SLDDC in Action March 2013 | Vol. 4

SLDDC in Action is a quarterly newsletter produced by the St. Louis District Council.

St. Louis District Dairy Council 325 N. Kirkwood Road, Suite 222 St. Louis, MO 63122

314-835-9668 [email protected] www.stldairycouncil.org

Students Vote Yea for Vanilla The voices of our schoolchildren have been heard — at least, the voices of the students at West Richland Elementary in Noble, Ill. In a landslide vote, 191 of 240 Past nutrition educator Mary Thompson was honored with the Pioneer students gave an enthusiastic yes Award for her exceptional devotion to dairy. Accepting Thompson’s plaque to adding vanilla milk to the lunch is her son Wyatt Thompson, pictured above with SLDDC nutrition educator menu. Children from kindergarten Ellen Wheeler. through 6th grade were the electorate. SLDDC Nutrition Educator Inducted “The kids loved the taste of Posthumously into Dairy Hall Fikri, SLDDC nutrition educator. vanilla-flavoredFikri handed out milk,” samples says Joyce of Longtime friend and dairy professionalism. She brought the vanilla milk during lunchtime on advocate Mary Thompson was message of the goodness of dairy December 7, 2012, to give students inducted posthumously into the to thousands of teachers, health an opportunity to try something Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors professionals, and consumers new. on February 8, 2013. Thompson throughout the 19 counties she worked as a SLDDC nutrition covered for more than 23 years. educator from 1985 to 2007. However, Thompson did more milk“Kids lets like students to sample decide new if foods,”they In her role as Missouri than simply work her assigned likeshe says.the taste, Sampling Fikri adds.a new flavor of Information Coordinator/ territory; she thrived on building Nutrition Educator, Thompson personal relationships with people milk is in the lunch line, they may communicated the role of dairy who viewed her as a trusted not“If want the first to try time it because kids see they vanilla foods in a healthful diet with nutrition education professional, don’t know what it tastes tireless dedication, genuine according to her colleagues. enthusiasm, and the utmost (continued on page 2) (continued on page 2) like,” she says. Targeted Dairy Programs Hit the Mark in Schools When it comes to reaching the pulse of what’s happening in our schools. We get school-age children with feedback on current programs, along with valuable messages about the health input on potential programs. Armed with this information, our nutrition relevance is key. You need educators continue to roll out new school initiatives tobenefits creatively of dairy approach foods, such as Build My Bones. They also build on the students “where they’re successes of established initiatives such as Dollars for Dairy, engaging more schools to help students kindergarten classroom develop healthy eating habits that include dairy. or a high school food scienceat,” lab.whether St. Louis it’s inDistrict a We’ve known, since 1932, that local promotion Dairy Council has a decades-long commitment to delivering targeted programs to a variety of school- schools — and our funders — wouldn’t have it any based audiences. Our aim is to help connect students otherdemands way. more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Our to dairy in a way that makes sense to them, and to our dairy producers. To make this happen, we conduct an annual needs assessment with our schools in Illinois and Missouri called the NENA (Nutrition Education Needs Executive Director, SLDDC Margie Graham, RD, LD Assessment). This survey helps us keep a finger on

Thompson (continued) Vanilla Milk (continued) She was likeable, loyal, and dependable; and she The West Richland Elementary cafeteria, a Dollars successfully portrayed the local dairy industry in the same light. along with 1 percent milk, fat-free , and “I’ve had the good fortune to work with many fat-freefor Dairy strawberry Grant recipient, milk. is now offering vanilla milk, dedicated professionals in the dairy industry over the “We can hardly get enough vanilla milk because it’s past 15 years, and Mary Thompson stood head and shoulders above most, not only in her commitment West Richland Elementary School nurse. and intelligence, but also in her ability to function as a asStudies popular show as the students chocolate are milk,” more says likely Kara to drink Garner, milk

Executive Director. At the start of 2013, SLDDC created the Flavored supportive team player,” says Margie Graham, SLDDC Milkat lunch Promotion when they to continue have a choice encouraging of flavors. elementary clearly made her an exceptional mentor to many students in Missouri and Illinois to drink DairyGraham Council says staff. Thompson’s Thompson ability was toable communicate to project an open, friendly persona to others regardless of their level of expertise. She was instrumental in training . new staff, offering practical tips on everything from how to share the spotlight with a Holstein during Did You Know? an on-farm television interview to how to convince a teacher to stay after school for a meeting. She was Flavored milk has only 12 grams of added sugar and the last to leave an organization-wide event. per 8-ounce serving and has the same 9 essential amongThompson’s the first photo to volunteer has been to added serve onto thea committee Dairy Hall nutrients as white milk. of Honors room at the University of Missouri. Her son Sweetened drinks have 22 grams of added Wyatt Thompson accepted the Pioneer Award plaque sugar per 8-ounce serving and no nutritional for his mother in honor of her outstanding dedication value. to the dairy industry. Page 2 Keeping up with Monica My Week At SLDDC Monica Nyman, the newest nutrition educator to Lisa Abbott spent a week at SLDDC as part of her join the SLDDC team, has hit the airwaves in central Morrison Chartwells Dietetic Internship. Abbott is Illinois, spreading the word on dairy nutrition. completing her master’s in dietetics at Southeast Radio and TV interviews are part of a monthly Missouri State University. routine for the nutrition educators who give advice During the week that I spent at SLDDC, I learned on eating healthy with dairy. so much about what the Dairy Council has to offer. I “We are all getting the same message out in our was thrilled to learn all about the current programs, grants, and reimbursements, and to work with school food services directors, nurses, teachers, and coaches. centralrespective Illinois. territories,” says Nyman, who works out I went on several school visits with nutrition educator ofNyman the Peoria, has givenIll., office more and than covers 10 radio 27 counties and TV in Rebecca Collier; we provided resources, tools, and interviews in Canton, Princeton, and Bloomington, information to promote dairy products. I even and a food demonstration on WEEK, the local NBC to increase their students’ milk consumption. When she’s not on the air, Nyman is coleading 7 participatedI also went inwith a flavored-milk Collier to the taste KMOV test television at one school SLDDCaffiliate. initiatives that educate health professionals station, where she appeared on the Great Day St. and promote dairy consumption in schools and the Louis show and shared a recipe packed with dairy community. ingredients. We traveled to Sullivan, Missouri, Look for Nyman in your communities and schools, where she promoted dairy consumption on a radio or tune your radio to WBYS (Canton), WZOE interview. (Princeton), or RFD Today (Bloomington) to catch My internship has been enlightening and her latest advice on dairy nutrition. enjoyable. I am grateful that I had the opportunity Nyman joined SLDDC in August 2012. to learn more about this organization and its goals — it was such a positive experience. Kids Have a Ball with New Dairy Initiative Over 10,000 children in The resources aren’t all fun and elementary and junior high are games. The kids also take a pledge taking it upon themselves to keep to eat three daily servings of dairy their bones strong with the Build and sign their names on a 3-by-4- My Bones Tracker — a checklist foot pledge wall that hangs in the reminding them to get 3 servings school gymnasium. of dairy every day. “We want schools to think and The tracker is part of the Build My Bones initiative created by another way schools can promote SLDDC for the 2012–2013 talk dairy,” Wheeler says. “PE is school year. To learn how successful the Builddairy.” My Bones initiative is, SLDDC is holding a contest for PE Ellen“This Wheeler, is our first SLDDC local nutrition initiative teachers to show how they use educator.that focuses on PE teachers,” says the resources in class. The winner Each PE teacher receives a receives $250 for classroom toolkit with resources to teach them with a 50-question Toss and supplies and gets a pep assembly their class how much dairy it takes Tell ball — a beach ball printed with a special guest and, of course, every day to keep bones strong. with trivia questions. The student a dairy-themed giveaway. And what better way to make who catches the ball has to answer Find out who the winner is in the sure kids are learning than to quiz the question under his right thumb. SLDDC In Action. Page 3 June issue of Dairy Grant Brings Popular Treat to Cafeterias Eating healthy has never been schools give out promotional items such a delight for students whose cafeteria managers are using their Some of the grant money can be Dollars for Dairy grant money usedto encourage to buy jump the kids,” ropes she or schoolsays. to whip up delicious, healthy T-shirts to give away when kids smoothies for school breakfast and buy a smoothie. lunch. “Once the program is established Ten schools in Illinois and in the school, kids come to expect Missouri were awarded $1,500 to purchase an industrial-size she says. blender for serving smoothies smoothies“We encourage in the mealthe schools plan,” during their school’s breakfast and to serve smoothies as much as lunch. Rebecca Collier, SLDDC nutrition A single 8-ounce smoothie is educator, says that more kids eat equivalentpossible,” says to one Collier. serving of milk school breakfast because they like and a half cup of fruit, meeting the smoothies. federal breakfast and lunch nutrition requirements. With smoothies added to the “It’s a good way for kids to get Collier“Kids says. find the smoothies really menu, more kids are eating 30 percent of their daily calcium, tastyHowever, and are getting drinking students all of it,”to try school breakfast, including this 25 percent of their daily new foods can be tricky. student — a fan of the mixed- vitamin D, and 15 percent of their “At the beginning when kids are berry-and-milk smoothie. daily protein, as well as necessary reluctant to try the smoothies, B vitamins, magnesium, and

Conference Roundup: potassium,” Collier says. SLDDC Shares Dairy with Teachers, Nurses agrees: “Our goal is to reach as many teachers and massesArmed withabout chocolate the power milk of chocolateand dairy milkhandouts, at a local Joyce Wheeler focused on educating school nurses on conferenceFikri, SLDDC last nutrition fall. educator, spoke to the fitness dairynurses nutrition and engage at the with Missouri them in Coordinated depth.” School Around 3,000 PE and health teachers attended the Health Coalition Conference (MCSHC) at Lake of the Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Ozarks, also held in fall 2012. Recreation and Dance (IAPHERD) conference, a two- “When kids visit the school nurse complaining day event in November 2012 in St. Charles, Illinois. of stomach (hunger) pains, we want the nurses to “The focus was to provide the research and effects adding that one of SLDDC’s initiatives is a school breakfastget them to with eat dairybreakfast food. with To reinforce milk,” Wheeler the message, says, of drinking chocolate milk after a workout,” Fikri says. SLDDC sponsored a healthy breakfast for the “QuitePower a fewUp withpeople Chocolate are familiar Milk, with a program the benefits, for high but conference attendees, including , for schoolneed the athletes, facts to is help one them of SLDDC’s encourage larger their initiatives. athletes.” eggs, and milk for cereal. Wheeler led a session on dairy myths and facts and teachers that were interested in the many programs gave out resources at the SLDDC booth for nurses to andThe the SLDDC chocolate booth milk attracted donated a steady by Prairie flow Farms. of “The more SLDDC is out providing information, the Many nurses play an integral role on school wellnessuse in their committees, offices. Wheeler points out. “Nurses Ellen Wheeler, another SLDDC nutrition educator, more interest we get about our resources,” Fikri says. Page 4 give us another way to share the message of dairy.”