School Health and Nutrition

[Lisa Zadravec]

Hi,

My name is Lisa Zadravec and I have been teaching health at the middle school level for eight years in Westport. In addition to my educational background, last year, I completed my second master's degree in Human Nutrition. I beleive the combination has been valuable for both my family and my students. I am always looking for ways to incorporate the two and look forward to connecting with those who may share my interests.

Have a great day!

[Rebecca H]

Hi Lisa,

Glad to see you on this forum. Would like to follow up with our recent discussion and work toward the school garden club.
If other Westport parents with middle school children read this please respond. LIsa is terrific and we are lucky to have someone with her background in our middle school. As my child will be in school with her next year I am very interested in putting something together.

Rebecca

[Lisa Zadravec]

Thank you, Rebecca. It was great to meet you too. I am looking at May for you to visit with one or more of my 6th grade classes once we are ready to study my favorite topic.
I'll be in touch.
~Lisa

Rebecca H said:

Hi Lisa,

Glad to see you on this forum. Would like to follow up with our recent discussion and work toward the school garden club.
If other Westport parents with middle school children read this please respond. LIsa is terrific and we are lucky to have someone with her background in our middle school. As my child will be in school with her next year I am very interested in putting something together.

Rebecca

[Linda Soper]

I am a parent of a child in Fairfield school system and would really love to know if there is any activity or even interest in the school garden concept. I watched with great interest the 60 minute interview this week with Alice Waters. What an inspiration! I see that there are folks form Westport and Weston talking about school farms as well...is there a successful implementation anywhere in Fairfield county that anyone knows of?

[Lisa Zadravec]

Hi Linda,

I live in Fairfield too, but I am unaware of these type gardens existing in our schools. However, I don't have kids in school yet so I am not the best resource. (I am am expecting our first in Septemeber:) I'll ask around though and nice to meet you anyway.

~Lisa

[Annelise McCay]

Hello, Lisa, Linda, and Rebecca,
Yes, there are school gardens in Fairfield, at McKinnley, Mill Hill and Roger Sherman Elementary Schools.
I started the one at Sherman, we are approaching our 3rd growing season. Mill Hill has one started by kindergarden teacher Dan Smith. Mckinnley has garden camp this summer. The Unquowa private school in Fairfield also has a school garden and farm program. You are welcome to go take a look at Sherman's garden by the baseball field, nothing is in the beds yet, because we will be starting seeds in April. There is a "Fuel for Learning" Committee that meets the 2nd Thursday evening of each month, at Ludlow High school Library. It is coalition of Fairfield parents concerned with School lunch, Farm to School, and school gardens. If you are truely interested in this please join us. There is also a "Wellness" committee that meets at the Board of Ed with the school Superintendent, the director of food services, the director of physical education, and parent representatives from each of the Fairfield schools.

I would like to put the idea out there, of starting a Fairfield school garden coalition, where the gardens can work together as a system. That way we all may have a better chance of working it into the overall curriculum for fairfield schools and the wheel doesn't have to be reinvented over & over. That is what seemed to work for Princeton NJ. Just yesterday, I received an email from 3 Mill Hill parents concerned with keeping the momentum going at their school garden. It can be done. The more volunteers willing to put in their time & creativity, the better chance this ideas has in "growing".
Annelise McCay