Students at Seward High School are using their greenhouse to supply the school with healthy greens, which provides essential nutrients and supports the local student body. Greenhouse preparations began in November and planting started the first week of January. Seeds were planted a week apart in order to have a sustained yield, which means the students can harvest every week. The first batch of lettuce was delivered on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, and demand exceeded supply.
By utilizing the greenhouse, students can extend the growing season in Alaska throughout the winter. The project will conclude before the spring term ends. The greenhouse is an interactive way of getting greens locally, which is fresher, cleaner, and helps consumers know what is put into their food. This is project-based experiential learning. It helps students in finance with business planning, students in environmental science with agricultural understanding, and students in statistics with concepts and data.
–Story contributed by George Reising, Seward High School math and science teacher
Tag: health
KPBSD nurses promote health and wellness
Nurses in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District constantly encourage healthy lifestyles. Frequently there are Medic First Aid classes for district employees and students taught by one nurse or a group of nurses. Nurse Pam Howard works with a group of students who travel to schools in the district to encourage their peers not to take up smoking, or to stop smoking before it becomes an ingrained habit. Many of the nurses are involved in teaching portions of health classes at a variety of ages and grades such as Matt Neisinger who recently planned several lessons for 4th and 5th graders. Daily the nurses teach students on a one-to-one basis about health habits that will improve their performance and help them feel better.
Recently Yolanda (Yoly) Ifflander, the nurse at Seward Middle School (SMS), made a gigantic leap to educate her students by submitting a video for the NutriLiving UNI Project. (See her video at http://bit.ly/UNIwin1). The video captured the attention of the team at NutriLiving and Ifflander and Seward Middle School were awarded $10,000 to benefit the students by improving their nutrition. Seward Middle School was one of five schools across the nation to receive this excellent award. The UNI Project is designed to help students learn the benefits of healthy eating and to explore how nutrition effects them.
The kick-off for the UNI Project at Seward Middle School was held February 17, 2015, in the commons. Students selected to participate were given a Nutribullet to practice at home the nutrition habits they will learn over a 90 day period. That evening the students and their parents were treated to samples of two types of Nutriblasts that contained leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, seeds and either coconut water or almond milk. Additionally, the students received hoodies and other items designed to encourage their participation and remind them to have a “blast” at school each day. NutriLiving staff and parents assisted in focused assessments of students. At the end of the program, students will again be assessed by the same criteria. The goal is that student will see positive changes in their performance and general well-being as a result of improved nutrition. The students are off to a great start in improving their health and well-being.
