Healthy Kids, Healthy Earth at Woodbine

When Woodbine Elementary School nurse, Maryanne Fee applied for a grant from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to provide students with an opportunity try different types of fruits and vegetables, she had no idea the $14,000 awarded could make such an impact on the students daily lives.
But as students grew accustomed to daily snacks of carrots and apples and trying new fruits like kiwis and blackberries for the first time, they’ve grown to look forward to it.
“Everyday, someone asks me, what do have today?” Fee says. “Parents are telling me the kids are eating fruits and vegetables after school now instead of chips.”
To celebrate the success of the program and to further educate students on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, Fee and teacher Abbe Harris, invited Cape May county and Cumberland County 4-H clubs to the schools to host a variety of activities. By chance, they were both available on Earth Day, April 22, which made the events a unique opportunity to discuss fun strategies for healthy living on a healthy planet. Kids painted flower pots and planted flowers with Cumberland County 4-H and hula-hooped and learned about portion sizes with the Cape May County group. Both have ongoing educational partnerships at the school.
Other volunteers set up tables for making vegetable print placemats and creative fruit sculptures with a local chef.
Students attended the event with their families, and Fee hopes to hold a similar event every year. In fact, she is already applying for the grant for next year.
“It’s too wonderful not to,” she said. “The kids are loving it.”