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Miss Morgans
Kindergarten Class
October 2015

News from Room 101:

Benefits of Breakfast

Dear Parents:

Upcoming
Events:

Welcome to October! Its hard to believe our first month of

school is over! Your children have been making great progress in

th

*October 11 : reading, writing, and math and Im excited to see the progress
Midterm report
they will make by spring!
cards mailed
out
*October 26th:
NO SCHOOL
Professional
Development
*October 30th:
Halloween
PartyBring a
costume! (Must
be school
appropriate!)

Free Breakfast!
This year here at Michigan State Elementary, the cafeteria serves breakfast
to ALL students regardless of financial status. We encourage you to take
advantage of this wonderful program. Here are some of the following
benefits of eating breakfast:
Studies show that children who eat breakfast have more energy and are
less lethargic throughout the
morning
Remember what they
learned in class
More likely to engage

Breakfast makes up almost half (40%) of

nutrient intake

Overall better health (less trips to the doctor!)

in learning
daily

Saves YOU time in the morning 12

Rampersaud, G. C. (2008). Benefits of Breakfast. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
Retrieved from http://ajl.sagepub.com/content/3/2/86.full.pdf html

Benefits of School Breakfast | No Kid Hungry | The Center for Best Practices. (2014). Retrieved
March 20, 2016, from https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/school-breakfast/benefits-schoolbreakfast

Miss Morgans
Kindergarten Class
November 2015

Upcoming Events

News from Room 101:

Nutrition Education

Dear Parents:

*November 3rd

Happy November! Since the start of school, your children have

Field Trip to

been learning about health and nutrition. Weve talked about

Farmers Market
*November 24rd
Thanksgiving
Celebration

fruits and vegetables and MyPlate standards for a balanced meal.

At the beginning of the year, we planted a school-wide community
garden, and we harvested our produce last week!
We are also going to be trying new fruits and vegetables as a part

*November 25th-

of snack time, so it will not be necessary to send one with your

27th

child. We do ask that you send in any ALLERGIES your child may

No school, HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

have so we can plan accordingly J

With Thanksgiving coming up, we encourage you to talk to your
child about nutrition and try something new at the dinner table.

http://cliparwolf.com/files/1/thank
sgiving-clipart-04.html

A Peak Inside Our Classroom

Did you know that the USA is severely lagging behind other countries in terms of health
and nutrition education? In 2010 the Healthy Schools Act was passed.
We now have 75 minutes of health education every week.
Studies have shown that a quality childhood nutrition program early in life can prevent
health issues later in life.
Snack time will now include fruits and vegetables that your child may not have tried
before
Your children should be able to tell you about the food pyramid (Ask them about it!) 3

3
Mayor, Susan. "Nutrition Education: The Way To Reduce Childhood Obesity." The Lancet.
Diabetes & Endocrinology (2013). Clinical Key. Elsevisor Inc., 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Mar.
2016.

Miss Morgans
Kindergarten
Class
December 2015

News from Room 101: Drink

More Water!

Dear Parents:
Upcoming
Welcome to December! As a part of our nutrition education curriculum,

Events
* December
18Holiday
Party

this week we started talking about the benefits of

drinking water. This is also a friendly reminder that
the only drink your child is allowed to have in our
classroom is water. Feel free to send your child with

*December
st

st

21 -Jan 1

a reusable water bottle (theres a drinking fountain

right outside our classroomJ )

Winter
Break! Have

a nice
holiday!

Why Water?

Google
Images

*Jan 4th Back Children do not replenish fluids as quickly as adults, and and are at a bigger risk
to school!

for dehydration
Studies have shown that hydrated children preform better on tests
Drinking water can help fight off germs and illness (and cold season is right
around the corner) 4
Many students are not getting their desired fluid intake (Only 29% of school-aged
children do!) Encourage them to drink water instead of fruit juice or pop

Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go. (2015, August). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/water.html
Edmonds, C. J., & Burford, D. (2009). Should children drink more water?: The effects of
drinking water on cognition in children [Abstract]. Elsevier. Retrieved March 24, 2016, from

4

Water has no sugar, so it wont cause cavities or tooth decay (less trips to the dentist!)

News from Room 101:

Family Meals

Miss Morgans
Kindergarten
Class
Jan 2016

Dear Parents:
Upcoming
Events
* Jan 15th
Winter Carnival
6PM in the gym

Welcome to 2016! We hope you all had a fantastic Winter Break and
had some quality family time.
Sometimes it feels like theres a million things to do on a weekday
night, and sitting down around at the dinner table can be forgotten
about. However, studies show that when families eat together more

often than not, those children are more motivated to study and do
better in school AND have higher self-esteem growing up.5 Not only
that, but this is a perfect opportunity for children to learn about nutrition and
eating healthy.
Below are some low cost EASY meals that can be prepped in advance.

5
Eisenburg, M. E., ScD, MPH, Olsen, R. E., MS, Story, M., RD, & Bearinger, L. H., PhD, MS.
(2004). Correlations Between Family Meals and Psychosocial Well-being Among Adolescents.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Retrieved March 24, 2016.

News from Room 101: Eat

the Rainbow

Miss Morgans
Kindergarten Class
February 2016

Upcoming Events

* February 12th

Valentines Day Party!

(Bring in 23 Valentines
Cards to pass out!)

Dear Parents:
This month at school your children are

learning about all the different food

groups. Were talking about the food

pyramid and MyPlate recommendations

for healthy lifestyle.


Google Images

One of the easiest ways to make sure you and your
Google Images

child is getting all their nutrients is make sure they

are eating the RAINBOW! That means make sure that your plate is COLORFUL
with fruits and vegetables.

Google Images

Lets Break it Down

Google Images

This is how much of each food group your child should be eating. The USDA
recommends a child from 4-8 should eat 1,200-1,400 calories a day. 6
Fruit1 Cups
o Berries, Peaches, Apples
Vegetables1 Cups
o Carrots, Peas, Green beans
Whole Grains5 oz
Google Images
o Whole grain breads or pasta,
Protein4 oz
o Beans, seafood, nuts, lean meats (Chicken)
Dairy2 Cups
o Milk (Soy is a great alternative!), Greek Yogurt

Know Your Limits

Weve also been talking about how things like sugar and sodium arent good for
your body. Its okay to have sugar as a special treat, but it shouldnt be a regular
part of your diet7
Sodium <1,900 mg
Saturated fat <16 grams

6
Center for DIsease Control and Prevention. (2016, January). MyPlate Daily Checklist.
Retrieved March 24, 2016, from
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/sites/default/files/myplate/checklists/MyPlateDailyChecklist_14
00cals_Age4-8.pdf
7
ibid

10

Added sugar <35 grams

Try This

Fresh Fruit instead of fruit snacks

Carrot sticks instead of chips

Whole grain bread instead of white bread
Almond milk instead of whole milk