Food for thought: Diagonal schools offer free lunch, summer activities for area children
By JOLENE KENNEDY - CNA intern
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| Brain food: Area children of all ages take a break from their Sites for Learning activities to eat a nutritious meal in the Diagonal High School cafeteria. (JOLENE KENNEDY) |
Knowledge, adventure, and a balanced meal - all essential ingredients for a great summer. This year, Diagonal schools are working to provide all three for area children with the help of a new free lunch program and a fun-filled summer activities curriculum.
Summer Lunch Program
Diagonal schools are offering free breakfast and lunch for children in need this summer. The summer free lunch program, which provides meals for area children under 18, is funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Education.
“Basically, the state looks for sites like Diagonal school to host their program,” said Diagonal Food Service Director Jennifer Bice. “We carry it out for them, so by participating we are able to offer free lunches to anyone in our area.”
Children are not required to register with the school or provide proof of financial need in order to receive free meals. Any child who comes to the high school cafeteria during specified breakfast and lunch hours will be served.
“On our regular school year program, students have to apply for free or reduced lunch status,” said Bice. “But in the summer, participation is based on need in the area. They pull our regular school year numbers, and if more than 50 percent of kids are on free or reduced status, they do the program.”
So far, many area children have been taking advantage of this helpful opportunity, which began May 26 and ends August 7. The high school cafeteria has seen turnouts varying from as few as 30 to as many as 70 children per meal, said Bice.
Because the program is state-sponsored, menus must comply with government approved guidelines. Meals have to provide all necessary food groups: protein, grains, a vegetable, fruit, and milk.
“We try to integrate different foods that are fun for the kids,” said Bice.
Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Diagonal High School cafeteria. Adults are welcome but may be asked to pay a small fee.
Mount Ayr schools are also providing free breakfast and lunch to students this summer.
Sites for Learning
In conjunction with the summer lunch initiative, Diagonal participates in Sites for Learning, an educational and extra-curricular summer school program for area students. Countywide, locally sponsored grants allow Clearfield and Mount Ayr to utilize Sites for Learning also.
“It has so many benefits,” said Bice. “It’s a fill-in between classroom work, but they also do outside of the classroom studies, and it also gives kids something to do during the summer so their parents can work.”
As well as basic academic studies, participating children have the opportunity to swim, engage in farm safety training, work with GPS systems and other new technologies, and even hatch chickens to learn about the life cycle. During “Adventure Week,” students explored nature by canoeing, hiking, and rock climbing, said Superintendent Karleen Stephens.
“It’s a county-wide grant, so Clearfield, Diagonal and Mount Ayr can take advantage of it,” said Stephens. “It incorporates wellness, fitness and academics. It keeps them on track so they don’t backslide on their reading and writing. It’s really two-fold: the academics and the activities. It’s a great program.”
Every student enrolled in Sites for Learning also takes advantage of the summer lunch program, said Program Director Marci Johnson. However, Diagonal does not require children to do both.
More information
Contact Jennifer Bice for more information about the summer lunch program or Marci Johnson for questions regarding Sites for Learning. Both can be reached via Diagonal High School at 641-734-5331.
