Today's Mission: School Lunch
As I walked into Anita White Carson Middle School for an interview with Cafeteria Manager Shirley Higdon, I found waves of nostalgia settling in for my own, not quite fond, memories of trekking to the cafeteria and knowingly bypassing the hot-lunch (unless there was Pizza) for the "FuNacho" line and 2 cookies. Of course, everyone knows the best part about lunch is that there was recess immediately thereafter. I digress.
Ms. Higdon met me in her office which was to the rear of the food preparation/cooking area in which 2 of the staff were already working. The middleschoolers were definitely going to have something chocolate-y as the smell of cocoa permeated the air and nearly distracted me from what I needed to ask. Ms. Higdon provided a wealth of information and was most accommodating which made the interview a pleasant affair. I have many more people to talk to regarding school lunch, nutrition, and student health (which is the topic of my next story) but I already know I'm stumbling upon something very unique about Greene. About 79% of the students at Carson Middle qualify for Free Lunch so not only are they served a free meal, but so is every other student that goes there. In the entire district, all children have free lunch. However, the charter school in the district, Lake Oconee Academy, has a school lunch program that involve parents paying for their child's meal. Again, I have more research to do regarding the legal aspects and jurisdiction of what schools can receive based on public or charter status, but Green is opening my eyes to a diverse community of policy implications that directly affect the youth.
I have a lot of thinking to do between now and my Wednesday deadline, but I like where this is going.
Stephanie Rucker, RN, Jefferson Health Clinic
13 years ago
Would love to know what's being served at charter school vs. the middle school you visited. And also to know how many of Georgia's other counties are supplying free lunch to every student. And is there a program in Greene County that sends kids home with food for the weekend, as there is in Clarke?
ReplyDeleteCool post. I could almost smell chocolate. :) It would be interesting to see what they're serving at the charter school. I wonder if they have a chef?!
ReplyDeleteLoved the description also. Whenever I read about free lunches at schools, I wonder: What do these kids eat outside of school? If anything? Is the free lunch their only meal of the day? You could skyrocket into a lecture on obesity about how that's awful for metabolism to eat one meal a day...opens the gates for junk food whenever it's affordable...not to mention lagging test scores due to lack of concentrating. "Why should I do well on this test when my stomach is inside out from hunger?" What an interesting county!! I can't wait to hear more about your travels and read your writings.
ReplyDelete