Board of Education member Matt Sulikowski (l-r), Dorian Sano, district manager for Sodexo; Michelle Feliciano, Sodexo’s Old Bridge food service director; school Principal Raymond Payton; school board member Eugene Donofrio; Barbara Martin of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Jill Niglio and Janet Hawk of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. OLD BRIDGE — Parents can rest assured that their children are eating a nutritious lunch at Southwood Elementary School, where all categories of the food pyramid are adequately represented in the cafeteria.
The school recently earned the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Award for its efforts to improve the health of students through its lunch program and physical education curriculum. Representatives of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service presented the honor to the school during a special assembly Jan. 28.
“This means that the menus have met the strict nutritious guidelines [of the federal government], the physical education curriculum hasmet the guidelines, and the nutrition education has met the guidelines,” Southwood Principal Raymond Payton said.
The Healthier U.S. School Challenge is a voluntary national certification initiative for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. Sponsored by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, it supports the “Let’s Move” campaign by recognizing schools that are creating healthier school environments through their promotion of good nutrition and physical activity.
To qualify for the award, schools must submit a formal application and meet the basic criteria of the Food and Nutrition Service, which reflect the recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for America and the Institute of Medicine. Applying schools must also have a wellness policy, as mandated by Congress.
Schools are awarded for one of four levels of superior performance and receive an accompanying monetary prize — bronze, $500; silver; $1,000; gold, $1,500; and the Gold Award of Distinction, $2,000. They also receive a plaque signed by a USDA official, a banner to display in their school, and have their name listed on the Team Nutrition website.
Winning schools commit to maintaining and improving their nutrition environment throughout their four-year certification period.
Southwood was presented with the Bronze award, along with a $500 prize, at the Jan. 28 assembly, which was attended by state, county and township officials, district administrators and the entire Southwood student body.
“We are very proud of Southwood Elementary School for attaining this recognition for its ongoing commitment to good nutrition for its students,” said Janet Hawk, NJDA Food and Nutrition Division acting director, who spoke during the presentation. “New Jersey schools have placed an emphasis on healthier food options since the implementation of the statewide nutrition policy, which set standards for food and beverages being offered on school property. We encourage all New Jersey schools in the National School Lunch Program to participate in the challenge.”
Southwood is only the second school in New Jersey to be awarded this distinction. Payton said the honor is the result of a proactive effort on behalf of the school and the district at large.
“It is important for the school, and has always been the initiative of the district’s food service company, Sodexo, to concentrate on good nutrition and physical activities due to the increasing rate of childhood obesity,” Payton said. “We need to start making changes, and hopefully these changes in the elementary schools will stay with the students throughout their school years.”
Payton said a district-wide initiative to increase healthy food awareness, nutrition education and physical fitness curriculum led to the implementation of health-conscious programs and the addition of more whole grains and vegetables to the cafeteria menu.
Sodexo serves all 16 schools in the Old Bridge district, and 11 of those schools aside from Southwood have prepared applications for the Healthier U.S. School Challenge.