parts of the plant. The fruit can also be a learning tool in math. One of the big topics covered in 4th grade is fractions. If the students had a yummy manipulative that they can use with their hands it will help drive home the concepts of fractions. As we study communities in Social Studies, we can use the fruit to help us learn about fruit from other parts of the country and world. Knowing what resources are available in other parts of the world will help my kids understand that not all communities are like ours, and that every place has something special to offer. My students are allowed to have a snack in the classroom, but if and when they do bring a snack it is usually a bag of chips or many times candy. Being able to offer a healthy snack to my students will not only help them get through the day with energy, but will help keep them healthy. Even though the students do have a school-provided lunch when they want it, it is not always something the students want to eat, or very healthy for them. Our small number of students makes it hard to get the food that is better for our students. Being able to offer fruits to the kids will give them the added health that they are sometimes missing at lunch.
	Monday, October 17th Jacee Cahn Legacy Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana I want to buy a set of Compton's by Britannica Encyclopedias for my classroom. Our library has sets of encyclopedias, but the students will have close access if they have a set in our room. Encyclopedias are a great way to learn, they provide up-to-date, reliable information for projects and activities. They also teach research skills, many of which are on the standardized tests that the students take. Encyclopedias will be beneficial to all the students in all areas, and will be used for many years to come!
	Monday, October 17th gina gallo reinhard Bristol central BRISTOL , Connecticut !Mangos, papayas, piñas y mas! The students of Bristol Central High School would like to use the fruits of the world to transport our class to Mexico, Chile, Honduras and other countries. The fruit that can be purchased with this grant will be our vehicle to study grammar, vocabulary and culture. Healthy living will be a key component in our classroom discussions of other cultures, languages and geography. We would like to create authentic fruit dishes from other countries to help us to better understand the lifestyle and culture of the world around us. This grant will allow us to be healthier American citizens as well as more educated, well rounded global citizens.
	Monday, October 17th Katie Mayfield Ellijay Elementary School-River Campus Ellijay , Georgia We actually got the great priviledge to win this grant last year. Because of the free fruit we earned, my students are now hooked on fruit smoothies. (That is what we made with our free fruit). With the free fruit we will once again explore a new way to try fruits. Last year we also used our fruit money to try fresh pineapple and researched how they are grown. With the grant money we will purchase new music equipment. Through eating well and being exposed to the arts we can create healthy and well rounded students. I believe it is everyone's responsibility to encourage students to eat well and I loved seeing the joy in trying new fruits. I would be grateful and extremely appreciative to win this grant again and expose my students to Del Monte fruits and also be able to afford to get new music instruments into the hands of my students.
	Monday, October 17th Adam Joiner Thomas Jefferson Middle School Winston-Salem , North Carolina The students in the Thomas Jefferson Middle School Band will be encouraged to eat better based on the need to be cognitively strong in order to be highly successful in my class. They will learn that the better they eat, the better they feel, the better they can focus on whether that note is B or B flat. Eat Better, Play Better so no one will be flat!
	Monday, October 17th Ruby Covington Sun City Bossier City , Louisiana Why not create a still life painting using Del Monte Fruit and ordinary objects? Approximately 250 second and third grade students will participate in a lesson integrating both art and nutrition. Each student will select from a variety of foods displayed on a table. They will make a healthy choice after our discussion on healthy eating. Unhealthy choices are on the table also. Next, they will pick from non-perishable items such as tableware to add to their fruit. They must arrange their chosen items to create their own personal still life. Examples with a variety of medium choices such as watercolors, pastels, oils, and acrylics are provided. Students will draw their still life and complete with watercolors or pastels. Our second lesson begins with a discussion on how food fuels our body so we have energy to work and play. Students pick a fruit and find a recipe that they would like to make with their chosen fruit. Using a 12X18 sheet of construction paper and colored pencils, students write recipes and draw pictures showing all the steps in the process of making their recipe. The collection of recipes will be compiled and kept at our school. Of course, our lesson would not be complete without a sampling of our recipes. Bon Appétit!
	Monday, October 17th Melissa McLaughlin Allendale Elementary School Melvindlae , Michigan "Is it snack time yet?" "Can we have snack earlier today?" "I forgot my snack today and I'm really hungry." My 4th graders are eager learners, but when they're hungry - that's all they can think about. For the first two and a half weeks of school, I provided a healthy snack for my 31 students. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to continue purchasing these healthy snacks for them out of my own pocket, although I wish that I could have. Eating healthy snacks at school plays an important part in helping my students focus and perform at their best. When we eat our snacks during the day, I share a read aloud story. Sometimes, I will read an iBook on my iPad and project it onto a large screen. I often have my star student of the week 'drive' the story - turning pages, and recording their voice to make it their own read aloud for the class. The kids absolutely love doing things with the iPad! The more I am able to use it in class, the more active learning I see taking place. I wish I had an iPad for every student in my class. I would love to engage students in using applications on the iPad that encourage eating and living healthy. Games and applications such as Del Monte Fresh Lifestyles, Smash Your Food, Ride the Food Label, and Pick Chow are all creative uses of technology that are appealing, stimulating and exciting for kids to play. These kinds of techno-tools make it fun for kids to learn about making healthy food choices and living exercise-rich lives. While playing these games, kids are in control of choosing foods and exercises to 'win' at a game. In turn, they are finding out what these particular foods and exercises do for their bodies. The ultimate lesson a child can take away from using an application of this kind is a true, non-fiction, real-life lesson in taking care of their own body. The students in my class will be graduating high school in the year 2020. They are currently 9 years old, and will have another 9 more years to make food and exercise choices. "What will I pack for lunch today?" "How will I snack after school today?" "When I start driving and going out to eat with my friends, what food choices will we make?" "What sports should I get involved in after school?" "Should I choose this or that on our school lunch menu?" By sharing an interest in my students' food and exercise choices, opening their eyes to easy and interactive ways to make healthy decisions using technology, and showing them that taking care of their bodies is just as important as studying for a test - I think this will give my students an advantage for the future. They will be exposed to tools that encourage healthy minds and bodies which will hopefully help them grow into healthy adults.
	Monday, October 17th Stephenie Marze Sun City Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana Our students are in need of updates equipment and technology for our computer lab. My school is a primary K-3 school in suburban Louisiana. With recent budget cuts, our school receives very little funding for technology and is at a disadvantage when it comes to having the required equipment to best prepare our young students for learning in today’s world. With our grant funding, I plan to purchase headphones and software for use in our computer lab which services all of our school’s 500+ students. Our students will use the internet to research healthy lifestyles including healthy eating habits. With the fruit coupons our students will be able to have a hands-on learning experience with healthy eating habits which normally wouldn’t be provided for them.
	Monday, October 17th selina smith Pottsville Middle Grades Pottsville , Arkansas As part of our science unit, Systems of the Body, I will have my students make healthy eating commercials. Students will learn how to eat a balanced diet and make healthy lifestyle choices. They will learn the importance of healthy eating for their brain, heart, and muscles.
	Monday, October 17th Kim Comeau Forest Heights Academy of Excellence Baton Rouge , Louisiana When you were in elementary school were you given the opportunity to learn about healthy eating habits? Unfortunately, I wasn't taught that in my school. I would love to incorporate teaching healthy eating habits into the writing curiculum. I am the Creative Writing teacher at a visual and performing arts school with 400 students. I teach grades kindergarten through fifth grade so I will be able to inform the whole school. In my lesson, I will have students observe several differnt Del Monte fruits and vegetables using the five senses. In groups, students will make lists and describe the fruits and vegetables. They will also explain why they are healthy. After making the list and a brief discussion each group will write a descriptive paragraph about their fruits and vegetables. I would definitely love to incorporate healthy eating into my creative writing lessons. This opportunity will impact all of my student's lives and help them to make better food choices. Thank you Del Monte!
	Monday, October 10th Angela Williams Pottsville Middle Grades Pottsville , Arkansas I would love for my students to work with a group of younger students to encourage healthy eating. Many young children are growing up without fresh, healthy food. I would like for my students to take their turn at being a positive influence on others around them.
	Monday, October 10th Lori Overhoff Manatee Elem. Ft Myers , Florida Our speech and language students like doing hands on activities while learning and reaching their speech and language goals. At any time that we can use real items the better the students’ understanding of a concept. The idea is if the student is able to touch, smell, taste, see, and hear about what we are working on it is a lasting experience for them, such as using the five senses as a learning tool. Compare and contrast with apples, sweet and sour, color, and size. The background of how we get the apples from the trees to our homes is an interest of the students as well. While building their language skills they are receiving a nutritional snack.
	Monday, October 10th Dayna orlando Manatee Elementary fort myers , Florida Third grade is the year where learning really takes a step up. We are preparing them for the FCAT reading and math, and getting them to be excellent writers so they will be ready for the increased FCAT writes standards for 4th grade. I will include healthy eating in my guided reading centers by including research projects on fruits including how other cultures use fruits, recipes from our culture and others, how we get the fruit - import it or grow it and the details. I will also incorporate it into our writing prompts. We will use it as part of our experiments in science class as well. We will observe the growth of different fruit/vegetable seeds and what makes them grow the best. If granted the space, we will even plant some of the seeds in a garden to see if we can produce our own fruit. In our math curriculum we are learning about collecting and graphing data in various ways. My students will survey each other about the various fruits/vegetables or healthy snacks and develop their own data graph and present it to the class or to the other third grade classrooms! Finally, I will challenge all of my students to develop their very own healthy recipe and present it to the class. The winning recipe will be made and eaten!
	Monday, October 10th Lisa Whited Manatee Elementary School Fort Myers , Florida This year I am getting the word out to all of my new 3rd graders about how choosing healthy food is a part of becoming a life long learner. Students need to understand the importance of eating right, getting exercise each day, as well as going to bed at a appropriate time so that they can get a fresh start every day in school and perform their best. I incorportate nutrition lessons and exercise lessons during our activity day; which is every 8 days so that they can continue setting goals and healthy habits for themselves. Also, we take a field trip in 3rd and 4th grade to the Kleist Health Center to learn about the body systems. This is a great field trip and with support in raising money the teachers can ensure that this trip happens every year for us at Manatee!!! I have taught at a Title One school for 17 years in the Lee County School system and working with disadvantage children is such a rewarding privelge for me personally. I am truly blessed with this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young children!!! Every year is a new beginning for me and I look forward to working with new faces and giving them new experiences that they can take with them to the next grade level. I know this opportunity can make a difference. Thanks DelMonte!!!
	Monday, October 10th Kristie Kennedy Manatee Elementary School Fort Myers , Florida I am a 5th grade teacher in a very low income location. I am hoping to be able to use the money from this program to help take my students on more field trips. It means the world to them to get to go to see different locations that they may not be able to see otherwise. Our field trip hopes for this year include: going to a dinner theater, a museum, and hopefully to SeaWorld. Many of our kids live fairly close to SeaWorld (about 3 hour drive) and have never been there. I would appreciate you voting for my class so I can help them see new and different places. Thanks!
	Monday, October 10th Terri Coffin Plantation Park Bossier City , Louisiana I would like to incorporate healthy eating into classroom lesson plans with the purchase of a Ipad. There are many apps that students can use to encourage nutritious food choices and promote more physical activity. Also, the use of fruits can be incorporated into our Social Living curriculum. Students will enjoy these hands on activities to learn about healthy eating habits.
	Monday, October 10th SHARON FOSTER James Bowie Elementary Dallas , Texas I will incorporate healthy eating messages into my lesson plans by using visual posters in the gymnasium and referencing them as I explain the importance of eating from a variety of food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, protein and grains. Visual pictures connect to my students as I have discussions regarding Nutrition and Healthy eating at the end of my physical education lessons and also after-school in our Nutrition Education program. I teach my students the importance of commiting to a healthier lifestyle by promoting health, physical activity and nutrition. We also understand that students with better nutrition have better attention spans and better class participation. Higher levels of physical activity are related to higher self-esteem and lower levels of stress and axiety. School health programs are the most effective ways to encourage healthy habits.
	Monday, October 10th Stefanie Stevens MANATEE FORT MYERS , Florida I am a special education resource teacher at manatee Elementary. This year I am working with grades second-fifth and some regular general education students as well. Some days planning lessons for the different grade levels has become a challenge an rather expensive when materials are needed. I plan on using this money to provide fruit snacks for state testing as well as having healthy snacks on hand for students that miss breakfast. I will also use the money for much needed materials for my classroom so I can continue to differentiate instruttion.
	Monday, October 10th amy milam Plantation Park Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana Not only do I want my students to be good readers and writers, I want them to be healthy readers and writers. I plan to incorporate literature that discusses healthy food choices for students to use in conjunction with writing. Students will use the literature to help them write about making healthy food choices and exercising.
	Monday, October 10th Carrie Haley Plantation Park Bossier , Louisiana At my school we eat lunch with our students. After the second week of school, some students asked me if I eat an apple every day and that I must really like apples. I told them that I really like fruit because it is good for you. The next week students were bringing there lunch with fruit and showing me that they like fruit also. As a first grade teacher, we have a lesson on the food pyramid around Halloween. My students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack rather than candy. I use apples for a math lesson also. We graph our favorite apple after tasting a variety of apples. Learning while they are eating something healthy. The lessons are modeled and very hands on.
	Monday, October 3rd Andrew Portnoy P.S. 217 Brooklyn , New York I’m a 5th grade teacher in Brooklyn and learning about health and being healthy has been in practice in my classroom since I’ve started teaching. Although I have always promoted healthy eating habits, “Fruit of the Day Friday” came about unexpectedly, and has been a hit ever since. Here’s the quick story: My favorite fruit is grapefruit and I had bought delicious grapefruits from the fruit stand by my apt. I gave a few wedges (“soccer slices”) to each student and they LOVED it. It was great to see. Due to my students’ love of the grapefruit, I decided to continue buying different fruits on the subsequent Fridays. And voila, that's how "Fruit of the Day Friday" came to be. I have one other thing to share about the grapefruit. The children sit in groups and the group with the most points gets a piece of chocolate. However, after tasting grapefruit, I asked which students would rather have a grapefruit as their prize (instead of the chocolate). To my surprise (and delight), 27 out of 30 kids chose grapefruit! I now called fruit “Nature’s Candy”! I keep in touch with a number of former students via email and when I mentioned the Del Monte contest to them, a few emailed me back with their perspective about “Fruit of the Day Friday.” I thought it would be great to share, first-hand, from the students about how they enjoyed its benefits. SAYS KATIE: Fruit of the Day Friday was great because the fruits were tasty and healthy. Before we ate the fruit, Mr. Portnoy would tell us a little bit about the history of it. I liked Fruit of the Day Friday a lot because after the year ended, I had found the fruits that Mr. Portnoy brought in at my local supermarkets. The fruits I liked a lot are strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, lychee, and a lot more. Fruit of the Day Friday was great because it was a fun, interactive learning experience with healthy and yummy fruit! SAYS AZKA: Fruit of the Day Friday was one of the most enjoyable activities in 5th grade. Instead of just eating the fruit, Mr. Portnoy would have us explore the fruit using the five senses. We made charts and tables based our favorite and least favorite fruits and ranked them over the many weeks. It was so relaxing after spending a hard week on studying to come back from recess knowing there was fruit waiting on your desk. I truly miss Fruit of the Friday!
	Monday, October 3rd Heidi Brennan Manantee Fort Myers , Florida This year we are adding Hydoponic Farming to our curriculum. We will installing our first system in a couple weeks. The students are very excited about this new venture. We are in need of more support as far as adding to this amazing project. We want to expand to support more then just our Science after school Club. Our first season planting will include corn, lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. Students will be learning the importance of water and how to collect in vessels such as rain barrels. Student will also be learning safe ways to prepare the harvest. Money to advance this project would support a trip out to ECHO Farms. This farm works world wide to spread messages on all the various ways to use recycled materials and other innovations that make farming possible for all climates. Students will also be teaching students in their homerooms how to create "in home hydroponic systems" at a low cost at home. With the times many families are facing and with our large percentage of free and reduced lunch kids, I feel that it is better to educate families on how to help themselves rather then them thinking they have to always go to local food pantries. This project is huge for me and my students. We truly feel we can make a difference in our community. With assistance we can expand our systems, provide how to classes for parents, and really take home the rewards.
	Monday, October 3rd Pamela McDonald Plantation Park Bossier City , Louisiana At Plantation Park we have already started a running club to promote healthy lifestyles, but the children also need to know that eating healthy plays a part as well. There are many different ways to teach children to eat healthy. Sometimes the students do not even know what foods are healthy. So, we begin with discussing which foods are healthy and will give them fuel for their body. Students will learn that we do not eat because we want to, but because it is what gives us energy throughout the day. Students will track how many healthy foods they eat on a daily basis so that they can actually see what they are eating. They will also calculate how much water they are drinking in comparison to how much they need. Students are also awarded PONY PRIDE tickets(Plantation's Positive Behavior) at lunch daily for the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat.
	Monday, October 3rd Ginjer Fassold Manatee Elementary Fort Myers , Florida I plan on promoting healthy eating habits by making my students actively aware of the health benefits of a balanced nutritional plan. I believe students can be easily taught how to make more informed nutritional choices if they are given the facts. In today's society, many students eat fast food on a regular basis. By teaching students the importance of healthy meals, they might just be the ones to encourage their whole family to make more informed nutritional choices. I will be including community partners in the teaching process. I have invited a local produce manager to visit the classroom and provide the students with real examples of fruits and vegetables. The lesson on produce will be followed with a sampling session of a variety of fruit choices. I hope by explaining benefits of healthy eating habits, the students will make it a lifelong goal to eat right. I want to make a difference in the lives of these students by helping them understand their choice of foods will affect their future. Childhood obesity rates are higher than ever before. If students are taught NOW that a healthy lifestyle can help them to sleep, eat, and play better...perhaps they will achieve just that. By introducing the students to the new MyPyramid (food pyramid) they will be able to visualize how to proportion foods throughout the day to have the best balance of nutrition. My lesson plans will be diverse and highly cross cultural. Every subject can be focused on when teaching nutrition. As a teacher in a Title I school, it is often hard to find funding for my own classroom supplies. Receiving a Teacher Monday grant from Del Monte for my students would allow us to purchase classroom supplies while also enjoying healthy snacks of fruit on a regular basis. Students need to create healthy eating and exercise habits as early as possible in life. I would like to promote those habits for my students THIS YEAR in 2nd grade! Please vote for Fassold's Fruit Fans so that I can make a difference!!! If they eat right...they can think right! Thank YOU!
	Monday, October 3rd Norcha Lacy Plantation Park Bossier , Louisiana In order to receive full classroom participation from students, teacher must now use a reward system. Rewards include sugary candy, gum, salty chips, and much more. I will use fresh fruit as a reward. Students who make great grades and have excellent behavior will be rewarded with a healthy alternative to junk food. I will teach the students how important it is to choose healthy alternatives and it we can start with learning. We will learn more and still eat healthy.
	Monday, October 3rd Rebecca Brown Manatee Elementary Fort Myers , Florida I teach in a Title I school where over 90% of our students are economically disadvantaged. I would use this money to purchase school supplies, provide them with snack everyday, adopt a family during the holidays, and to make sure all my students could attend the big 5th grade trip at the end of the year. I would also use some of the money to stock sanitary products and proper clothes in my room for those that don't have them at home. This could truly make a difference in the lives of my students and their families. The food alone would be a gift! I hope many will vote to help me make a difference in these lives. THANK YOU!!!!!!
	Monday, October 3rd chrissie pearson Plantation Park Elemtary School Bossier City , Louisiana I want to persuade and encourage students to make healthier choices when it comes to food. I want to encourage them to think of fruit as candy. Fruits comes in many different colors and in many cases is just as sweet as candy. In addition, to being just as sweet it's much healthier and less destructive to the bodies. I would like to have them taste a variety of fruits more than once and hope to persuade them to make healthier choices at school, at home, and in restaraunts. I hope to impact their lives early and change the way they look and think about fruits and healthy eating in science class when we are talking about and growing plants.
	Monday, October 3rd Lisa Flannery Manatee Fort Myers , Florida Sure every child has tasted an apple but how many have actually tried an apricot? In my class, none of the kids have had an apricot and only 2 have tasted a kiwi. My mission is to increase healthy choices in my students by exposing them to a variety of different fruits, vegetables and choices such as exercising, brushing their teeth, washing their hands. We are planning a fall fest to include healthy veggies such as lima beans and asparagus. These items are not given in the cafeteria lunch line or at fast food restaurants so the majority of students have never had them. This week we read a story about a kiwi so I had several students discover that they loved it because it was "juicy", "sweet", "bright green" and "yummy"! It is my hope that we can win this grant in order to increase our ability to teach students about making healthy choices in order to become "learners today and leaders for life."
	Monday, October 3rd Angela Haas Manatee Elementary Fort Myers , Florida As a teacher in a Title I school, it sometimes difficult to motivate students to learn. Many of them do not have their basic needs met. They come to school hungry and tired. With the addition of fresh fruit and vegetables incorporated into our daily snack time, it can help students put their minds on academics instead of on their tummies. Grant money would be used towards the purchase of tools to help students inquire, explore, and learn about the world around them. Many students come to school without basic supplies. Bookbags and other necessities would be purchased for students who cannot afford them. The remainder of the grant money will be put towards a field trip to enhance student learning. Thank you for taking the time to vote for our class!
	Monday, October 3rd Jodi Burr Sun City Elementary Bossier City , Louisiana As required by our state Science/Health curriculum, I will spend time teaching students the importance of a healthy life style. We will establish a closely monitored, teacher directed military e-mail system of correspondence with deployed Marine Corps members who are currently serving with my son's regiment in Afghanistan. We will incorporate our lessons in the classroom with lessons of caring and sharing with our nation’s heroes. After numerous lessons on healthy living for students including sleep habits, food choices, hygiene, etc., we will then compare those required for students whose job is to come to school prepared for learning to deployed members of our military. We will discuss the importance of food choices at each of our meals throughout the day including snack times. Students will create a mobile of paper plates filled with healthy food cutouts from magazines for each of their three daily meals and also their after-school and evening snacks. We will be sure that the choices are balanced and represent the recommended amounts from the food pyramid. We will host a healthy food tasting in our classroom and invite parents to share in our learning. We will then brainstorm the limitations of healthy food choices available to our military members deployed to remote locations overseas. We will explore the problems of refrigeration, storage space, and spoilage due to delayed shipping times from the US to such remote locations. I will lead students in a discussion and work with them to brainstorm a list of alternative healthy foods that we could easily share with our heroes such as fruit cups, fruit snacks, fruit juices, dried fruit, beef jerky, trail mixes, granola bars, nuts, etc. At this point, we will then collect the items and package them to send to the Marines we will have come to know. Each student will write a letter encouraging them and sharing with them the lessons they have learned through this unit of study related to living a healthy life. They will also be required to share with the military members a nutritional fact about why they choose to send them a particular healthy food item. I believe that these lessons will not only teach students about the importance of nutrition and healthy life style choices, but also the life lesson of being good citizens. Through this learning and sharing, they will find that their hearts will not only be healthy, but also happy by caring for our heroes!