School Nutrition Association • November/December 2022 • Things We Love

The adult coloring book phenomenon may have cooled off a bit, but the underlying reasons for its trendy rise a decade ago remain just as valid. Many researchers find coloring to be a calming activity, one that can improve focus, reduce anxiety and relieve stress. It also helps kids with concentration, encouraging patience and relaxation, while developing fine motor skills. For both kids and adults, the satisfaction of producing something creative and beautiful is a confidence booster.

With these benefits in mind (plus we, too, love to color), we’re huge fans of this fun project initiated by the school nutrition team at Tullahoma (Tenn.) City Schools at the start of SY2022-23. In each school cafeteria, they posted an extra-large, highly detailed wall coloring sheet and encouraged students and staff to “take a quick brain break each day and color with us.” Each cafeteria’s coloring project is personalized to the school’s mascot. We can’t wait to see more of the finished results of these collaborative artworks!

The Child Nutrition team at Sycamore Community Schools, Cincinnati, certainly “scored” big with the starter in their lineup of celebrity chef appearances during #NSLW22. With the Cincinnati Reds out of the baseball playoffs, mascot Rosie Reds was available to bring her sassy-sweet charm to the cafeteria at E.H. Greene Intermediate. We’re glad to see that Rosie understands the value of a healthy school lunch and paid a visit to lend a helping hand for service, mingle with student diners and even assist with clean-up! (Turn the page for more coverage of #NSLW22.)

Someone at Windham Raymond (Maine) Schools has mad carving skills! We’re super impressed with these Halloween “veggie-lanterns” that use the rib structure and seeds of bell peppers to create some spook-tacular examples of food art.

Silverware carelessly discarded into the trash is one reason many school nutrition operations turn to disposable options, even in the face of sacrificing Earth-conscious program goals. But the Food Services department at State College Area (Pa.) School District isn’t ready to give up and is hoping to influence better behaviors by appealing to a combination of incentive and competitive spirit. The school site that loses the fewest forks and spoons over a 10-week period will earn sweet treats for the entire school! We love the carrot-versus-stick approach to solving this common problem. Good luck!

More and more school districts are seeing big boosts in breakfast participation—and milk consumption—by offering morning coffee drinks at their high schools. Clearly, it’s going to be a brew-tiful day for this teen at Gauthier High School in Pascagoula, Miss.!

How now, black-and-white cow? Kids in many school cafeterias were seeing spots on September 28, World Milk Day. Mascots, milk mustaches and a moo-ving encounter with a visiting calf were just a few of the activities shared on social media. Consider these images from schools in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina solid inspiration for future farm-to-school activities.

These little buckaroos from Coffee County (Ga.) Schools are gonna grow up to be real heartbreakers—especially if they keep eating those healthy school lunches.

You may need to don a pair of sunglasses before viewing these pages! #NSLW22 celebrations were very colorful, to say the least. (We suspect craft stores may be experiencing a surprising shortage of rubber bands and neon dyes.) Staff and students in schools all across the country broke out the fringe and funky glasses, bell-bottoms and beads—and enough insane patterns and prints to make our heads spin after reviewing hundreds of photos.

Many districts created fantastic displays and selfie stations. One school attracted kids’ attention with a bubble machine. Some offered inspired menus (check out the “tie-dye applesauce” and psychedelic cakes being prepared below). Even USDA’s Stacy Dean and Cindy Long got in on the action during a special #NSLW22 webinar collaboration with SNA! And everyone was flashing peace signs! Did you dig it?

We wish we could extend NSLW’s good vibrations with even more images from October’s hip happenings, but these pictures will have to represent. Thanks to schools and districts in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin (plus many, many others) that shared memories and future inspiration for a fun and flower-powered week. Peace out!