Southeastern Schools Celebrate World School Milk Day

Got milk? ¿Toma Leche?

From milk mustache contests to real cows, schools across the Southeast recently celebrated World School Milk Day (WSMD) in honor of Southeastern dairy farm families.

Hundreds of Southeastern schools took part in the annual event, each developing unique ways to celebrate and educate students about the importance of milk.

Check out these schools! See how they got their students mootivated to drink milk!

• In Hamilton County, Tenn., more than 70 schools in the Chattanooga area celebrated WSMD. At Birchwood Elementary School, students started their morning with a visit from local dairy farmer Randy Davis. Davis spoke to students about the importance of milk and handed out WSMD stickers at breakfast. After breakfast, students watched SUDIA's dairy education video "Milk on the Mooove." This video teaches students how milk gets from the farm to their schools.
• In Mississippi, local dairy farmers Carl Roberts and Randy Earls brought a cow to Wesson Elementary School. For some students, this was the first time they had seen a live cow.
• In Kentucky, Colonel William Casey Elementary School invited local dairy farmers Marty Martinez and Billy Rowe to speak to students about dairy foods and dairy farming. To further celebrate and extend the education, Martinez and Rowe brought a cow and four calves to the event.

Schools Across the Southeast Strive for 35

More than 100 Southeastern school districts recently took part in SUDIA's Strive for 35 campaign. The idea behind Strive for 35 is simple – keep milk cold, ideally at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and students will be more likely to drink milk.

To help schools achieve this goal, SUDIA provided milk temperature kits to 2,225 schools. Each kit included a Strive for 35 cooler cling, digital thermometer, milk temperature survey and cold milk fact sheet.

More than 320 schools from the districts completed the milk temperature survey. Good news – most schools are keeping milk temperatures between 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Schools that reported milk temperature issues within their survey will receive a follow-up from a SUDIA representative to discuss solutions for keeping milk colder.

Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant Winners Announced

SUDIA, in cooperation with the Action for Healthy Kids Foundation (AFHK), recently awarded $77,000 in Fuel Up To Play 60 (FUTP60) grants to 46 Southeastern schools.  

FUTP60 is a youth-led program aimed to inspire students to take charge of their personal wellness by exercising for 60 minutes each day and fueling up with nutrient-rich foods.

Awarded funds can be used to support schools in the development of new nutrition and physical activity programs, such as in–class activity breaks and expanding breakfast programs.

How schools will use the funds:

Wakefield Elementary School in North Carolina has pledged to use the funds toward new physical activity equipment and to purchase nutrient–rich foods for taste test activities.

Northern Elementary School in Kentucky is working to expose students to healthier food choices by adding whole grains and low–fat dairy to its fruit and vegetable offerings.

In Virginia, Windsor Oaks Elementary School is planning to use the funds toward the development of a student walking club and after school intramurals. After each activity, program leaders will provide a healthy snack to the students and talk to them about proper nutrition and portion sizes.

These are just a few of the many unique ways schools are using FUTP60 grant funds to combat childhood obesity in their schools.

For more information about FUTP60 and upcoming grant opportunities, please visit www.fueluptoplay60.com.

General Mills Grant Update

Studies show that one out of every six American children do not get the proper nourishment to start their day. A study conducted in Philadelphia and Baltimore public schools showed that children who regularly participated in breakfast programs scored higher on math tests, were less likely to be tardy or absent, and had fewer reported discipline problems when compared with children who skipped breakfast.

General Mills recently awarded eight Southeastern schools with $2,000 grants to help expand and develop new school breakfast programs.

Southeastern schools receiving the grant funds include Alabama's Auburn High School and Rainbow Middle School, Georgia's Griffin High School, North Carolina's Hardin Park Elementary and Asheville High School, South Carolina's Beech Hill Elementary and Clover High School, and Tennessee's Erma Siegel Elementary.

For more information about promotion materials and grants to support your breakfast program, contact your SUDIA representative.

Upcoming grant opportunities:

General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids Grant Program is currently offering school nutrition directors the chance to apply for one of 50 new grant opportunities.

This effort is a partnership between the General Mills Foundation, the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness. The program is designed to encourage U.S. communities to improve the eating and physical activity patterns of children ages two to 18.

In 2011, 50 grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to schools, nonprofits and government agencies across the country. Applicants are required to maintain a program that contains both a nutrition and physical activity component.

Online applications are required, and should be submitted before December 15, 2010. You can apply online by visiting General Mills' website.

In this issue:

Southeastern Schools Celebrate World School Milk Day

Schools Across the Southeast Strive for 35

Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant Winners Announced

General Mills Grant Update