School lunch in Memphis is a community affair

Food and Nutrition, July, 1985 by Kent Taylor

Royer tries to present nutrition tips at all Nutri-Duck appearances and often gets parents and students to wear the custome. Nutri-Duck also goes to senior citizens' and child care centers to lead exercises or talk about diet and health.

Community served in various ways

helping in community nutrition education are student yout advisory councils (YAC's), which in elementary schools are called Nutru-Duck clubs. The clubs are involved in a number of nutrition-related activities, including assembly programs held in conjunction with National School Lunch Week, National Dental Health Week, and Nutrition Month. According to Watkins, these activities are a good way to involve parents as well as children.

"If the children get involved at school," she explains, "the parents are going to come to these programs. This gives us an opportunity to promote the school food programs and good nutrition at the same time."

While involving parents is a high priority for Watkins, she doesn't stop there. Other activities, such as the senior citizens' day luncheon, are held to honor different community groups. Memphis schools also serve the community by sponsoring nutrition sessions and sports activities, such as weight control seminars and "fun runs."

The Memphis City School System was one of the first to start an "Adopt-A-School" program, which creates a special partnership between schools and the community. Through this program, local businesses "adopt" a school and provide financial aid, career guidance, or other voluntary services for students. Watkins and her staff work closely with the program and usually honor sponsoring businesses with a luncheon.

Working for school lunch

Watkins believes in the National School Lunch Program and shares her enthusiasm and ideas with school food service directors throughout the country. An active member of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA), she has been head of ASFSA's Major Cities School Section, worked on the Youth Advisory Committee, and served on numberous other panels and committees.

Her success in involving and serving her community is well known. So is her devotion to children, which is at the center of everything she and her staff do.

"We've done a number of innovative things, remembering that school lunch should be fun," Watkins says. "We also know that this is the only meal for some of our children, and we want to make it a good experience for them."

Under Watkins' leadership, Memphis City Schools will continue to make school food service an innovative, community affair.