Andover Public Schools works toward creating a healthy school environment that supports the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being and safety of its school system. By utilizing theories and methods of effectiveness of health, physical activity, and nutrition, educators are able to exemplify and teach healthy lifestyle practices within their curriculum in order to continue to build the functional knowledge and skills of students to better motivate their mindsets in the realm of improving overall health and wellbeing.

Specifically, the Nutrition Department’s mission is to provide each student with equal access to a nutritious, high quality meal, in a pleasant atmosphere, to fuel and support them through the day. Their goal is to continue nourishing students by providing them a safe, equitable environment where meals are accessible to all. 

Andover Public Schools partnered with Framingham State University’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics in order to help evolve progress goals within their política de bem-estar. One of the initiatives is to provide nutrition education to various grade levels. The nutrition education lessons were created and conducted by graduate students in the program. 

On Monday, April 10th, 2023, student dietitian Jennifer Lusty, conducted a nutrition lesson for kindergarten students at Sanborne Elementary School to teach about the importance of incorporating the rainbow into their healthy lifestyles. Students were able to use their fine motor skills in order to connect colors to different fruits and vegetables and learn the importance of how they can help different parts of our body – vision, memory, heart health, and building strong bones. Overall, students learned about the variety of fruits and vegetables and how they can help them play, learn, and grow! 

Additional information about this lesson, and similar resources can be found here. 

Submitted By: Jennifer Lusty, Framingham State University Food and Nutrition Graduate Student in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.