Spencer East Brookfield Public Schools is committed to providing environments in their schools that promote and protect students’ health, well-being, and ability to support healthy eating and physical activity. The district’s Wellness Policy encourages and enhances learning that contributes to the health, growth and development of their students and families to cultivate life-long healthy eating behaviors. To ensure this standard, the district includes qualified child nutrition professionals from UMASS Extension Nutrition Education Program to provide students access to learn about nutritious foods that help fuel their bodies and create a healthy mindset with food. 

On Monday, November 21, 2022, Framingham State University graduate student and UMASS Extension intern, Toni Tirozzi, taught kindergarten students at Wire Village Elementary School about protein foods and the benefits of them in our bodies. Students learned protein sources come from both animals and plants and were able to identify their favorite protein foods like eggs, chicken, beans, and peanut butter by using props and pictures. The kindergarten students learned that protein keeps our bodies strong, builds muscles and keeps us healthy. They were able to identify they had muscles all throughout their bodies like in their legs to help them run and play. After a physical activity exercise of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, the students were able to discover their beating hearts were also strong muscles that protein helps keep healthy. 

For more nutrition and wellness lesson plan content, please visit the SWITCH resource center.

By: Toni Tirozzi, FSU Food and Nutrition Graduate Student in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.