Rip Esselstyn visits Plant Strong 244

On Monday, Rip Esselstyn, author of Engine 2 Diet, came to visit our school. As the Wellness Coordinator at my school, Rip is a sort of hero to me.

When a firefighter buddy of his found out he had an extremely high cholesterol, Rip convinced his firehouse to switch to a Plant Strong diet the very next day. They all did it and saw amazing benefits. Through the magic of social media, Rip learned about our school and made his way here.
 
The kids loved Rip. As a former professional triathlete and firefighter, he had their attention. When he showed the kids how strong he is just on plant protein, they ate it up. He answered their questions, had some lunch with them, and then chatted with the kitchen staff, thanking them for the work they do every day.

Rip Esselstyn and our hard-working kitchen staff

Rip went on to visit with our school staff and talk a little about his work. He challenged people to learn about their food and own their health.

Rip and the some of the best school staff in NYC

It was a pretty inspiring visit. One teacher commented that Rip made her think about her dairy intake. Another teacher took a long walk to buy a salad for lunch.

And, our students love that Rip switched the "P.S." in our Public School title to Plant Strong. I've seen a lot of little Plant Strong muscles being shared around the school.

Rip and Mr. L

My school: Plant Strong and Famous

There has been a lot going on at my school recently.

We made the local news:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/queens-school-serves-all-vegetarian-fare-article-1.1331690

We made the national news:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/17999627-nyc-public-school-swaps-chicken-nuggets-for-tofu-becomes-first-all-vegetarian-cafeteria?lite

We made the international news:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/please-sir-can-i-have-some-more-kale-schools-go-vegetarian-8601623.html?origin=internalSearch

We are, it seems, the first public school in the nation to move to a plant-based menu. The announcement was the culmination of years of work between our school, the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food, the Department of Education, and our nutrition education program, FAN4Kids.

Our move to a plant-based menu works, in part, due to our particular population of students and families, our supportive administration, our health-oriented mission and supportive staff, and our hard working partner organizations.

So far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. My hope is that our news inspires school communities around the country to work on improving what they're feeding their kids.

Earth Day brings me back

It has been a rough week, for a variety of reasons, and when I hit a rough patch I tend to get inwardly reflective. I'm less chatty, I write less, and I spend a lot of time in quiet thought.

As a teacher I continue to work hard to create experiences for my students that lead to questions, learning, and, hopefully, more questions. On the outside I'm the usual smiley self but on the inside I'm questioning the ways of the world. It happens to the best of us. Yesterday I was snapped out of it.

Yesterday was Earth Day and my colleague Ms. Sandner put together a wonderful "Earth Day Symposium."

My other colleague, Ms. Esther, recorded her class's experience here:

http://www.msesthersclass.com/2013/04/earth-day-symposium.html

It was at this event, sitting on the floor with kindergarteners, digging through a compost bin, that I was snapped out of my funk.

Red wigglers + decomposing apples + dirt + a bunch of five-year-olds = Great medicine

Screen-Free Week April 29th-May 5th

Folks who know me will understand why I find this exciting.

http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/screenfreeweek

Although I embrace blogs, email, and the internet as a tremendous resource for sharing information and keeping in touch with family and friends, I'm a bit of a Luddite. I'd rather go for a walk or run in the park than be parked in front of the computer. I'd rather dig through dirt and climb boulders with my toddler son than be planted on the couch watching television. I much rather have a good meal with endless great conversation than spend hours on social media.

Yet, like any modern human being, I do find myself caught in the trap of technology on many days. Screen-Free Week presents us with an opportunity to pledge to turn OFF the screens and "Think, read, play, daydream, explore nature, enjoy families and friends."

This should be a daily pledge we take but, I know, it's easier said than done. A week of screen-free fun allows us to unite with others taking the same pledge, it allows us to hold one another accountable, it allows us to bond with one another over how difficult and enjoyable the experience will be, and provides a forum for a group of similar-minded folks to become public ambassadors for screen-free living.

I'll be pitching this idea to the staff members at my school and sending resources home to parents on how to live a screen-free week.

I'll keep you all updated. Just not that week.

questions big and small

A third grader emailed me over the Spring Break to ask how DNA is extracted from an animal. As an elementary school science teacher this is far from my expertise.

So, what does this science teacher to do on the last night of Spring Break?

- I research DNA extraction in plants and animals
- I think about ways to guide this student to an answer through their own research and inquiry project
- I watch videos of other science educators teaching about DNA extraction
- I compile resources for a third grader, on their level, that will help them start on the path to discovery
- I wonder what the follow-up questions will be - there are always more
- I contemplate how a third grader even gets to this question to begin with
- I think back to this moment . . . 

. . . when my toddler son, while dyeing Easter eggs, noticed that if you smash a hard-boiled egg, it cracks open. "What happened to this egg, Mami?"
- And, I wonder if this egg-smashing will some day lead to bigger, deeper questions (maybe even involving DNA)

For now, I sit and enjoy the beauty of questions big and small.