POMONA, Calif. – In an effort to promote healthy eating and nutrition, Pomona Unified’s Food and Nutrition Services Division recently created pumpkin patches at Lincoln and Allison elementary schools, where students explored the setup and picked their own personal-sized pumpkin.

As part of the District’s Food and Nutrition Services Division’s nutritional outreach program, students were provided take-home packets that contained nutritional information, recipes and classroom projects. Lincoln Elementary School held its pumpkin patch event on Oct. 27, while Allison Elementary School held its event the next day.

“Between the two schools, more than 900 students participated in each pumpkin patch event, allowing some of our youngest learners to combine education and nutrition with classrooms exploration,” said Director of Food and Nutrition Services Daryl Hickey. “I want to thank our Food and Nutrition Services department for sponsoring the interactive activity and guiding our students on how to eat healthier meals.”

Classrooms took turns visiting the display, which was decorated with bales of hay and corn stalks, as well as giant size pumpkins. Students learned about harvest time, health and nutrition, and were able to take pictures.

In addition to the pumpkin patches, Food and Nutrition Services provided each classroom with its own pumpkin and every student with a miniature pumpkin of their own. The staff was also on campus to guide the students’ visit and provide them with additional health and wellness information and resources.

“Pomona Unified is committed to implementing strong school meal and nutrition education programs because of their impact on the improvement of our students’ health and academic performance,” said Superintendent Richard Martinez. “The dedication of our Food and Nutrition Services staff helps our students not only eat healthier meals at school, but also develop a healthy lifestyle at home.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:
LINCOLNPATCH: Lincoln Elementary School students explore pumpkin patches and learn about nutrition during a Pomona Unified Food and Nutrition Services outreach event on Oct. 27, 2014.

ALLISONPATCH: Allison Elementary School students explore pumpkin patches and learn about nutrition during a Pomona Unified Food and Nutrition Services outreach event on Oct. 28, 2014.