Fruit of the Room
RIMERSBURG, Clarion County — Little hands shot up when the food service director at Rimersburg Elementary School asked who had never before tasted fresh pineapple.
In the group of about 170 students, sixth grader Kayln Gates was among those who raised their hands. Just moments later, she put one of the golden chunks into her mouth.
"Very good," Kayln said.
Students in the Union School District elementary school are getting the chance to taste fresh foods, some more domestic than pineapple, each day because of a grant.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Grants, offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the state Department of Education, were awarded to 25 school buildings in the state. The grant only goes to schools where more than 50 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced meals in the National Lunch Program.
Rimersburg got $18,203, a little more than a dollar a day per student, to provide a daily snack for each student. A fact and puzzle sheet about the fruit accompanies each snack.
Penny Coradi, food service director, said the response from students and parents has been remarkable. One mother called Coradi to explain how her daughter had never liked tomatoes but that changed after cherry tomatoes were the featured fruit of the day.
Classes in kindergarten through sixth grade at the school get a tray of fresh fruits or vegetables each day. The students are required to try the cuisine, but not to like it, Coradi said. That is part of the educational requirement outlined in the grant, which she and Lorry Heeter, grant writer, wrote.
Thursday's events were an extension of the usual education about the featured fruit. Students and faculty were encouraged to don Hawaiian wear, and each grade did a class activity with the pineapple or the island state.
Kelsey Montgomery, a fifth grade student, wore her grass skirt while she sucked down juice from a plastic cup formed like a pineapple.Teacher Sue Dougherty's class made pineapple upside-down cake, figuring the measurements needed into a math lesson.Kelsey said she enjoys the fresh fruits and vegetables, which her class has in the morning. While she's liked the apples, snow peas, parsnips and zucchini, her favorite was the blueberries.Dougherty said everyone in her class has been especially willing to try everything, even if they don't like it.Coradi said she's worked lessons in manners into the snacks by teaching the students to covertly spit the offending food into a napkin instead of making a scene when they don't like something.Coradi said she tries to vary the menu and look for things the children may not have tried. She special orders the fruit from Riverside supermarket in Rimersburg.Todd Hepler, a manager at the grocery store, made a guest appearance at Rimersburg Elementary Thursday to show the students how to cut a pineapple.Bob Bickle of the produce department at Riverside successfully separated the edible portion from the rind with a specialized tool, and then did a second one by hand with a knife — a large knife. Then he invited two teachers to try their hand at cutting the pineapple, one using the tool and one using a knife.It's not as easy as Bickle made it seem, and one teacher's attempt made the tender fruit a consistency acceptable for a can labeled "crushed."Don Walters, another teacher, was able to use the knife to retrieve the treat inside, though.Coradi explained in Hawaii the outsides of pineapples are used to feed cattle. The students were able to shout out other facts about the history of the pineapple, including that Christopher Columbus had spread the pineapple plant from its native area of Brazil and Paraguay.Kayln learned the pineapple earned its name from its similar appearance to a pine cone.Jami Morris, sixth grade student, wasn't so concerned about where the pineapple came from as how good it tasted, she said.
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, undrained1 package (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix2 bananas, slicedIn a medium bowl, add pineapple with liquid to dry pudding mix. Stir 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.)Add bananas and mix gently.Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.Optional:Top with extra pineapple and banana pieces before serving.Makes 7½-cup servings.
