Second graders from Academy School got to share their scratch cooking skills by making beautiful chocolate beet cupcakes, topped with pink frosting tinted with beet juice, for a recent Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) school board meeting. This delicious treat was just the beginning of a very special Valentine’s Day evening presentation celebrating school gardens, Farm to School programs, and outdoor education in WSESD schools.
A Farm to School Celebration
For most school administrators, their work has been non-stop since the pandemic first came to Vermont. From ever-changing health guidelines to troubleshooting class schedules and how to safely bring students back to in-person learning, and all the different technologies they’ve had to adopt, there hasn’t been much time for rest and reflection. Thanks to the generous support of Members 1st Credit Union, Food Connects hosted administrators and school nutrition professionals from across the region for an afternoon celebration of all that’s been accomplished despite the odds.
On a deceivingly sunny day, 14 school staff members from 9 different schools gathered together for the first time, in what seems like, ages. Each school has a unique Farm to School program, yet schools rarely get to see all the interesting things happening elsewhere. The guests had the opportunity to cross-pollinate and share ideas on how to improve school gardens, share unique ideas about incorporating local food into their cafeterias, and generally celebrate the amazing (and challenging) Farm to School year.
“It was so nice to be able to connect with other area schools and hear about the tremendous impact of Food Connects.” said Kelly Dias, Academy School Principal. “ I'd love to keep up the networking throughout the year with our school-based teams if we can find a way to do so.”
Despite some surprising heavy rains midway through the event, principals were able to connect and learn from each other. Each attendee was paired with another school that had a similar program that they could learn from. From the new Where in the World are We Eating program in Windham Southeast Schools, to the new Farm to School program starting up at Central Elementary School, the full spectrum of programming was represented at the event.
Evelyn Sirois, CEO at Members 1st Credit Union, said that they support the Food Connects Farm to School program because “It enriches our educational practices and emphasizes local involvement in our agriculture." Food Connects is grateful for the fiscal support of Members 1st Credit Union for making this event possible. As a nonprofit organization, Food Connects relies on the generosity of our community donors, like Members 1st Credit Union to hold celebratory events and professional development offerings for our school teachers, administrators, and food nutrition professionals in our community.