Merced Sun-Star Column
by MCSD Public Information Officer, Sara Sandrik:
Looks can be deceiving when it comes to food. You may have seen the stories about how certain salads can be higher in fat and calories than a cheeseburger, and some protein bars are comparable to candy. Well, I recently had a chance to learn a lot more about the food we serve at Merced City School District campuses, and I’m happy to share that in this case looks can be deceiving in a GOOD way. That’s because some of the items are made to appeal to kids’ palates while still meeting strict nutritional guidelines.
Before I delve deeper into that topic, let me first take a step back and share more about our school meal program as a whole. Our district serves lunch to approximately 8,200 students a day and breakfast (which is free for all students) to about 4,700 a day. Lunch options always include fresh fruit and vegetables from a produce bar, and every breakfast also includes fresh fruit. Students have choices when it comes to their entrée, but they must take at least one serving of fruit or veggies. I should also mention the company that provides all of our produce is supplied by dozens of farms within 250 miles of our district, including sweet potatoes from Livingston and citrus from Delano.
To go along with all of that produce, there are different entrée items each day. As I look at the menu for January, I see lunch offerings such as barbecue chicken, deli sandwiches, hamburgers, drumsticks, and pizza. At first glance, you might think some of those items are high in calories or fat, but that’s not the case. All of the food for our schools is made with whole grains, reduced/zero trans fats, low fat dairy, and nothing is fried. For example, that slice of cheese pizza has a whole grain crust, low fat cheese, and reduced sodium sauce. Chicken drumsticks that have a “deep fried” look are actually baked. Even breakfast cereals that look just like the brands you buy in the store are modified with healthier ingredients, such as whole grains, and less sugar.
I also learned from the director and supervisor our Nutrition Services department that calories are limited based on the age of the children being served, and they use a special computer program that allows them to calculate the nutritional content of each meal to ensure they always meet federal requirements. That information is posted on our website, along with menus for lunch and breakfast (which are also available on the Merced City School District mobile app). It’s also worth noting that USDA research indicates children who participate in the school lunch program have superior nutritional intakes compared to those who do not participate.
All of this is important for the health of our students and for their parents’ peace of mind. We also want families to feel comfortable signing up for free and reduced meals because it impacts funding that can be used to support our students. That information can be found on our website as well: http://www.mcsd.k12.ca.us/District/Department/4-Nutrition-Services
As dedicated as this district is to providing the best possible meals for our students, we also recognize there is always room for improvement. Our Nutrition Services department is constantly looking for ways to offer even better options, including more food that is prepared in a kitchen as opposed to pre-packaged. As those efforts continue, we hope our community will see beyond the wrappers and know that there’s much more to school meals than “meats” the eye.
Link to Sun-Star Column: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/article127740044.html
The cafeteria at Gracey Elementary was filled with special guests Friday morning as the school hosted a breakfast for all of their students’ fathers, father figures, and role models.
The adults could enjoy doughnuts, pan dulce, coffee, and juice provided by the Parent Teacher Club or purchase a school breakfast (which is always free for all students). Then they sat down for some quality time with their children and a chance to interact with other parents.
Principal Jose Munoz said he and his staff held this event because Gracey has great participation from mothers and other female relatives of their students, but they want to make sure fathers and other male relatives feel comfortable being involved as well. He explained, “We wanted to encourage dads to come to school, come and visit their kids, see the school, be with their kids, and learn a little more about what their kids are doing at school.”
Fourth grader Catalina Ramirez was one of the many children who enjoyed spending the morning with her father. She said, “It feels fun, and it feels like a lot of company with him…I love him for coming.”
Students, parents, staff members, administrators, and Board members from the Merced City School District honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in the annual march and celebration service in Merced on Monday.
Band members from Cruickshank, Hoover, Rivera, and Tenaya middle schools performed "Let There be Peace on Earth" while marching from the Amtrak station to the Merced County Fairgrounds.
Students from Burbank and Muir elementary schools performed several songs during the service at the fairgrounds, including "Put a Little Love in Your Heart."
Thank you to everyone who came together to make these performances possible!
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During a ceremony prior to the start of the Merced City School District’s December 13 Board of Education meeting, three newly elected Board members took the oath of office.
Mike Crass, Emily Langdon, and Miguel Lopez join Adam Cox and Jessica Kazakos, who both began their terms in December of 2009. During Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Cox was unanimously approved as Board President, and Mrs. Kazakos was unanimously named Board Clerk.
Mr. Crass has served on the Board for Area 1 since he was appointed to the vacant position in May, and he was elected to continue in that role by voters in November. Mr. Crass is a retired educator and consultant.
Dr. Langdon was elected to serve on the Board for Area 4. She is a university educator whose children attend schools in the Merced City School District.
Mr. Lopez was elected to serve on the Board for Area 2. He is a community relations representative at UC Merced.
While Board members are elected by the area in which they live, they each represent all of the district’s 11,000 preschool through 8th grade students across 18 campuses.
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Cox said he looks forward to working with his colleagues to serve all MCSD stakeholders. He added, “We have wonderful staff, great parents, and outstanding students.”
Santa made a special visit to the Merced Mall Tuesday morning to meet several students from the Merced City School District, and he got a helping hand from the Merced Police Department.
Merced Police Liaison Eugene Drummond explained, "We are having Shop with a Cop. It was started in 2009 by Chief Andrade. He thought it was something the community needed, but also something the officers needed to have that connection with our community. So we’re happy to partner with the Merced Mall and be out here with the kids.”
The students were recommended as deserving of this treat for a variety of reasons, and they were all excited to get started. After taking photos with Saint Nick, the children set out on a shopping spree with money from a previous police fundraiser, which was matched by the mall -- but not before a message of gratitude from the students and our Superintendent. Dr. RoseMary Parga Duran thanked the officers for their act of kindness and generosity.
The students were then off on a mission to check off their Christmas lists as they visited store after store, but their new friends in blue also encouraged them to pick something special for themselves.
Drummond said, “A lot of these kids are really selfless, and they’re thinking about mom and dad and brothers, and they don’t think about themselves. These are kids that are an example of giving and what Christmas is about.”
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