Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD Food 4 Thought, 23 Nov 2015

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From YouTube: Food 4 Thought - Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry

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With Guests from Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry

A

See who's partnering with Anne Arundel, County, Public Schools next on food for thought,.

A

Hi I'm Jody rissie, the host for food for thought, and thanks for watching today, I'm joined by anisette moody from the Maryland, no Kid Hungry campaign, and she joins me from share our strength. This set welcome to food for thought. Thank you.

B

A

You again to you and to share our strength for being such a valued partner for Anne, Arundel County. But first and foremost, can you tell the viewers a little bit about yourself in which your role with share our strength, sure.

B

So this is actually my third year in shirt with shara strength, almost four years now, so pretty excited to be with them positive, a long time and see such great changes happen throughout the state and various counties in Maryland.

B

um I personally actually have an education background, I actually taught for about three years in Panama, I taught Esau, which was a wonderful experience and having that kind of background, really helped me in this position, because I work with teachers, all the time and I really understand what happens in a classroom and how important nutrition is and breakfast primarily for students achievement. It's.

A

So funny that you say that because I think often when you know talking to your other partners at your strengths, we often say what goes on in the schoolhouse is often so different than what we say we're going to put on paper. Oh yes, right, like oh, this program sounds wonderful. Well, there's 80,000 students out there that are also little pieces of the puzzle and.

C

Those teachers.

A

Are pieces of the puzzle.

B

Administrators.

A

So that really is an interesting great fit to have it.

B

Is it definitely is relatable when I talk with them and say I understand how it feels I get it I understand what teachers have concern about? You know instructional time. I can relate to them, so I completely get what they're coming from, but I also understand that you know I used to keep food in my classroom for my kids, so I understand the work that we're doing is extremely important right.

A

And I think what they see right. It is just our breakfast in our lunch might be the last two meals for that students have now I think we're going to talk about it in our segment to the factory of how we look traditional school day and outside the traditional school.

B

A

But what a fantastic fits so truly an asset to share our strength and especially to Anne Arundel County. So thank you, of course. Thank you. Can you also share, so sheriff strengthen the Maryland? No kid hunger campaign.

B

A

Look at so many items right, I think we partner, often in many initiatives, can you share with the viewers a little of about each of the initiatives and in what you really work on in the state of Maryland sure.

B

So, as you alluded to, but no Kid Hungry definitely there's a lot of initiatives throughout the state. We do a lot of things centered around connecting more kids to food, especially where they live work and play. So we do a lot of work connecting kids with programs that are in school with the school breakfast program school lunch program, as well as when kids are outside of school, so talking about summer meals and after-school meals, but personally I'm the the Maryland breakfast managers, I focused primarily on breakfast.

B

So, as you know, that's most important meal of the day and so pretty exciting to focus on a meal that doesn't quite get a lot of attention. Ironically, enough kids love lunch. They look forward to lunch. They come to school, ready to go for lunch, but breakfast for whatever reason it's just not as important and we're trying to shed some light on a very important meal. I mean studies show that kids who eat breakfast readily come to school. More prepared.

B

Let's visit to the nurse, less headaches, Milwaukee to have academic success and then the trend just continues on. So we really push for this important meal because we know what happens when kids have breakfast. It's.

A

Actually, a lifelong health habit exactly.

B

A

Mean how many adults do we know and in my role so I'm a mom of two students in Anne, Arundel, County, I'm, a registered dietician one and then the supervisor food service so I we say how does anybody get up and start their day without breakfast? If.

B

I, don't eat my email, something any sense. Let.

D

B

It doesn't work, and so I can imagine a child in the math class trying to do an algebra problem or something you know, science or even its reading. Whatever it is, it's hard to concentrate, and so you know, fortunately, for adults were able to kind of.

B

Let me buy something on the go, but if kids, if you don't know what they're having at home, if anything at all and so making sure that access to breakfast at school is easy, accessible, easy to to get through and that kids have an enjoyable time well, we know we want to focus a lot on that right.

A

And I definitely agree in Anne Arundel County. We focus they've, got to be fueled and ready to learn and then fueled and ready to learn all summer, so they can play hard and continue to be engaged and academically ready when they come back. If.

B

You don't lose that time, because that happens. A lot sometimes of kids don't get a chance to eat properly up a summer. All that great hard work and got the school year might be a little bit lost, or maybe not completely, but it might be harder for them to catch up once a new school year started or.

A

Too, tired right, I mean you're just too tired there they might lose interest in playing, which is important. They should have physical activity to move often or reading the book. You know we partner more and more here in a normal de County, with our libraries and all we try to do is how do we get our their books and our students hands all the time right? So isn't it as often as they can read. We just think it really helps them in the long run and again it's another habit that they'll keep with them. Yes,.

B

Exactly so eating properly, all those healthy habits are great and we focus I. Don't see me focus too much on elementary school because you know that when they start young they will probably continue, but we definitely look at elementary school. Then we say how can we figure move on with to middle school as well as high school, so these habits are definitely continuing throughout their life, so we agree so.

A

How about let's talk about your support, so sure strength has been so supportive, a partner, supportive, truly collaborate with interval, t county public schools all the time. But can you share what are the ways you have supported us and then how have you supported other counties because it's really not only in arundel I'd like to think it was only us but I, think all the jurisdictions in Maryland are very important.

D

To all of us share.

C

Even though we're.

A

Obviously, particularly oak or no we're pleased with Anne.

B

Arundel, of course, I honestly share. Our strength is very pleased to everyone to as well I mean you guys are. Definitely the leaders when it comes to breakfast kind of our metric is looking at seventy percent. We want seventy percent of students who participate in fear, reduced price lunch to eat breakfast right now, we're about sixty-three percent which isn't too bad, but we can definitely have a little more work to do by county. An auto county is already hitting so many percent, so you guys are already there, but we can always do more.

B

So we always look forward to looking more closely with you and other schools to say what can we do? How can make breakfast more accessible, more fun if it's just adding some breakfast posters kind of marketing ideas? We help with that as well. So myself and our great team of coordinators, you work with principals, food service, directors, even ptas and say we know. What's the challenge that late buses? Is it a time issue?

B

Is it just logistical is to go to school, move the cafeterias on one end and this whole class was Ronnie over and what can we do to make breakfast full fun and just easy for kids? You don't have to choose between eating breakfast or having classroom instruction, and so we work with all these different partners and say: what can we do to make this kind of work?

B

Because the last thing you want to do is make it a burden to anybody, and so we kind of do a little bit assessment, see what's going on and see how we can help offer some marketing ideas as well, and then we also help with grant funding to. So if a school says you know what we want to kind of expand breakfast, let's bring it into the classroom. Wonderful, what happens is breakfast will maybe double sometimes I'm terrible.

C

B

Which is wonderful, but it also means double triple the amount of milk and other breakfast items, so we helped fun kind, different equipment, maybe a milk cooler or refrigerator to help in the cafeteria and our grant funding help support that. What we do is make sure that our money, it goes to places where it sustainable, so we know that equipment will last for years.

B

You know we're not going to just buy food for today, because what happens tomorrow will help the school by equipment other marketing ideas that they can use today tomorrow and hopefully many years to go.

A

And I think we always look at it the same way in Anne Arundel County. How do we make it sustainable and we often I know you talked about all those partnerships. So when you're talking the food service director in the school administration, it is so powerful when you have a school, implement and alternative breakfast model being a second chance breakfast.

A

So we offer breakfast in four of our high schools in Anne, Arundel County after first period, it's wonderful when they have more students, eat breakfast more students do better academically, less visits to the nurse better concentration, they're not tardy just all the pieces line up so well, and then that administrator basically is the cheerleader to all of our other administrators. It doesn't have to be me as a registered dietitian saying you know how, when you.

B

Want to eat right right because.

A

They're, like yeah, we heard that one before but to hear the results from a fellow or a colleague. That's another administrator is really priceless. Exactly.

B

The principal, even the teachers we love to have that Machamp until their interact with the kids, all the time so to see them said, hey the Jeep breakfast this morning or what you have for breakfast this morning or many times eating breakfast themselves in the classroom could be an apple, a muffin, just something quick and simple. When the kids also see will hate my teachers eating breakfast, maybe you know I could eat as well.

A

Right we do that in Anne, Arundel County for the viewers watching, so we provide breakfast for the teachers in the classroom because we want that role, modeling piece or if it's the principle and she's going to join a second grade class. We want her to have breakfast with them. So it's so important for all of us as adults and the leaders in the buildings.

A

The teachers are leading the charge for those students to have breakfast with them and to talk about what they did the night before talk about what time they woke up talk about what time they go to bed yeah I mean there's so many things that they can make such a positive impact on that student, and you know we talked about it in our show.

A

All the time and I know it sounds I, guess somewhat corny but I always say if it's a healthy student, it's a healthy school and then together we could cultivate communities of wellness. But.

B

Because correct the.

A

Child goes home and they say you know Mom. Today we tried this at breakfast or.

B

D

A

At lunch- and we really are changing the eating habits not only of our children and the students of Anne Arundel County, but we think of the extended families as well. Most.

B

Definitely you definitely eat the nail on the head right there, a lot of kids, you don't know what happens at home. You know their parents may be working or the Guardian may not be at the house and so having a sit-down meal may not be very frequent for them at home. So they look forward to that when it come to school soon, with their classmates their teachers and having a nice breakfast. Many kids look forward to that and they see the attendance actually goes up with us breakfast in the classroom.

A

And it's funny I think personally, we eat as a family for breakfast and we still eat as a family for dinner I'm. Sometimes it's quick and Gary, because I have to run to work. My husband's running work, everyone's.

B

A

Still do and we still talk about, especially for dinner and I often say to parents, and even parents watching today ask your children at dinnertime. Well, what did you have for lunch? What fruit and vegetable did they offer you today at school lunch?

A

um It opens the whole dialogue and you're eating together, just like our students eat together in the classroom for breakfast they have so much to share, and maybe, if you and I are friends, but we have other friends that we don't talk to we're all one once we're in the classroom exactly yep, so it does make a difference. Now we increase last year, six hundred and fifty thousand meals and breakfast, which was huge amazing. Oh, how do you see that I mean we think it's huge?

A

We felt like we clearly hit the mark and will grow more again this year, of course. But um what do you seeing you know in the other counties in the state as well? Are you seeing growth for.

B

My desk, we are definitely see why the growth like I mentioned earlier, you guys, are definitely going right ahead in terms of breakfast already at seventy percent throughout the county, which is wonderful and so working very hard with the other counties to see what can we do as well and it get you as close of not hitting seventy percent, and so again we offer our grant bindings off our resources. We offer our technical assistance to get those counties going forever as well when it comes to breakfast very good.

A

Well, we only have a few minutes left sure. So if you could just very quickly just talk about the breakfast challenge, yeah I.

C

Know we are ticipate it, but.

A

In a minute, can you just kind of share with the viewers what.

B

It is so minutes shorter, so the breakfast challenge is a great way to kind of incentive, high schools to kind of rally around and get excited about breakfast. We knew that their schools and counties- this is Anne, Arundel County doing a lot for breakfast, and this is a way to kind of put some light and shine about how great they're doing and maybe help some other schools or districts who didn't know what to do to kind of get some ideas and start some breakfast marketing ideas for themselves.

B

So the breakfast challenge it starts around the fall and ends in the winter and then we'll be celebrating all the wonderful success in the spring, which is around March and that's when we have like the breakfast national breakfast week. So it's a great time to celebrate all things with breakfast and with the challenge. What we're doing is asking schools to take initiative.

B

Take some action, don't just say: yeah support breakfast, which is great, but let's put some action behind your words kind of thing, and so many schools have the choice of doing one of two things. They can opt you in a turn of breakfast model. What's their second chance grab and go or they can say, you know what? Maybe we want to do that, but we're not quite just ready just yet. What else can we do and that's when they do?

B

Someone do something called our breakfast I'm action items, which is where they can have like breakfast & edgers in the morning. Have somebody outside saying hey? Did you have breakfast today, or would she come to cafeteria kind of nudging them to eat breakfast I like that term? Yes, it's a little nudge, you know I. Could you eat breakfast today and sometimes a simple reminder: I wake and let's get a kid thinking. You know what I actually am kind of hungry. Maybe I should go grab something. So we have the breakfast measures.

B

We also have social media just talking about it on Twitter, a lot of principles tweet out to their kids every morning. You know this is happening, its aid, it's bday, say hey it's a day and by the way we have sausage biscuits and a cafeteria come and get them nice and hot. Something like that, you know. Social media is a great way to talk about breakfast. You have nurtured social media. We have a breakfast kickoff, you know make breakfast exciting in the cafeteria, throw some music on, but some balloon just make.

B

It seem fun and interesting. So once the school's do these different activities, you kind of judged a participation and then we'll have some prizes. So there's a lot of different levels or sent statewide winner. We have different winners for each district, as well as winners for different schools in every district. So a lot of ways to look up. We have a school's interested I, definitely encourage them to go to the website. Just wwm arilinn breakfast challenge org.

A

Perfect. Thank you very much for that quick, yeah everything.

B

In a nutshell, all about the breakfast challenge, all you need to know all the resources or the information. Why we're doing this on the, in fact that we hope to have so. Thank you.

A

So much and thanks for coming in today, thank you. Don't go away. I'll, be right back with Kara pana whatz from the sheriff strength, no Kid Hungry campaign and we're going to talk about how we serve meals outside the traditional day. Hi.

C

I'm Jeannie Porter and Arundel County Public Schools Department of Transportation is raising the level of awareness for the safety of your children as we transport them to and from school.

C

When a school bus stops to load students as a driver, this is what you will see at 150 feet. The bus will activate hazard lights at a hundred feet. The bus driver will activate the amber lights, they will start slowing down at ten feet before the bus stops. They will turn on the red bus lights, their stop sign will come out and students will begin to load once all students are on board safely. The bus driver will turn off red lights and move forward at this time. It is safe for the motorists to resume movement.

A

Welcome back and thanks for staying tuned to food for thought, my guest is going to talk about all the meals and all the programs that we offer outside the traditional school day. Kara panna, wits from sheriff strength, is going to be the next guest hi Kara welcome to food for thought. Thanks it's great to be here. Can you tell the viewers a little bit about yourself and what is your role with sure strength? Absolutely.

D

So I am the out-of-school time manager at share our strength for our no Kid Hungry campaign. That means that I focus on the out-of-school time meal programs, which is the after-school meals program and the summer meals program and myself I'm interested in food security, because I was in the Peace Corps and Africa saw food security. There then moved back to Maryland of that. You know what we have a lot of the same problems here. What can we do about this? How can we solve this problem and.

A

I think so many viewers really have no idea of what we do not only in interworld account, but in all counties across not only Maryland right across the country that outside the traditional school day. So what are those time frames? Can you you know? Four of you were watching outside a traditional day. What would that definition be so.

D

During the school year it would be, after the bell ends, weekends and over the holidays, and then for the summer meals the day after school ends to the day right before school starts.

A

Again see I love that, because in Anne Arundel County we definitely support that and we really believe so strongly that it really does take place if our students are out on a Thursday. The bell rings for summer break we're ready on monday. So I mean we don't do them on the weekends in the summer, but we know that second, that next monday that they're coming back we're ready to serve them now in inner elder county. We do many many programs and we reach many students. Can you share with the viewers? You know?

A

What do you see that we do in Anne, Arundel County and what programs are we operating and what is the benefit for the students that we reach absolutely.

D

So I can start with what's going on currently during the school year, which is the after-school meals program and I'm, not sure how many viewers know that the free and reduced-price me late for Anne Arundel is over thirty percent, which is actually over 26,000 students. That's a lot of students who are relying on school meals, but unfortunately they can get their breakfast at school. Well, they can get their lunch at school. But what about supper? What about dinner? And that's where the after-school meals program comes into place?

D

And there are a lot of kids of and Arundel County around the state. They have lunch at school and they may not get a meal until they have their free breakfast at school. The next day, I hear that story all the time around the state. So the after-school meals program allows schools and community sites to serve that supper to those students who are going to need it, making sure that they can get the nutrition that they need and.

A

What we've done when we started? We started a little bit slow and I. Think we slowed, and we started slow, probably purposely right to make sure. Is this really a right fit? The second? We saw the impact it made for our students and it made for the community and the community partnerships that we've made it's clearly the right decision.

A

We can't add enough schools, I, know you and I work together often so we see the schools that we add throughout the year and every time they offer a summer program we're able to entertain them for our dinner program or the CACFP, which is child and adult care program which is still through USDA. So I guess a lot of acronyms a lot of regulations and a lot of stipulations of how to do it. But the end result to see a child who had another nutritious meal who is ready to learn?

A

Who is ready to focus for their after-school activities, be a physical activity in Richmond chess club Spanish club whatever it would be. It really does make a big difference. Absolutely.

D

And especially, you know around the state there's. Some of these kids are eating lunch at ten o'clock, so it really is they're going from 10 or 11 until breakfast, the next day without much of a meal. So the after-school meals program plays a really good part and making sure they're accessing those meals. You.

A

Know I think one of our biggest partners are recreation and parks, so we have county recreation parks and in Anne Arundel County. We have the city we work with both of them and we partner with both of them.

A

But it's such a nice partnership and collaboration to know that they have the students before the school day starts and after and if their moms and dads aren't coming to pick them up until 6pm that we're there and we can fill that void and we can have them fueled and ready to go if they are running to another practice, or you know, maybe there's not. That means at home. So we know that we have them fueled.

A

So we really see that partnership has blossomed and the benefit to our sister agency has really paid off and they've been so supportive of our initiatives and likewise you know we're supportive of theirs. With summer. Can we spend a few minutes on summers? Absolutely summers pretty near and dear to Anne, Arundel County leave always supported summer. We always participated in the summer food program since I'm here for 22 years, but it was always so small and we focused only on the students that were in this school.

A

So talk about what you see just collectively around the state for summer programs. Absolutely.

D

So the summer program I love it. It's awesome. It's so important. You know the kids who are during the school year, relying on that breakfast and that lunch at school they're not going to school during the summer, so they don't have access to those meals. So the summer meals program can help fill in that gap and make sure kids are getting some of the nutrition they need over summer and it really varies per county. How people run the program and that partly depends on? Do you live in an urban environment?

D

Do you live in a rural environment? What's the best way to reach those students, but I? Think one of the really cool things that I love about in arundel county is the mobile meals program that you guys do. Mobile meals is really great because you can go to any spot you want to. You can go to an apartment complex, you can go to a park and really meet the kids where they are, which is important because sometimes you're dealing with kids who aren't going to be allowed to cross a main street to get somewhere.

D

So if you can go to their neighborhood, hang out with them for a few minutes serve the meal meet them where they are, then that's an amazing opportunity and you guys have always done an awesome job with that and I tell other people about your mobile meals program and tell them to call you and ask you about it and I love that this past year you guys use community partners which is really cool, because not only do the kids get the meal, they get resources or programming, and that helps you guys too, because then these partners can spread the word about mobile meals.

A

And I think just jointly, we can do so much more than yeah.

C

I mean verbally.

D

A

You can share our programs outside of summer or outside of debt right, so exactly it really does and I think for the viewers watching the mobile meals. Really when we started and I know, we've talked about this.

A

We had a principal who is so interested in his community and it was in a high need, so they had high free and reduced-price meals in this community and he said I, don't always see the parents coming to me, they're not coming to the schoolhouse they're not coming to meet a guidance, counselor or a teacher, so he put together teams to go to the families in it was instantly and our minds and in his, how do we not do this in the summer?

A

So we had the support of our transportation office, which was phenomenal, so they provide us, the bus and the bus driver. We would have our staff on the bus. All the food is packaged on the bus and we went to those key locations that he was already in, which is great, so he knew the families and then it was just so nice that we got to know the families and in a whole different light. We've had the same staff to now each year on the bus, so we've done it for quite a few years.

A

In each year we do another enhancement. So the first year we had activities, we had ping pong and a basketball in a hula hoop, and we had things just for the kids to engage in physical activity. The second year we added more activities and some more community partners being with us. The third year we added weekend, backpacks and I, think you were part of that wow, that's silly. We added food to go home on Thursday because we knew there was a void.

A

There would be an area where they wouldn't have food, and then the community partnership has been our most successful endeavor with the mobile meals. Now we talked a little bit do most mobile meals, that you're seeing I think they could be on food trucks mm-hmm on buses. What else are you seeing like? What's the transportation method, so.

D

It varies a lot, so there are counties that use buses school buses, like you guys do, which I think is a good thing, because it's something that feels safe to the families, the parents and the kids and something they recognized.

D

There is the county that has more of a food truck type feel where they actually have a little flap on a truck they lift up and the meals are delivered out. The windows to the kids, which I think is a neat concept and then there's also people who just use a van and they get signage to put on it saying you know school system, meals, whatever they're slow, go there. Logo or slogan is wherever people can get the resources, whether it's from the school or from the community.

D

So there's a lot of ways to try and make it work.

A

And that's what I think we're looking at so we've been traditional school bus. Exactly for the reasons you said it's a known entity, it's the giant, yellow school bus and it has an erotic, County, Public Schools on it. What a perfect fit to take that transportation method into the community that the parents knew the students know and what we find is the same.

A

Students come back time and time so they come, they bring their cousins, they bring extended family, you know of the children, you know 18 and under and the bond that they have with our staff, because we do start that Thursday or if they end on a Thursday. We always start that following monday and we go right until they come back.

A

So we really know that they're fueled all summer they're not going to feel hungry they're, not going to feel that they can't enjoy their summer or continue to read, write and then you know come back ready to learn and that's.

D

One of the things that we talk a lot about to with nutrition over the summer, you know there's always summer learning loss, which is an issue, and that can definitely be even more of an issue if kids aren't getting the nutrition they need over the summer and.

A

We know one thing that your strengths liked: the idea that we did- and you were also part of his with our libraries. Yes,.

D

I am super excited that you're doing the Hat so for after school. In the past, there have been libraries that have been volved around Maryland in the summer meals program of sites, but it hasn't really happened for after school until just recently. So I'm super excited about what you guys are doing and to see how it goes and the fact that so, with the after-school meals program, you have to have a programming or enrichment piece that goes along with it, which can be something as simple as a teacher.

D

There, who's going to help with homework or open library hours at your school, depending on your location and where you are, but I think it's awesome that you guys are actually partnering with a school system to create a curriculum around early literacy that will be matched with the meals, which is just amazing. That's a really great way, I think to kind of kill two birds with one stone and make sure kids are getting what they need: nutrition, wise and the extra educational piece right.

A

Then early literacy so important to us in and around the county- and I know I'm dr.- our lotto strongly supports starting our early younger's early and really having them. You know, reading and having that enrichment activity and doing the math so I think that partnership with the library and the curriculum writers here and we always have the nutritious meal ready to go- is really a perfect combination in something that we could really see blossoming blossoming over the years. The challenge is always going to be.

A

We need to have the library that's in a higher free and reduced-price meal area right for for the area, eligibility, correct.

D

Yeah but I think it'll be a really exciting model and I think if it goes really well at something. We would share around the state and even nationally to try and get other people to try and do the same type of programming and.

A

I think they only have a little bit of time left. That's one thing that we both work on often, is that not only do you come to an Arundel, County and support us so share our strength in the you know: Marilyn no, no Kid Hungry campaign has been so supportive of Anne, Arundel, County and I. Think the interesting thing is in arundel county gets to come to share strength. Events, absolutely.

D

And one of the things I love about working with you judy and your county is you guys are really excited about these programs? You're super dedicated to them you're, always willing to try new things to talk about what you're doing and honestly that doesn't happen all the time.

D

So it's really great to have a partner like you guys who are really invested in making sure kids get the meals they need the nutrition they need and I know that you have been tapped many times to come and speak at different conferences about what you do and share your best practices.

D

So we absolutely appreciate the partnership that we have with you guys and it's just really great- to work with people who are so motivated and want to make sure they're doing the best they can to make sure our kids are getting what they need now.

A

We feel the same way. Thank you for your support and thank you for always being there. When we pick up the phone and say how could you assist with our new program so.

D

Thank you. Yes,.

A

Absolutely, as you can see, the partnership with Charis strength in Anne, Arundel County is definitely alive and well we partner on regular school meals. We look at breakfast. Often we also look at the after school program and our summer meals and just like we just talked in the segment. We often coordinate all of our efforts to collaborate together and to really make a positive impact on the students that we have in Anne Arundel County together. We know that we could both create healthy students, healthy schools and really cultivate communities of wellness.

A

If you have questions about the school meals program, you can call me at 410 22 to 5,900 thanks again for watching and I'll, see you next time and food for thought.