Maysville Public School has received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids for improving the nutritional quality of school meals.
“We congratulate Maysville Public School on this important achievement,” said Rob Bisceglie, executive officer and president for Action for Healthy Kids. “The HMI Recognition Awards are an opportunity to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals,” he added.
Maysville Schools received the Breakfast and Lunch Trailblazer Award for work in preparing nutritious meals and planning taste testing sessions with rare fruits and vegetables, along with improving and updating the equipment to assist with meal preparation.
Lunch Trailblazer Award winners are recognized for improved the nutrition quality of school lunches by meeting weekly sodium guidelines and implementing student engagement and/or nutrition education, and Breakfast Trailblazer Award winners improved the nutritional quality of their school breakfast menus by meeting specific criteria including limiting added sugars and implementing student engagement and/or nutrition education.
“One of America’s best opportunities to improve child health is by supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “This Recognition Award highlights the remarkable achievements Maysville Public School has made in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy, and we look forward to them sharing their best practices to help other schools follow in their footsteps.”
Long added that each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country.
“The hard work that went into planning for this grant opportunity provided the cafeteria new equipment to better serve the students of Maysville. Through the planning, students have been exposed to foods not readily available at our local stores. Healthy, home cooked meals are served throughout the monthly menus and students are providing the staff feedback on future menu ideas.
Congratulations to [staff members] Kristy McGowen, Wendy Shattuck and Jeri Dean for being awarded the Trailblazer awards,” Maysville Superintendent Shelly Hildebrand-Beach said.
As an award recipient, Maysville Public School will receive national and local recognition and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada. The HMI Recognition Awards are open to all school districts, and more information can be found at healthymealsincentives. org/recognition- awards/.
