Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2016)
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon LUNCH: Push is on for better, tastier food in schools Continued from page 18 purchasing food at the caf- eteria since November, when Angelena Bosco started full time. She believes that is due to the positive attitude in the kitchen. “Kids wave now and have a good feeling about coming in (to the cafeteria),” says Bosco. “We would love to have more students eat hot lunch and are constantly ask- ing ourselves how can we get more students to come in? What can we improve upon?” There is a common theme throughout all three kitch- ens in the district — positive energy. Angelena Bosco loves working with the kids at the elementary school. Cafeteria staff even set up a program that allows for two or three students from third and fourth grade to come in and help at lunchtime. Students that par- ticipate choose to miss their lunch recess to volunteer in the kitchen and they are hav- ing so much fun they keep coming back. “They love to serve dur- ing the lunches because they get to see their friends,” says Bosco. “We laugh a lot,” says Lisa Lawrence, who works along- side Bosco at the elementary school. “It’s a toss-up for my favorite part of the job between spending time with the kids every day and hav- ing such great co-workers to work with. My only regret is that I didn’t do this while my kids were in school.” At the high school, Rood loves to share new food with the students. “There was a senior a few years back that had never had a kiwi,” says Rood. “I cut it up and encouraged him to try it, he came back and said it was the best thing he ever tasted.” As spring comes around Rood is especially looking forward to using her living wall in the cafeteria. A con- tribution from the Sisters Science Club a few years back, the living wall allows her to grow herbs, edible flowers, tomatoes and more right in the cafeteria. “Students can walk by on their way through pick- ing up their lunch and grab a tomato,” she says. “They have told me they don’t like tomatoes. I tell them to try one from the vine, and some- times it changes their mind.” Kids can benefit from lunch program By erin Borla Correspondent There are students in Sisters who could benefit from the free or reduced lunch program at all three local schools. “The free and reduced lunch program can help fami- lies by allowing them to put their limited resources into other needed areas,” says Sisters Elementary School Principal and District Special Programs Coordinator Becky Stoughton. According to the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal pro- gram operating across the country run by the USDA, any child participating in school may purchase a meal. Families listed at or below 130 percent of the poverty line are eligible for free meals (130 percent of the poverty line represents a household income of $30,615 or less for a family of four) and those who are between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty line are eligible for reduced lunch (a household income of $43,568 for a family of four.) Families may apply for the program at any time throughout the year. Applications for the free and reduced lunch program need to be completed on an annual basis and are available at all District sites. Assistance with completing the application is available through the Family Access Network. The records for the free and reduced lunch program are confidential. Access is highly restricted to ensure there is no identifiable differ- ence between students in the program and students that are not. Currently Sisters Elementary School has 40 percent of the student popu- lation on the free and reduced lunch program. That means more students are getting access to meals throughout the day. The program is also used as a federal identifier for schools and districts that are in need of additional support. When schools reach certain percentages, they can apply for additional federal pro- grams and support. For example, districts with more than 50 percent of the student population eligible for free and reduced lunch allows for the USDA to subsidize after-school snacks and the free summer lunch program. The 50 percent number also activates a higher level of support for Title I Programs and personnel. Even though applications are accepted throughout the year, federal programs which use the free and reduced lunch numbers to determine eligibility are decided in October for the school year. For more informa- tion contact Stoughton at 541-549-8981. CORRECTION The article “Clean eat- ing in a hectic world,” (The Nugget, March 9, pg. 14) gave an incorrect business name and website for nutri- tionist Sarah Wilder. Sarah, who also offers nutrition and food-choice advice at Melvin’s Fir Street Market, operates the nutrition con- sultation practice Healthy Healed You, LLC. Her website for further infor- mation is www.healthy healedyou.com. The site was expected to go live Wednesday, March 16. Bend Memorial Clinic Bend Memorial Clinic in Sisters has been taking care of local families for years. Dr. Fan practices at the Sisters Clinic, where she finds being a small-town doc- tor richly rewarding. From routine shots to regular checkups, from helping folks get over illness to helping them plan to improve their health, Bend Memorial Clinic is there for the Sisters community. The BMC Sisters Clinic team treats the whole patient, not just a collection of symptoms, and they tailor a healthcare plan that is unique and right for you. Bend Memorial Clinic also offers urgent-care ser- vices in Bend and Redmond, including imaging and lab services. And remember, no matter where you see your Bend Memorial Clinic provider, all your informa- tion is kept in a central electronic health record sys- tem so all physician notes are kept in one, confidential place for your Total Care.™ 19 Locally Owned! Healthy Everything! Weekly farm-fresh shares available. $20-$40 /week. Fresh & organic produce Homemade to-go food, deli, soups & wraps On-site nutritionist Big selection of vitamins & supplements Special orders always welcome Call 541-420-8684 • www.mahoniagardens.com 541-549-0711 • 160 S. Fir St., Sisters • Open Every Day commu it supported agriculture- real CSA- community food grown using organic practices in Sisters.
