School food for body and soul

Those of you who know me realize I care deeply about children and education. My desire is always to be a part of the solution and work for unity. I know that the new food services director and her team at La Conner School District are working extremely hard to provide excellent services for everyone, and I realize they are being directed by the district office.

Amber Fleck, a LCSD parent and employee, should not have to summon the courage to stand up at a school board meeting as an advocate for students to say that the meal portions have not been adequate and that the nutritional quality of the food has been reduced. She should not have to report the well-known link between healthy nutrition and learning.

The district website updated its information on the Food Services page, keeping some of the words of Georgia Johnson, who led a program that set an extremely high standard at the state and national level. However, the promise on the website is not being fulfilled currently as commodities / ‘fast foods’ are being regularly, not occasionally featured, as is stated to the public.

Kids love fast food! Naturally the number of students eating school lunches will be up if those foods are regularly featured.

It is the responsibility of educators to stress and model the importance of the healthiest foods possible. Short-term cost cutting of food quality begs the question of the trade-off in the long- term and bigger picture. I know the food service team is complying with district office directives and are all caring and hard-working and I commend and thank them.

The other major concern I have is that the incredible recycling-composting program which has been in place is not being implemented as in the past. The paper plates used are biodegradable and compostable but are going into the garbage and therefore landfill.

Georgia created a comprehensive program, using her cafeteria as a 3-D classroom where children learned the importance of protecting the environment we all share.

She did this with ardent volunteers and enthusiasm from the students who got to experience “doing the right thing” for themselves and our planet.

They were taught to understand that daily food waste would create rich compost for the school gardens and able to learn from a wonderful variety of enrichment classes.

Students as young as five were learning to have a direct experience of being responsible for their own waste management and being taught about resources and sustainability, some of the most important life lessons they can be offered.

What mixed message is the district administration willing to give to students about something so incredibly valuable? As a community member, school volunteer and taxpayer, I wonder how aware the school board directors are of what I feel concerned about.

Recycling and composting are not an inconvenience, but part of a healthy lifestyle. They are also cost-saving and part of the new pledge as a school board of an increased awareness for fiscal responsibility. These are also an incredible example of building daily social and emotional skills, another teaching stressed at LCSD. Recycling and composting create an opportunity for daily experiences of using a “growth mindset,” another topic that has been a focus of study at LCSD.

We can all agree that what is best for the children is the basis for decision making. I am offering my concerns to help clarify what that truly means in terms of a food service program. Balancing a budget for public schools is never a simple task, and new employees have to adjust each school year, yet LCSD has been a leader for many years with a reputation for having a truly comprehensive and integrative food services program.

Children living in an agricultural valley as beautiful as ours deserve to understand the importance of how we care for the land that sustains us all.

With respect,

Connie Funk