As part of Broward County Public Schools’ (BCPS) Fresh Attitude Week Showcase, the district welcomed a visiting delegation of French foodservice professionals the week of May 8. The mission of the visit was for the French foodservice professionals to observe firsthand some best practices, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas that can improve programs in France and beyond.
With bus stops scheduled for the French foodservice professionals at Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale schools all day on Wednesday, May 10, district Food and Nutrition Services administrators were present for the day’s programming. “The itinerary provided a great overview of what our schools are doing so well, from a hydroponic garden to a National Nutrition Month poster contest,” says Darlene Moppert, MS, RD, program manager and registered dietitian/nutritionist with the BCPS Food & Nutrition Services.
The morning was spent at schools in Hollywood, beginning at Driftwood Middle School, where the delegation observed the school’s hydroponic garden and watched a video about this health magnet school. A presentation on the subject “Farm to School, Family Nutrition Program and More” was conducted by Brenda Marty Jimenez and Beth Owens from the University of Florida IFAS Partnership.
The delegation then visited McNicol Middle School to learn about the Wellness in the Schools (WITS™) initiative, including a culinary demo with students led by WITS Chefs Jason Bryson and Lenora Azpurua. The group then visited Colbert Elementary where they enjoyed fresh Florida Blueberries as part of the District’s Monthly Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Tastings, a USDA Best Practice. The observed Melissa Edwards, Cafeteria Manager, teaching students about the positive health benefits of fresh blueberries.
For lunch, the delegation was treated to a cooking demonstration by Celebrity Chef Rudy Poindexter of the Food Network’s “Chopped” fame. Chef Poindexter prepared a healthy jambalaya recipe at South Broward High School. The group enjoyed the jambalaya, along with roasted hummus wraps, Asian kale salad, roasted dill carrots, broccoli and watermelon, all part of the high school menu in Broward County.
The day ended at Virginia Shuman Young Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale with the National Nutrition Month Poster Contest award presentation to fifth grade District winner Sofie Heggenhougen. The contest was judged by representatives from the Broward Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who selected one winner in each grade, as well as one grand prize winner from BCPS. The contest was sponsored by the Broward Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Broward Regional Health Planning Council.
BCPS Food & Nutrition Services encourages students to “Power Up!” with healthy and nutritious meals during the school day. BCPS alone serves nearly 145,000 school lunches every day.
ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has over 271,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 236 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 101 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 208 different countries and 181 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, anddownload the free BCPS mobile app.
