By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
RED BANK – Eating healthier foods proved to be a smart choice for the administrators and students at the Red Bank Primary School.
As a result of its dedication and commitment to promoting healthier food choices, the Red Bank Primary School claimed first place when it recently received the “Very Impressive Produce” Award (VIP).
The award reflects the school’s active participation in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s (NJDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program.
The fruit and vegetable project is a national program that is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program emphasizes the importance of an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options for students.
The federal program provides funding for schools to serve free fresh fruits and vegetables to students during the school day and outside of regular meal times, according to Janet Celi a program coordinator for the NJDA’s Division of Food and Nutrition.
Currently 201 schools in New Jersey are participating in the fresh food initiative, according to Celi.
As part of winning the VIP Award, the school received a honorary plaque and a visit from NJDA dignitaries on March 31.
The school also received a $1,500 prize, which can be used only to purchase items or equipment to further improve the fresh produce program, according Celi.
To provide their students with a variety of fresh produce, the school used Sickles Market, according to Cathleen Reardon, Red Bank Primary School’s nurse. Sickles Market is located in Little Silver on Harrrison Avenue.
The goals of the FFVP, according to Celi, are to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience, increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption, make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health.
“Red Bank Primary School received the VIP Award because they have involved the entire school community in making this program a success,” Celi said. “Nurse Reardon provides teachers with videos, stories and fun facts about the produce so teachers can educate students on the snacks they are consuming and make it a fun event. She also sends newsletters home to parents and features recipes on the school’s web site for parents to incorporate the specific vegetable or fruit tasted that week into their home meals. The Food Service Director, Nicole Tate, works closely with the school in ordering and providing the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program snack to the school.”
Celi continues to explain how the school expanded the fresh produce program beyond the classroom and how it used education to help make it a success.
“Parents and grandparents volunteer to help with preparation of the snack. Students deliver the snacks to the classroom. They have partnered with a local market, Sickles, to provide the fresh fruit or vegetable snack. The school serves Jersey Grown produce for many of their snacks,” Celi said. “Fresh fruit and vegetable consumption is reinforced though school bulletin boards, books and videos such as the Brussel Sprout Boogie. The teachers even dressed up as fruits and vegetables for the school’s special ‘Character Education Day’ in February. As a culmination to the school’s successful year they will hold a Family Health and Fitness Night in May at a local park.”
Reardon spearheaded the project.
“When I applied for the school to win the VIP award, we wrote letters to the NJDA explaining and showing our involvement and commitment to the program, we submitted photos via social media, so it was a culmination of things,” Reardon said.
The effort, Reardon revealed, produced an unexpected result.
“I was surprised and excited. It is a great program for the kids and they always get so excited about participating and learning about a new vegetable or a fruit and I glad that we are able to offer a program like this to our kids.”
Principal Luigi Laugelli was a proud supporter.
“We are grateful that we have been able to provide such a program as this for our students. About 90 percent of our students receives free or reduced lunch and many do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so its nice to provide them with this program where they can learn and have access to fresh produce,” Laugelli said.
New Jersey elementary schools with 50 percent or more students are eligible for free or reduced price meals can submit an application to participate in this program. The application for school year 2017 to 2018 must be postmarked by May 5 of this year, according to Celi.
For more information on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/fn/childadult/fruitandvegetable.html.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected]