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Teachers attend nutrition workshop
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Posted on Mar 03 2000
Fifty teachers from public and private schools attend a workshop over the weekend to learn more about student nutritional requirements, physical activities, emotional needs and policies that do not allow junk food on CNMI campuses.
The CNMI Food and Nutrition Council sponsored the nutrition workshop and its subcommittee called the SNAPP, or the School Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Partnership. The Department of Public Health, the Public School System and Northern Marianas College are primary partners in the development of improved nutrition and campus policies.
In one session, Lisa Manglona of NMC helped teachers understand that culturally-relevant and interactive nutrition activities can be integrated into their current curriculum such as Math, Language, Arts, Music, Social Studies and others.
Two CNMI schools — Tanapag and Oleai elementary schools — have excellent working policies that promote healthy foods and prohibit junk food on campus.
Students who bring potato chips, chocolates and other foods that lack nutritional value must place the food with the principal or teacher until school is over, when the food is given back.
Parents are given a copy of the policy along with a guide to help them shop for healthier snack alternatives. Although parents misunderstood the policy and originally thought that the food was taken away from the students, the school principals explained the merits it entails.
Sans the policy, parents will pay higher medical bills because the kids contract diseases associated with obesity.
According to Ignacia Demapan of Tanapag Elementary School, she sent a lot of time with parents who were eventually convinced by and supported the policy.
Oleai Elementary School’s Evelyn Manglona said although some parents yell at the teachers and staff, they ultimately cool down and realize that PSS and SNAPP only want to help parents bring about a healthy community.
Recent survey revealed that Saipan students have about $8 per day to spend. The survey indicated that about $4 per day is spent on junk food, or $3,000 per year per student.
