The fifth graders at Herman L. Horn Elementary recently spent a week having all sorts of fun and learning in the process as The Roanoke Children’s Theatre chose them to participate in their first educational play completed from start to finish at school. The play’s goal: to teach healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
Learning to eat right may seem mundane but the students had an exciting time getting to know “Brock Broccoli,” “Brussels Sprout” (the “yucky one”) and friends as they worked all week preparing for the play entitled “Cooking It!” Half the kids were actors and half were involved in the on-stage cooking demonstrations that complemented the production. Dorothy Shaver, Kroger’s dietitian, led the students in cooking.
To prepare for the big day on Friday, (Jan. 29) all the “specials” classes – music, art, and P.E. — were dedicated to learning lines, memorizing songs, and knowing where to stand; all the while the kids were being taught lessons on good nutrition. The whole fifth grade class of 75 students was treated to all the attention, while the rest of the school, from pre-K to fourth grade got caught up in the excitement, anticipating the big day.
The collaborative effort was generously supported by Kroger and Lewis-Gale who both see the goal of nutritional education, especially for kids, a worthy one. Nancy May, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations for HCA, says that “we felt it was a great fit because it supported Lewis-Gale’s mission of making communities healthier.” She adds that they “understand the urgency of reaching children while they’re still forming habits that will affect their health for a lifetime.”
Recent statistics are startling; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the childhood obesity rate has tripled for children aged 6 to 11 over the past 30 years, while obesity-associated annual hospital costs has gone up threefold in the past 20 years. It is hoped that taking this program into the community will help offset those trends.
The project was the brainchild of Roanoke Children’s Theatre’s Mary Best Bova and local musician and nutritionist Laura Pole who, struck by those statistics, conceived the idea to involve kids in a theater project that would teach them important nutritional concepts at the same time.
Shelley Lyons, fundraiser and grant writer for Roanoke Children’s Theatre, said, “It was great to see the audience and their reactions, especially to the song ‘Chef Freda Raps;’ the kids went crazy and loved it.”
According to the school’s principal, Susan Brown, “this is a great opportunity for our students – this is the first time some of our students have been involved in anything like this; the week and the play made a memory for a lifetime for some of these kids.” She adds, “I am amazed at what they [Roanoke Children’s Theatre] did; the day before was chaos but they pulled it together.” She smiles as she says “I have only one request – Come back next year!”
There is follow-up planned, including healthy tips during the school’s morning announcements. Kroger will be supplying recipe cards to all the students and Dorothy Shaver will be at the next PTA meeting to be available to parents as well as students.
With the support of Kroger and Lewis-Gale, the Roanoke Children’s Theatre will be taking the weeklong program and play to elementary schools throughout the Roanoke Valley in 2010.
Perhaps the most telling testimony came as the props were being packed up and put away when two little boys shyly approached Ms. Shaver saying, “Thank you for coming to cook with us. It was really fun.”
For more information about “Cooking It!” visit www.roanokechildrenstheatre.org.
By Cheryl Hodges [email protected]