written by Jenny Breen, GRS Food and Nutrition Education Support

Hello families!

We want to update you on all the exciting food/nutrition/sustainability-related things happening in the kitchen AND in the classroom at GRS!

The kitchen team, led by Head Chef Mel Hammond (yes, she got married in October!!) continues to develop delicious, nutritious scratch-made food for your children to consume. The meals are vegetable and whole food-focused, simple, and sustainable. They include sandwiches, salads, snack trays, as well as hot soups and stews. We will be adding a THIRD hot lunch day on Wednesdays starting in January.

We have received vital help from our parent volunteers, so thank you and please let us know if you are interested in joining the volunteer team! Reach out to Mel directly at Mhammond@greatriverschool.org if interested.

We also appreciate parent/staff member Julie Brown-Micko, who has been a steady team member since the beginning and continues to make things run smoothly. And, we welcome new team member Stayci Bell, who brings much food, farming, and teaching experience!

In addition to the lunch program, we are piloting a middle school occupations class that focuses on food, sustainability, health, and justice. Tami Limberg has led the implementation of the class, in collaboration with Jenny Breen (GRS food and nutrition education support). The students are learning about these concepts through experiential learning, including multiple days of cooking in the kitchen. They even help prep ingredients that are used in the school lunches!

This class is fulfilling a long-standing mission of the school's food program, and we're thrilled to be implementing it. Look for more information about other educational opportunities for families and community members in the coming months!