We all love fresh fruits and vegetables. Imagine going to a farm or a farmers market and munching on a just-picked juicy tomato or crunching on a fresh green cucumber. Both vegetables give you the feeling that you are eating healthy and improving your diet. Eating healthy includes eating locally produced vegetables and fruits that are not super processed, full of additives, or genetically modified. A diet full of freshness makes us less likely to become ill or have reactions to ingredients we cannot even pronounce.

Last year, Danbury Public Schools was part of a districtwide initiative called the Farm to School Institute. This year, a team from Danbury High School attended the Institute. The Institute is a comprehensive year-long professional learning opportunity for school district teams to develop and refine their farm-to-school programs. Teams spend the year putting their plans into action to strengthen their capacity of the 3 C’s: ensuring more fruits and vegetables in cafeterias, classroom curriculum on growing plants, soil conservation and protecting the environment, engaging the community in growing and improving schools and lastly looking for integration and staying power from school leadership.

The Danbury High School team consisted of Amy Rojek, Family and Consumer Science Teacher; John Turenne, Coach; Chef Brian Turner, DHS Culinary Arts; Carrie Beauchemin, teacher culinary arts; Heather Peracchio, Parent Educator UCONN Extension; Keri Pinard, Chef Manager Chartwells; Michelle Cole, Farm to School Coordinator DPS; and Anne Mead, Director Family, School & Community Partnerships. The Danbury High School Farm to School initiative connects diverse students, families, Chartwells, community partners, and local farmers through school-based agricultural programs, curriculum, and school menus that promote local farm products to enhance health and educational outcomes for our entire community.

This broad-based team developed goals and plans for the 3C’s at Danbury High School which includes culinary services and the Green Academy and Sustainable Living to build school gardens at DHS. These gardens will support the culinary department with fresh veggies and herbs, along with the school cafeteria. One of the goals is to have a student and parent council that will support the high school Institute, in which students and parents bring their thoughts about gardening and improved meal ideas to the discussion table. We are currently recruiting students and adults for this 20-person council. If you are interested, please contact Anne Mead at meadan@danbury.k12.ct.us. The team is looking forward to a diverse group of community folks helping to support fresh vegetables and fruits in our meals.

On another note--If you have a child that was born between January 1, 2020, and September 1, 2020, it is time to register them for kindergarten at Danbury Public Schools. Start the process by going to https://www.danbury.k12.ct.us/ and look for “registration to school.” All initial registrations take place online, followed by visit to the Registration Center at the Family and Community Engagement Center located at 49 Osborne St. to present the required paperwork. We are asking all families to register with completed paperwork by August 15. For more information on the process, please call 203-797-4753.

Anne E. Mead, Ed. D. is the director of Family, School, and Community Partnerships for Danbury Public Schools. She can be reached at 203-830-6508 or by email at meadan@danburyu.k12.ct.us