At a time of drive-through meals, area elementary schools are working to improve students’ nutrition.
The goal is to create a healthy school environment and, for a lot of the students, to broaden their exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables. Georgia parents and school officials say the effort, paid for with a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, seems to be working.
* Julie Novak’s 6-year-old son EJ already is an excellent eater, she said, but he still gets excited to see what the fruit of the day will be at Rossville Elementary.
“He has enjoyed trying something new he hasn’t tried before,” she said, “and he promised he would take one bite of everything new.”
* In Walker County, about 1,000 students receive the fresh snack, including 480 at Gilbert Elementary. For the first time this year, the district received a grant of nearly $59,000 for both schools.