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Schools

PHOTOS: District 196 Food Service Managers Honored by Michelle Obama

On October 17, a group of District 196 elementary school food service managers were honored at the White House for achieving the Silver level of the USDA HealthierUS School Challenge.

Famous and influential people visit the White House every day. On October 17, the White House visitors included a group of , who were being honored for achieving the Silver level of the USDA HealthierUS School Challenge.

Seven of 18 active food service managers, two retirees, and two from the district staff joined food service managers from throughout the country at a reception on the south lawn of the White House. Michelle Obama, a champion of the HealthierUS School Challenge, hosted the gathering and met with the honorees.

Each food service manager who attended paid their own way. No tax dollars were used to finance the trip.

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The HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) is a voluntary initiative established in 2004 to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity. In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced Let’s Move!, incorporating the HealthierUS School Challenge into her campaign to raise a healthier generation of children.

Barb Griffiths, District Food and Nutrition Supervisor, talked about the process of qualifying for the award. Griffiths said the USDA looks at numerous factors, including nutrition patterns and education, wellness policies, the physical education program, and the participation rate in the school lunch program. District and school staff, principals, counselors, nurses, physical education teachers and even the PTA were involved in the process. The district learned in May 2010 that they had achieved silver status.

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Cindy Landgrebe, Food Service Manager at talked about the intense security at the White House. At three different checkpoints they had to show their ID and have their names checked against a list of approved guests. At a final checkpoint they were scanned like they would be in an airport. There were also secret service people very visible near the First Lady and among the crowd. 

Karen Kidwell, Food Service Manager at mentioned that it was a great honor, years in the making. She was proud to be recognized by Michelle Obama for the work they do, and said it was great to see her peers from all over the country. She also got to shake Michelle Obama’s hand and thank her, and noted how gracious and friendly Michelle was.

Kidwell talked about the food service manager’s role as nutrition educator, and said that the students call her the “lunch teacher." She talked about the satisfaction of getting students to try foods that they had never tried before, such as chick peas and watercress. She said she feels “lucky to be a lunch teacher.”

Seeing the South Garden of the White House for the first time was a “goose bump” moment, according to Kidwell. Landgrebe described the fountain, putting green and swing sets she saw, and a large apple “sculpture” made of apples. Griffiiths mentioned that the produce from the garden is used by the White House chefs. They also have a bee hive and use the honey from the hive for cooking.

Several bands played throughout the afternoon, bands from the army, navy and a White House armed services band. Rather than playing marches and patriotic music, they were playing mostly country music. 

District 196 staff and elementary school food service managers who attended the reception were: Juanita Kalhaneck (Retired Food Service Manager), Sandy Nelson (Retired Food Service Manager), Karen Kidwell (Thomas Lake), Gail Offermann (Northview), Cindy Landgrebe (Deerwood), Susan Hoese (Red Pine), Jean Decker (Echo Park), Mindy Wychor (GreenLeaf), Mary Overgaard (Parkview), Wendy Knight (District Food and Nutrition Coordinator) and Barb Griffiths (District Food and Nutrition Supervisor).

Other elementary school food service managers who won the Silver Healthier US School Challenge but were not able to go to Washington DC were: Shannon Morrison (Rosemount), Mindy Wohl (Westview), Sue Kruger (Diamond Path), Marge Mills (Cedar Park), Bonnie Rowland (Woodland), Susan Sherman (Pinewood), , Geri Doane (Oak Ridge), Linda Wicker (Glacier Hills), Susan Ambrus (Highlands) and Pattie Barahona (Southview).

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