NORWICH – As part of an ongoing effort to promote healthier eating, students and staff at the Stanford Gibson Primary School are undertaking a new program that ensures students get much-needed nutrition in their diets.
Snack milk – part of an attempt to encourage healthy eating habits for children starting at a young age – is a new initiative at Gibson this year and according to school officials, it’s one that has been helpful in providing calcium at a much needed time for growing children and their growing bones. While snack milk is a simple idea, said Food Service Director Sue Ryan, its effects are substantial.
“It’s an idea that started when (Gibson Principal) Dara Lewis noticed an increasing number of broken bones among younger students,” Ryan explained. “Snack milk is just that; milk that’s a snack for kids ... This is an afternoon break when kids can get the calcium they need.”
With the recent nationwide push for schools to offer kids more healthier alternatives, Gibson has been encouraging kids, particularly younger ones, to drink more milk in place of juices, sports drinks, sugary drinks and water. “Even the kids who can’t drink milk might drink soy milk instead,” added Ryan.
Despite its benefits, snack milk does face some drawbacks. Not every family can afford another milk for their child every day. At 40 cents per carton, the price of snack milk can really add up.
“More than 300 students in Gibson are eligible for free or reduced lunch,” Ryan noted. “Snack milk isn’t covered by free or reduced lunches ... To eliminate concerns, they came up with the Adopt a Student for Milk Program.”
Through the new program, Gibson Primary takes in donations from parents, teachers and community members to help pay for snack milk so that every child can get the calcium they need. “We’ve had some very large contributions. People have been very generous in helping out.”
For every Norwich student from kindergarten through the second grade to drink one milk a day costs an estimated $65,000 for the year. According to Ryan, it takes less than $70 to provide one child one carton of milk for the entire year. “One donation we received will help 16 students this year,” said Ryan.
The Norwich Educational Organization (NEO) – the teachers union at NCSD – are also lending a helping hand. Collectively, teachers across the district raised $700 to donate toward the program, which will provide one milk per day to 12 students for the remainder of the year.
“There was an indication that a lot of students just did not have the money to pay for milk every day,” said NEO Representative Eric Cunningham, who presented Gibson Primary the NEO contribution on behalf of the organization.
Said Principal Lewis, “It’s just healthy. It’s a healthy snack choice for our students.”
Gibson Primary is currently soliciting donations for its Adopt a Student for Milk Program. For more information or to donate, contact Ryan at 334-1600 ext. 5410.