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Volume 15, Issue 1Arkansas Department of EducationDivision of Elementary & Secondary EducationOctober 2019NUTRITION NEWS2019Poster ContestWinnersSpecial points of interest:2019 Poster Contest WinnersSummer ‘Fuel Up’ passes goalMilestonesRogers School Recognized as Five toThrive DistrictThe 2019 Nutrition Education Poster Contest entries were wonderful! Congratulations to the winners! The choices were difficult since there were so many exceptional posters. The poster contest is an annual event funded by the Nutrition Committee of the Arkansas School Nutrition Association (ASNA) and administered bythe Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and SecondaryEducation, Child Nutrition Unit . The theme this year was centered around promotion of healthful nutrition.Five division winners were chosen at the state level to receive 50 and a trophy.A Senior Division winner was selected to receive a 300 award. The instructor/artteach of each state level division winner was awarded 100 to be used toward thepurchase of classroom supplies. The Child Nutrition Manager for each state leveldivision winner received paid ASNA dues for the year 2018-2019.Farm to School Celebration at theCapitolDates to Remember:Registration of Food Service Management Companies—See CNU20-011Deadline for completion of allverification activitiesDeadline to report verificationactivities to CNUOctober 18November 15December 16Senior DivisionTrumann High School

Division 4Woodlawn High SchoolDivision 3Trumann Middle SchoolDivision 2Eagle Mountain Elementary(Batesville)Division 1Woodlawn ElementaryKindergartenJimmy Brown Elementary(Star City)

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1PAGE 2Summer ‘Fuel Up’ passes goalWritten by Ken McLemore, Communications Director, Hope Public SchoolsHOPE –The Hope Public School District “Fuel Up: Feeding Bodies, Fueling Minds” summermeals program hit a new mark this year with record turnout, new activities, and its own activities bus.Deanna Gilbert, director of nutrition services for the HPSD, said a total of 5,608 summer lunch meals wereserved in the period from June 2 through August 3. Gilbert had set a goal of 5,000 meals for the program, shesaid.The program provided lunch meals Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until noon at Hope Fair Park, HopeNorthside Park and the Hope High School cafeteria.A modified school bus was new for the community park visits this year, with attendant activities including aparent center, and a library for children to take a book home.Programs for students were sponsored by the Hempstead County Master Gardeners, the Hope Fire Department, Pafford Emergency Medical Services, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the HempsteadCounty Sheriff’s Department, and a story time by members of the Hope Rotary Club were part of the fun thisyear. The week of fourth of July we honored local Veterans who came to speak to the students, Farm BureauWomen's Committee came and did games one week, Gilbert said.Health screenings through the Bobcat Clinic at Hope High School were also explained to parents and students. Books for the story time activity and free book distribution were provided by local community servicepartners and individuals, Gilbert said.

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1PAGE 4Milestones — Alex BradleyAlex Walker joined the ChildNutrition Unit in July 2018 asthe Northeast Central AreaSpecialist.She is currently working on herMaster of Health Administration(MHA) at UAMS in the College ofPublic Health.Alex is truly passionate aboutproviding great nutrition education and health services to ruralcommunities.She is from Texarkana, Texasbut currently resides inLonoke, Arkansas.She is anticipating to graduatefrom the MHA program in 2021.During her dietetic internship,she had her child nutrition rotation at Searcy School Districtand loved every moment. Sheexplained, “To see nutritiousmeals being provided to thestudents and the love that wasshown to each student as theywent through the meal line”;She was sold on working inchild nutrition.Alex is a Registered Dietitian.She is a graduate of OuachitaBaptist University where sheobtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dieteticsin May 2017. She went on tocomplete her Dietetic Internship through the University ofArkansas for Medical Sciences(UAMS) and Central ArkansasVeteran’s Health System.In August, Alex got married toher husband Colten. Shedoesn't have any children justyet but she does have a furbaby, Paisley Walker, who is “asspoiled as any child.”In her spare time, she enjoyscooking and baking. She alsolikes to go fishing and duckhunting with Colten and Paisley.Milestones — Courtney ErickCourtney Erick joined ChildNutrition Unit (CNU) in August2018 as the Southwest AreaSpecialist.She is originally from Bentonbut she currently resides inMalvern.Courtney is a Registered Dietitian. She worked as a ClinicalDietitian at the ArkansasHealth Center, Department ofHealth Services for 8 yearsbefore coming to CNU.She received her Bachelor ofScience in Family and Consumer Sciences with a specialization in Dietetics from Henderson State University in2016.She is married to her husband Jason and togetherthey have five delightfulboys.She enjoys practicallyanything outdoors including hiking, camping,kayaking, and running .Also, she is a super busy“sports mom” to her boyswho play football andbaseball annually.Courtney happily took theopportunity to work in thefield of child nutrition because she knows thatgood nutrition starts during childhood.She said, “.if children develop healthy eating habitsearly on, those habits willcarry into adulthood resulting in healthier adults.”Courtney expressed herenjoyment being apart ofthe Child Nutrition Unit andwe are happy to have heron our team !The Child Nutrition Unit ishappy to have Alex on theteam.

PAGE 5NUTRITON NEWSMilestones — Penny HowardPenny Howard joined the ChildNutrition Unit in July as theSoutheast Area Specialist.She is from the small town ofEast End, Arkansas.Penny is a Registered Dietitianwho recently completed herinternship through the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).Penny has a vast backgroundin foodservice working at Arkansas Children’s Hospital asa diet clerk and a daycarekitchen. She also served as theGraduate Assistant for UCA’sWellness program.Penny received her associate’sdegree in Science from PulaskiTechnical College and went on tocomplete her Bachelor of Scienceand Master of Science in Nutritionfrom UCA.Penny has three beautiful children, Austin (21), Savannah (20)and Natalie (10). In addition toher wonderful children, she hastwo fur babies, Willow and Tucker.In her spare time, she loves toread and spend time with her kids.Penny has a true passion for allthings nutrition and her family.She knew going into the dieteticinternship that child nutrition wasexactly where she belonged.While workingat a daycare,she spent themajority ofher time in the kitchen. This iswhere she attributes the birth ofher love for school nutrition. Shesays, “ She has always been anadvocate for the school lunch program and loves the opportunity tohelp schools better their programsand increase their participation.”Penny expresses great excitementto be a part of the Child NutritionUnit and we certainly are happy tohave her on the team!Milestones — Gail Lange-SmithGail Lange-Smith joined the ChildNutrition Unit in June as the WestCentral Area Specialist.She is from Harare, Zimbabwe insouthern Africa but she currentlyresides in Little Rock.Gail is a Registered Dietitian whorecently completed her dieteticinternship through University ofArkansas Medical Sciences(UAMS).In December, Gail received herBachelor of Science in Nutritionand Dietetics from Ouachita Baptist University and she plans tograduate in May, with a Master ofScience in Clinical Nutrition fromUAMS.She enjoys cooking, eating,tending to her plants, beingoutside, and good conversations with her friends in herspare time. Also, she hasrecently started to play tenniscasually — hoping to improve.Gail has a passion for helpingpeople be healthy : emotionally, physically and mentally.When asked why she chose towork in child nutrition, shereplied, “ Our purpose as areaspecialists is to help managers and directors run theirkitchens efficiently and effectively with the goal of providing children the best mealspossible.I chose to work in ChildNutrition because I want tofight hunger and to supportthose who are on theground already doing it.”The Child Nutrition Unit ishappy to have Gail join theteam.

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1PAGE 6ROGERS SCHOOL DISTRICTRECOGNIZED AS FIVE TO THRIVE DISTRICTLITTLE ROCK, AR (October 3, 2019) – The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the Arkansas NoKid Hungry campaign are pleased to announce Rogers School District as one of eleven Arkansasschool districts to have completed the requirements to qualify as a Five to Thrive district. Fiveto Thrive, a campaign supported by the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign and Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Natural Wonders Innovation Fund, was developed to encourage school districts across the state to offer a variety of nutritional and physicalactivity programming to improve student health and academic outcomes.The child nutrition departments from the winning districts recently received school breakfast,out of school meals or other implementation funds and technical assistance to implement allfive program components by fall of 2019. Five to Thrive requirements are:Serve Breakfast After the Bell (Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab and Go, Second Chance) AND auniversal meal option (Community Eligibility Provision, Provision 2 or other option offeringmeals at no charge to all students) in at least one schoolServe USDA summer meals (Seamless Summer Option or Summer Food Service Program)and/or afterschool meals (Child and Adult Care Food Program)Offer Cooking Matters or similar nutrition education curriculumCreate a school-based food pantry, weekend student backpack or family meal box programOffer an in-school physical activity program (Go Noodle, Fuel Up to Play 60, SPARK, etc.)“Becoming a Five to Thrive school district shows dedication to the health and wellness of students. The Alliance and the No Kid Hungry Campaign are committed to providing these districtsongoing support to help expand or enhance their programs,” said Patty Barker, Arkansas NoKid Hungry campaign director. Research shows that when students have access to nutritiousfood where they live, learn, and play, their academic outcomes are brighter. These Five toThrive components enhance the district’s nutrition and physical activity programming to helpstudents not only succeed but thrive!(2019, October 3). Rogers School District Recognized as Five to Thrive [Press release]. Retrieved leases/

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