The 2015-16 school year is the second year for The Nutrition Group here at East Guernsey Local Schools. As always, one of the food service goals is to expand on the food choices students make every day. After all, we’ve all heard that variety is the spice of life. The Nutrition Group has come up with two programs with this goal in mind: Wellness Wednesday and Recipe of the Month.

Wellness Wednesday is a program where elementary students are encouraged to try new and healthy recipes. These recipes were developed by The Nutrition Group’s corporate chefs and dietitians and comply with the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA). Wellness Wednesday takes place every other month in the elementary cafeteria during lunch time. During Wellness Wednesday, students cans ample the featured recipe, pick up a handout which includes the recipe and its nutritional information, and grab a sticker that says, “I tried something new today!” This school year, our Wellness Wednesday recipes include: Peach Salsa, Confetti Bean Salad, Crispy Beet Salad, Stewed Tomatoes, and Vegetable Quinoa. Wellness Wednesday is a great way for students to discover new, nutrient-rich foods!

New this year is a program called Recipe of the Month. This program’s aim is to spice up the monthly menu, giving students a new entrée option each month. The recipes are geared toward an older audience, therefore the Recipe of the Month primarily shows up on the high school menu. Recipes such as White Bean Chicken Chili, Burrito Bowl, Ham and Potato Au Gratin, and Jamaican Pork over Riceare just a few in the Recipe of the Month pool. Hopefully with the programs implemented, students will be excited to try new foods not only at school, but at home too!

Ohio winters can cause you to feel down and sleep more than usual. Don’t be too quick to accept this as a normal part of like. You may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. At school, we also see this in some of our students.

Not everyone is suffering from SAD, some are suffering from a less-severe form of mood changes called the “winter blues.” If you think you (or your child) may be experiencing SAD or winter blues, you may try the following things:
*Expose yourself to sunlight whenever possible.
*Incorporate more physical activity each day.
*Socialize with friends, family and colleagues often.

East Guernsey is committed to bringing new educational technology to all students and staff. Over the past year, we have made significant improvements by adding the follow technology: all students in grades six to 12 received Chromebooks as part of our 1:1 program; iPads are available for use by our kindergarten classes; grades first through fifth each have access to a Chromebook cart for classroom activities.

We are proud that East Guernsey was first district in the county to implement a 1:1 program at a middle school level last year. This initiative has been a great way to engage our modern students by using what they know… technology! It is a great site to see students after school in the common areas with their Chromebooks out working on school work.

East Guernsey is committed to being on the leading edge of technology.