Hungry for Change

In April, Connect for Kids conducted a month-long child nutrition campaign, looking at major federal programs including school lunch and breakfast. Lafleur Stephens’ story, School Breakfast: Who Needs It?, explained the importance of providing nutritious morning meals. Still, many schools have yet to adopt breakfast programs. Stephens also profiled the national school lunch program in School Lunch: A Long-Running Success Story. A number of people responded.

Something to be considered is medication. After my daughter has had her Ritalin in the morning (at home) it destroys her appetite. Adding another dose at school is frowned upon because we have no full time school nurse to administer medications and this duty falls to the secretaries in the front office as it is. Personally, I like the idea of all having breakfast at school in their classrooms. I believe it would greatly impact learning in a positive way. In applying it to our situation however, there is the glitch of medications.

Sybrina L. Ecklund

We are on the school lunch program at Atascadero Junior High School in Atascadero, California. My son is 13 years old and in the eighth grade. We qualified for free lunch and breakfast each day. When my son was in grade school up through 6th grade he just filled in a number and he was given a free lunch. They didn't point him out or make him feel any different than any other student. At the Junior High they put out in a special area the food that is for the free lunches. My son says that the food is burnt or left over from a previous day. The food that the other students get to choose from is fresh and more of a variety. Although the food served in this cafeteria is much to high in fat and is almost always from Taco Bell and other fast food places. I tried calling the school and talking to the cafeteria head lady but it was no use. They serve sodas instead of milk and candy etc.

My son wasn't eating all day because he was embarrassed to take the food from the special area and he didn't like the taste either. We have been hard pressed to come up with $5.00 or more each day. I am disabled and my husband has cancer so neither of us work right now. Who could I talk to and tell them about the problems especially the poor menu choices and the segregation of the free lunch students, most of which are from Mexican families in the area?

I went to this school when I was in elementary school, we had fresh cooked food like spaghetti. We also had bread, fruit, vegetables and milk served on a tray with compartments. What happened to food service like this? If you could please help me I would appreciate it.

Thank you,
Karen Mock

I live in the city of Buffalo, in which a majority of the kids qualify for the free lunch program. The schools gave exclusive vending rights to a soda company. How can the kids afford soda and bottled water if they can't afford to eat?

Julie
Buffalo, NY

I think the school lunch programs are a necessity, but I am very concerned about the nutritional value of the food that is being served. Many schools have moved away from fresh fruits and vegetables, and are relying more and more on over-processed, fatty, salty, high calorie, poor quality foods. Worse yet, why do we allow schools to serve Pizza Hut or McDonald's food to our children? I am also concerned about the number of schools that make soda and other low quality snack food available. What are we teaching children when we serve them these foods?!

Karen Tilashalski

Many of you also answered one or more of our child nutrition poll questions during April. Those results will appear on the site soon.

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Demand for an Unusual Resource

The story of Girl Scout Katie Jadin, in Andrea Grazzini Walstrom’s Answering the Hardest Question, compelled many readers. Jadin, who works as a volunteer with child victims of sexual abuse, wrote a workbook “Why Me?” for the children.

I think this article is simply wonderful. It is true that a child will open up to another child more so than an adult after being abused. "Why Me?" sounds like it is something that we could use here in our library for the parents and professionals that contact our Center. We are the Parent Training and Information Center for the state of North Dakota and the only one for the whole state. We have a very large lending library where parents and professionals and kids can come and check out the books and videos. May I inquire as to where we could purchase this book? I greatly appreciate your assistance in this request.

Regards,
Diana Page
Pathfinder Family Center
Minot, ND

This was one of many requests we received for information on obtaining a copy of Katie’s book. We directed people to the agency that uses the book in its work. The response has started a discussion here at Connect for Kids on whether we have a role to play in making materials like this more widely available. We'll keep you posted.

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Testosterone Junction

Andrea Grazzini Walstrom’s March story, Of Books and Boys, highlighted the efforts of author Jon Scieszka to get young males reading with his GUYS READ program. Many subscribers, such as Lynn Clough of the Indiana Youth Institute, found the program to be unique and positive.

I recently read Andrea's story about author Jon Scieszka and his GUYS READ initiative through my subscription to the Connect for Kids newsletter. What a great program! I would love to talk with him about being a guest on our radio show, but I can't find any way to leave a message for him, or even an e-mail. Do you have any ideas on how I might reach him?

I'm with the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes the healthy development of children and youth by serving the institutions and people of Indiana who work on their behalf. IYI does not work with children, but instead provides programs and support to those adults who do work directly with kids. One service IYI offers is the Kids Count Radio Show, a weekly half-hour public affairs talk show targeted primarily to youth workers. The show is heard on 13 radio stations around the state. Hosted by IYI’s president & CEO, guests on the show include youth workers, youth development leaders, educators, youth involved in community service, and others who can share valuable insights to the youth work field.

Since lack of parental involvement in children's lives has long been a major concern of Indiana youth workers, we're preparing to add parents and others in the community to our audience who might be persuaded by the radio show to become more connected with kids. To encourage that increase in listenership, our plan is to feature guests who work diligently to engage parents and others in their communities in kids' lives. I'd appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks!

Lynn Clough
Webmaster/Project Administrator
Indiana Youth Institute
Indianapolis, IN

Others felt that Scieszka's program ignores the role of women in teaching young boys to read.

I resent the fact that this author feels that women teachers of young boys are missing the mark. Mothers of young boys teach their children to read. I believe if more fathers would get involved, reading for boys will improve.

Thanks, Regina Mayer-Helmer

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No Child Left Behind?

Our March Citizens’ Toolkit on the federal budget and tax cuts was well-used resource. Like many of us, Anita Pahman is concerned with educational cuts across the board.

I am a teacher from Lawrence County, Alabama and am also current president of the Alabama Aerospace Teachers Association. I am deeply disturbed at the federal and state cuts in education. Our county will be losing forty teacher units and I do not see how we can do this. I had an overload of thirty students in the fourth grade this year and have one autistic student and twelve special education students. I am to teach with "no child left behind" under adverse conditions. This is not right. We must band together to help to get more funding for schools. We are spending billions on the war and on help for other countries. We must have money for education. Thank you for listening and for any help.

Anita Pahman
Mt. Hope School
4th Grade teacher