N.Q. Henderson Elementary - Recipe for Success

N.Q. Henderson Elementary

Update from RFS Team Leader: Chef Ronnie Alford
RFS Assistant S2P Teacher: Damian Wheatfall
Team Nutrition Leader: Dr. Freddy Davis, school nurse

RFS programming began - September 2006
Number of children served each month: 325 children, 2x per month.
Every student in pre-K through 5th grade enjoys 20 hours a year of RFS Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ integrated into their school day.

Other Programming:
Eat This!™ After-School. In 2008/09 & 2009/10 school years 25 students from all grades have participated in a Tuesday/Thursday after-school class all term that is focused on creating healthy snacks and meals from just-picked seasonal garden produce. 20 students attended Eat This! Summer Camp from 8:00-2:00, Monday-Friday in June 2010, thanks to a grant from the City of Houston.

RFS Chefs Advisory Board Members who have taught at Henderson:
Lance Fegan-The Glass Wall, David Luna-Shade, Ryan Pera, The Grove
Randy Rucker-Tenacity, Claire Smith, Shade & Canopy

Volunteer Activities and projects implemented on campus by RFS with our Partners:
Spring 2007 - GE volunteers painted murals in the cafeteria and RFS cooking classroom that were designed by artist, Amelia Hill and coordinated by artist William Betts.
Summer 2009 - 75 PricewaterhouseCoopers volunteers painted extensive murals in the hallways and our RFS classroom that were designed by artist Suzanne Sellers. They also painted games on the blacktop and executed several design enhancements in the RFS classroom.
Fall 2009 - GE Volunteers built new Recipe Gardens including five new 15 x 4' vegetable beds.

The Henderson Recipe Garden consists of four 15 x 4' beds, one 12 x 4' bed and four 4' x 3' beds with enough space to allow separate grade level growing areas.

Slow Food Houston and PricewaterhouseCoopers have adopted NQ Henderson after working with RFS there. As a result of a request made on behalf of NQ Henderson by RFS staff, Lowes Toolbox for Education granted $4,000 toward expansion of the Recipe Gardens, which purchased critical materials for PWC volunteers to utilize in their 2009 workday.

We know our message is getting through in part because: A parent recently stopped Chef Ronnie in the hall to share that her two children now wanted to cook at home. At first she was hesitant, but after being asked so many times, she gave in. Her kids are now teaching her the new dishes that they learn with Chef Ronnie at school. Not only do they help cook, they are actually suggesting different foods for dinner. The Mom really enjoys sharing regular quality time with together with her children in the kitchen. Now the family is planning a garden!

Wellness Committee Update from Henderson
Still in the early phases, regular wellness committee meetings have opened up the teachers to new thoughts and ideas. They are more willing to ask questions not simply focused on food, but also about really getting healthy. These meetings have allowed for the teachers to realize that they are stressed, which is taking a toll on their body, mind and spirit. At their request, Chef Ronnie has organized classes for the teachers with guest speakers and materials focused on manage their stress. The first class was be a breath class that concentrated on health and wellness through breathing. The second, now in the works is a Self Defense class that will combine protective moves with an aerobic work out. There is also a new walking group taking small steps to get the faculty members walking to better health.

Chef Ronnie reports: "My students are now helping out with the compost on their own. They keep their pear and apple cores, banana peels and watermelon rinds from lunch and bring them to my class to toss in to the compost bin. They understand that recycling their scraps helps feed our garden."