Brockton Public Schools’ chính sách chăm sóc sức khỏe is committed to providing its students and staff with the highest quality information, with a curriculum that supports the promotion of lifelong health and wellness. The school’s Food Service department strives to provide students with nutritional meals that meet the USDA school meal standards including breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

On March 27^th, 2023, Framingham State University (FSU) Student Dietitian, Lydia Hirzel, provided nutrition education on Grains to a 1^st grade classroom at Brookfield Elementary School in conjunction with UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP). UMass Extension is a federally funded organization as part of University of Massachusetts of Amherst. The program provides education based on USDA and SNAP-ed. As part of a 4-week lesson program, students in the 1^st week learned all about USDA’s MyPlate, washing their hands, and incorporating physical activity every day. As part of the 2^nd weeks lesson students are expected to learn about the grain group.  

In the lesson, Lydia welcomed the students to a familiar friend, Jane Grain, to help introduce different types of grains in the food group. Students were asked to name the different grains Jane was made from and think about grains they ate recently. Additionally, students passed around different examples of grain seeds to experience how different grains look and feel. They learned how grains grow on farms and are used in different foods they may eat. Lastly, students learned that grains are important to give our bodies energy, saying, “grains make us GO!” The student’s knowledge was tested with a matching game to determine what foods do not belong in the grain group. Students were eager to participate and did a great job following the completed lesson. 

For more lessons on school nutrition and wellness, resources can be accessed through the SWITCH website.

By: Lydia Hirzel, FSU Food and Nutrition Graduate student in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.