Nutrition and Wellness

The Plymouth School District added a nutrition and wellness coordinator in the fall of 2011 to improve the health and well-being of its students, staff and community.

Jessica Mella, a registered dietitian, was hired to fill the part-time position. She is based in Community Education and Recreation, but also serves as a resource for our Food Service Department as well as for classroom teachers.

Current initiatives

Community education

1. Live Well in 2012: Community members of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in this initiative to make healthy living a habit. Mrs. Mella and Clayton Moore, recreation and fitness coordinator, are taking turns offering weekly advice throughout the year. Click here for the Live Well in 2012 page, with an archive of tips

2. Grocery Store Challenge: Participants will visit a grocery store and challenge themselves to create ideas for healthy, quick meals for under $3 per person. Click here for the Grocery Store Challenge page, with recipes

3. Heart Healthy Lecture series: Community Education & Recreation is offering a nutrition lecture series focused on heart health this spring. The lectures will be presented by Mrs. Mella. Topics are: "Understanding the Food Label," "The Skinny on Fat and Cholesterol," "Salt – Less is More" and "Carbohydrates Do Count." Click here for complete course descriptions.

4. Parent Nutrition Group: Plymouth parents are invited to join Area Plymouth Parents for Living Well with Education (APPLE), a new parent nutrition group where they can learn about nutrition, create a support network and have a positive impact on the school lunch program. Parents will work with Mrs. Mella.
June 2012 newsletter
May 2012 newsletter
April 2012 newsletter

5. Take N Bake Classes: This new cooking class series will provide healthy meals for you and your busy family. Learn about and assemble meals you can take home to make or refrigerate/freeze for later. Click here for the full course description.

Classroom health and nutrition curriculum

1. Fruit and Vegetable units in elementary schools: Resource and support for teachers throughout the district

2. Food Label reading: In prep for grocery store field trip for high school health classes.

3. Fruit/Vegetable of the month: Information sent home at the elementary level and available online on school lunch website.

4. Monthly taste testing of vegetables: Held during lunch period and discussion with students about the veggie.

5. Greenhouse project:  Planning with agriculture classes, culinary arts, and food and consumer science

6. Fuel Up to Play: A kid-run program that encourages physical activity 60 minutes a day and smarter nutrition being introduced at Riverview.
Learn more: http://www.fueluptoplay60.com

7. Golden Garden: Mrs. Mella helped create the student garden at Horizon in the summer of 2009. Raised beds, a storage bench and a potting table were added in 2010, and composting in 2011.
Learn more: http://www.wix.com/jdmella6/golden-garden

8. New PHS garden: Plan new garden space for east side of high school this spring!

 

School lunches

1. Survey: School lunch survey completed in December 2011 with forward movement to add more fresh fruits and veggies to lunch as well as new entrees monthly.

2. Lunch rooms: Working to enhance the cafeterias and eating environment for all the kids with plans for salad bar additions to the elementary schools.

3. Northeast Wisconsin Farm-To-School Initiative: Looking at ways to connect to local farms for school lunch and school curriculum
Learn more: http://www.newfarmtoschool.org

4. Breakfast in the Classroom: Working on an initiative and possible pilot program to start within our schools.
Learn more: http://www.breakfastintheclassroom.org

Helpful links

www.letsmove.gov
www.eatright.org
www.kidseatright.org
www.traytalk.org
www.nourishinteractive.com
www.thelunchbox.org