PSMS 278

Dear Parents and Guardians: 

I knew I was overdue with a community update but I didn’t realize how tardy I have been until I checked my files. I apologize.

 

Throughout the year I have managed to do Wits Bits in all the grades from K – 5 doing a variety of lessons from My Plate to Marinara Sauce with only four ingredients. I am always rewarded that the children seems to appreciate the lessons more than even I anticipate.

 

I am also mad about using a spiralizer in and out of the classroom. We had a Café Day in April with lots of moms to help. We made three salads all featuring spaghetti shaped cucumbers, zucchini and carrots. The children were enthusiastic eaters. What a difference from when I started.

 

The tower garden that lives in Ms. Lucarelli’s class finally gave us a basil harvest.

She deserves a gold star for persistence in making the garden grow. We were able to harvest plenty of basil and make pesto and tomato sauce in her 6th grade class adding the results to zucchini “pasta”. Yes, made with the spiralizer.

 

But what can I say to a school where when I walked in six years ago the kitchen considered me nothing but a nuisance. Or a Wellness Committee attended by Sarah Townley and me. The Café Days were so unpopular, I stopped doing them for a while. And the only thing that seemed successful was going into the classroom. The children saved me.

 

Today I write my final letter to you with a full heart, a little teary but so proud of what we have accomplished in a journey together. The Wellness Committee includes all members of the community. Café Days with mostly vegetarian options are beyond successful. The kitchen and I have been a mutual admiration society for years. And the children I met in Kindergarten are mostly taller than me.

 

I still have a few more classes to visit with Wits Bits and will be at the Spring/Summer Event o the 17th. I know that I will come back to 278 in the coming year because you have played such a significant part of what we do at WITS. I am only saying, “ I will see you in halls….and Thank You”.

 

All the best,

 

Chef Annie, anne@wellnessintheschools.org.