Friday, February 7, 2003

Schools honored for lunch program

The Georgia Department of Education has honored 14 Fulton County schools for serving a large percentage of its students through the school lunch program.

Elementary schools receiving recognition had greater than 90 percent participation, as compared to 85 percent statewide, middle schools had greater than 80 percent participation, as compared to 74 percent statewide, and high schools had greater than 70 percent participation, as compared to 51 percent statewide.

Fulton County schools receiving this recognition and the percentage of students eating lunch during 2001-02 school year are:

Elementary Schools

Brookview

College Park

Conley Hills

Gullatt

Hapeville

Lewis

Palmetto

Parklane

Seaborn Lee

Stonewall Tell

Tubman

Middle schools

McNair

Paul D. West

Woodland

"This recognition from the Georgia Department of Education to the members of our nutrition staff and faculty is an appropriate acknowledgment of their hard work and dedication," said Tricia Durham, Director of Fulton's School Nutrition Program.

"If anything, this recognition will make all of us work harder to reach even more students by serving them nutritious meals and teaching them about good nutrition. Education is the key to develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime."

According to Annette Bomar Hopgood, director of the state DOE's School and Community Nutrition Program, periodic or transient hunger and poor nutrition impacts all students regardless of age, gender, race, or economic background.

"Students who do not eat meals regularly or that eat poorly will not be physically or mentally capable of learning at their maximum potential," she said. "Students benefit when food choices are of the best quality, the flavor of food is good, and food is attractive when served. The Fulton County School System is to be commended for its high participation of students eating lunch each day."

Schools that earned this distinction generally share two common characteristics: administrators, faculty, and staff who show their support for good nutrition by participating in the program themselves and who believe the program enhances the learning process, and many of these schools offer a wide variety of menu choices daily, allowing students a greater opportunity to select a nutritionally complete meal that they enjoy.