Culinary Corps takes ESYNOLA by storm!

On November 10, FirstLine was proud to welcome CulinaryCorps back to New Orleans as they  teamed up with ESY NOLA for a day of food-focused events at Firstline Schools. Culinary Corps is a group of chefs from all over North America that enable culinary students and professionals to volunteer their skills for the benefit of communities in need.  

The winners!

Early in the day, Culinary Corps teamed up with Green Charter’s 7^th grade class for our 6^th annual Iron Chef Competition! The heat was on as chefs and their 7^th graders determined what dishes to make for this breakfast edition competition. The secret ingredient, Creole Cream Cheese, turned out to be an easy-to-incorporate, delicious addition to all dishes. Though all dishes were fantastic, only 1 cuisine could reign supreme and this was ESY NOLA Chef’s Katie Bingham and Lauren Coroy, along with their skilled group of 7^th graders!  The winning dish had a very fitting name – Green Eggs and Ham – and consisted of grits, greens, boiled eggs and bacon, alongside pecan-crusted French toast with a banana Creole cream cheese sauce.

During the afternoon, Culinary Corps traveled to Langston Hughes where they led a knife skills and food beautification workshop for our foodservice staff.  This was a first for FirstLine foodservice, and in partnership with Sodexo, cafeteria chefs from school around the city, including KIPP and Holy Cross, were able to participate in foodservice professional development!  The group tested new recipes and created new presentations of hot line food to make nutritious and appealing dishes for our students.

In the evening, Culinary Corps helped run John Dibert Community School’s first-ever Family Food Night! Dibert students and parents helped find out what exactly happened to the Food Pyramid. As they traveled from station to station, families picked up pieces to the puzzle along with tasty snacks, recipes they could make at home and participated in fun activities along the way! After collecting all of their puzzle pieces, we put it all together to show them the Food Pyramid is now MyPlate. This new food icon is a great way to teach students and their parents about the food groups and how to create a healthy plate.

Though they have finished their work with ESY NOLA and Firstline Schools for this trip, we wish them luck on the second portion of their trip as they travel to Mississippi to participate in an after-school cooking club program for the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast.

Check out Culinary Corps’ video of their visit to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast here!

Saturday, November 12^th, was also Green Charter’s 2^nd Open Garden Day this year! Volunteers assisted in various tasks, such as seeding, composting, feeding trees, sign making and even a fun recycled paper activity.  

It takes the generosity and kindness of many people and organizations to make all of these events fantastic events happen. In Firstline School's tradition, I would like to give a shout –out to all of the organizations that helped make these events possible: Culinary Corps, Hollygrove Market & Farm, Whole Foods, Langenstein’s, Junior League of New Orleans   and all of our volunteers! We couldn’t do this without all of you!

FirstLine & ESY NOLA in the News

Here are a couple recent articles focused on a new food tasting in the Langston Hughes Cafeteria, and an article on ESY NOLA:

Students give thumbs up for local products in school taste test

NEW ORLEANS, La. – About 40 students gathered in the lunch room at Langston Hughes Academy charter school recently (Nov. 8) to sample and rate potential menu items made from local products.  (Click the link above to read the rest of the article.)

Changing the way kids “eat, learn, and live” at the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

(InthekNOwla) -- NEW ORLEANS | If you went to school in Orleans parish, then we’re sure you remember lunchtime. The rectangle-shaped sausage pizza, hamburgers and “Cajun” fries, mashed potatoes and perfectly square chicken nuggets, yellow rice and baked chicken, and something that kind of resembles the McRib from McDonald's. Mix in the regulatory fruit cocktail, spinach (if the grass had recently been cut), bread, and white milk (though it was like finding a $20 bill when a rare chocolate milk was spotted).   (Click the link above to read the rest of the article.)

Clark Prep Homecoming!

Because Clark Prep is FirstLine's first high school, this year was FirstLine's first homecoming!  Thanks to all the support we received from the Clark alumni who know how it's done, the week was a success!

Crimson and Gray Ball

Clark Prep Teacher Flash Mob!

The week started with Spirit Week at Clark, with dress up days including Nerd Day and Clark Pride day. On Thursday, the girls' volleyball team faced off against the faculty, and on Friday Coach Hess hosted the Clark Pride Pep Rally, featuring the presentation of the marching band, the football team, and a flash mob of teachers dancing!

Pep Rally

Nerd Day!

Saturday was clear skies and crisp, cool weather, with the Bulldogs facing off against Riverside Academy.  Though the Bulldogs weren't victorious, the day was filled with spirit and cheer as alumni, family and friends cheered the Bulldogs through their game.  In addition, many alumni took the opportunity to donate uniforms to help our scholars meet high expectations for professional dress.

Saturday night was the Clark Prep Crimson and Gray Ball, with the gym transformed into a sparkling dance floor.  The homecoming court was sparkling, and students had a wonderful time!

Thanks to all the FirstLine Staff, Clark Staff, students, friends, family and alumni for making this year's homecoming a smashing success!

Food and Fun Events at Firstline Schools

2010 Iron Chef Winners!

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us and I bet you’re wondering why! We have been busy preparing for some great events coming up in November!

On Thursday, November 10^th, ESY NOLA and Culinary Corps have a  day-long food and fun extravaganza planned! It will kick off with Green Charter’s 6th Annual Iron Chef Competition! This competition will feature 60 of our 7^th graders along with local New Orleans chefs and chefs from all over the U.S.

Also on November 10^th is our FIRST Family Food Night at John Dibert! The Curious Case of the Missing Food Pyramid  is the theme for the night and will feature interactive cooking stations, recipe samples and games to introduce everyone to the new MyPlate icon.

The week of Nov. 7^th  will be even more exciting because we will have our second set of Tulane University Dietetic Interns. They will be collecting data about our salad bars and also doing some plate waste studies at each of the Firstline School locations.  Also, make sure you stop by for Green Charter’s second Open Garden Day of the year on Saturday, Nov. 12^th!

Coming up is our first Family Food Night for this school year at Green Charter and will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 15^th with a focus on healthy holiday recipes! Check back to see the results of our Iron Chef Competition and all of our other great events! 

PRESS RELEASE: Edible Schoolyard New Orleans Receives $5,000 Birds Eye Grant to Help Local Communities Discover the Wonder of Vegetables

Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye® Brand Rewards Five Local Organizations Including Edible Schoolyard New Orleans to Inspire and Enable New Orleans Residents to Enjoy Their Vegetables and to Help Feed Kids Better

MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ (October 17, 2011) – Announced today, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans will receive a $5,000 Birds Eye® “Share the Wonder” grant to change the way New Orleans public school children eat, learn and live through a comprehensive, hands-on food education program that integrates gardening and cooking into the curriculum, culture and cafeteria food programs. Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye® brand kicked off the first-ever “Share the Wonder” grant program to provide financial rewards to nonprofit organizations that inspire communities and their children to discover the wonder of vegetables.

“On behalf of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, we are so honored to have been awarded $5,000 from Birds Eye,” said Donna Cavato, Executive Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. “With this Birds Eye grant, we will continue to nourish the minds of New Orleans children, through hands-on gardening and cooking classes, which educate and engage 2,400 FirstLine Schools students in growing, cooking and sharing the wonder of vegetables.”

Edible Schoolyard New Orleans was nominated for a “Share the Wonder” grant at www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables and was chosen as a finalist because of originality, the quality of the organization’s vegetable-focused efforts, and its passion for vegetables. Edible Schoolyard New Orleans then rallied its own fans and followers to vote based on a video about its cause.

“At Birds Eye, we believe that everyone has the right to enjoy vegetables any time, any place, and we celebrate the organizations that make vegetables more enjoyable and accessible for their local communities and children,” said Rodrigo Troni, vice president of marketing for Birds Eye. “We had an overwhelming response to the ‘Share the Wonder’ grant program. That’s why we’re thrilled to give Edible Schoolyard New Orleans this grant as one of nearly 100 organizations that applied to support its efforts to share the wonder of vegetables in its local community and to help Feed Kids Better.”

Vegetables Anytime, Anywhere
Birds Eye helps people “Discover the Wonder of Vegetables™” by making them easy, delicious and accessible for everyone. With more than 40 unique vegetables offered and countless ways to enjoy them, from pure and simple vegetables and steamed varieties, to veggie powered recipes and complete vegetable rich meals, Birds Eye gives consumers limitless possibilities to get vegetables on their plates every day.

Visit www.facebook.com/birdseyevegetables for serving ideas, tips and tools to help make vegetables the star of the plate.

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About Birds Eye
Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie’s® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables.


About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Mountain Lakes, NJ, our business employs more than 4,500 people in North America. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 8 out of 12 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® pickles, peppers, and relish, Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups, Armour® canned meats, Nalley® and Brooks® chili and chili ingredients, and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye® vegetables, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie’s® and Freshlike® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® meals, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Swanson® and Hungry-Man® dinners and entrees, Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® seafood, Lender’s® bagels and Celeste® frozen pizza. Our Specialty Food group manages Tim’s Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian™ Kettle Style Potato Chips Snyder of Berlin® and Husman’s® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at www.pinnaclefoods.com.


About Edible Schoolyard New Orleans
Founded in 2006, Edible Schoolyard NOLA changes the way children eat, learn and live at FirstLine Schools in New Orleans. Our hands-on food education program integrates gardening and cooking into the curriculum, culture and cafeteria menus of five (5) open-admissions, public charter schools. Our goal is to improve the long-term well being of our students, families, and school community, and we currently serve about 2,400 pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students. Through Exposure, Engagement and Access, ESY NOLA reinforces seasonal cooking and local growing and investment through special events and community outreach programs including: Family Food Nights (parents join their children in the Teaching Kitchen to cook heart-healthy recipes); Budding Entrepreneurs/Growing Leaders (5th-8th graders sell their produce, garden-based crafts, and value-added products at local farmers markets); and Open Garden Days (community comes to the school garden to work, harvest and share meals created with produce grown by the children). For more information, please visit www.esynola.org. You can also “Like” us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edible-Schoolyard-New-Orleans and follow us on Twitter @esynola.

PRIME TIME at Green

Students are enthralled by the storytelling.

This fall, we’re excited to be joined by 27 families coming together for Prime Time with the mission of transforming Green Charter School students into life-long readers. In case you haven’t heard, PRIME TIME is a free, state-sponsored, six-week program of reading, discussion, and storytelling. For each workshop at Green, after a delicious meal provided by a local restaurant, our facilitators Natalie Williams and Freddi Evans conduct readings for children ages 6 to 10 and their parents. The goal is not to just tell great stories -- but to encourage parents to ask their children critical questions about the texts. After each reading, we talk about major themes, analyze the characters, and debate the message of each book. The award-winning children’s books introduce fairy and folk tales from around the world. They are stories that deal with questions and dilemmas children commonly encounter. For children from 3-5, we also offer pre-literacy activities and crafts.

Natalie Williams reading "Who's In Rabbit's House?".

We are fortunate for our weekly discussions to be facilitated by local author Freddi Evans and storyteller Natalie Williams. For our first session, we read the South African folk tale, Abiyoyo. Afterward, children and parents deliberated the idea of judging good people with bad habits. For our second session, after we dined on some authentic, freshly prepared Mexican food donated by Sarita’s Grill, our friend Sharon from the Children’s Resource Center came to talk about the New Orleans Public Library System and shared information about their children’s programs and events. Last week, we had red beans, rice, and jambalaya from Liberty’sKitchen, and read the classic tale of The Wren and the Eagle. After debating the merits of brains over brawn and the significance of ambition, several lucky students walked away with books and Walmart gift-cards from our weekly raffle!

This week, we’re going to be reading Odd Velvet, eating more locally-sourced food, and giving away more prizes to promote family literacy!

Paul Kramer is the Community Initiatives Coordinator at Samuel J. Green Charter School.  Check back regularly to hear more updates about his work at Green.

Clark Prep hosts College Fair

On Thursday, September 29, Clark Prep, FirstLine Schools' new high school, hosted its first ever College Fair day.  Over 20 regional universities were represented, as well as the military and other support service programs.  Students were able to talk directly with admissions counselors from LSU, Vanderbilt, Southern University and more about what they offer and what they can gain from attending those universities.  The event also featured the debut of the 2011-12 Clark Prep cheerleaders and musical performances.

The cheerleaders' debut!

Clark's gym was transformed.

Signing up for more information

Joey the bulldog showed off for the marines.

Principal Coleman helps seniors make a decision.

Denise loves Southern U!

Learning more about program offerings.

PRESS RELEASE: Arthur Ashe Charter School Featured in National Report on High-Performing, Expanded-Time Schools

Report Shows How Effective Use of Expanded Learning Time Boosts Student Achievement

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Friday, September 30, 2011 – Arthur Ashe Charter School is earning national recognition for its success in using expanded learning time to boost student achievement.  It is one of 30 schools from across the country featured in a new national report that examines effective practices for improving teaching and learning at expanded-time schools.  The report is set to be released at an event with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Washington, D.C. today.

"We are proud to have been nationally recognized as a successful model for expanded learning time,” said Sabrina Pence, School Director of Arthur Ashe Charter School.

The report, Time Well Spent: Eight Powerful Practices of Successful, Expanded-Time Schools, from the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL), outlines how high-performing, expanded-time schools implement one or more of eight different practices to help improve student achievement, including allocating time towards focused goals; individualizing learning time and instruction based on student needs; and using time to assess student data in order to continuously strengthen instruction.

Arthur Ashe Charter School

The mission of Arthur Ashe Charter School is to prepare all students academically while developing their character so they will excel at a high school with rigorous academics and graduate from a four-year college.

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools in New Orleans.  We do this by directly operating open admissions public schools and by developing training programs for teacher and school leaders across New Orleans.  FirstLine operates four K-8 schools and one high school in New Orleans: Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School, Langston Hughes Academy (through a management contract with NOLA180), Samuel J. Green Charter School, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.

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LHA hosts its first Open Garden Day!

You are invited to the very first
Open Garden Day
at The Dreamkeeper Garden of Langston Hughes Academy
3519 Trafalgar St.
New Orleans, LA 70119

THIS Saturday October 1, 2011
10:00-1:00pm

Edible Fun for the Whole Family!

Please join us for a day of weeding, planting, bed building, and more as we prepare The Dreamkeeper Garden for the fall!

All volunteers are welcome and asked to bring a water bottle and wear comfortable gardening clothes.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.  
           

Special October Garden Guests:

Junior League of New Orleans
ReLeaf of Tulane School of Medicine
TIDES of Tulane University
New Orleans Outreach


Interested in volunteering at The Dreamkeeper Garden of Langston Hughes Academy on a regular basis?
Please contact Kelly Regan kelly@esynola.org to learn more about our volunteer opportunities.

Clark Prep Freshman Academy goes to the Ivy League!

Jude, Sada, Jattir and Jules ask questions of the Stanford Dean of Admissions.

This Wednesday, Clark Prep Freshmen had a unique opportunity:  in conjunction with the National Association of College Admissions Counselors conference being held in New Orleans, ABAFAOILSS, the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools hosted a mini college fair for minority students at Lake Area New Tech Early College High School in Gentilly.

Milena learns more about what Princeton can offer.

College Counselor Ms. Landreneau brought 8 freshmen as part of the Early College Scholars program.  Freshmen got to have an intimate conversation with admissions directors from Dartmouth and Cal Tech about what they should do in 9th grade to prepare for an Ivy League career, then got to speak with admissions counselors from esteemed universities including Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Penn, Mount Holyoke, Wesleyan and more!  The attending freshmen will prepare a presentation for the rest of the Clark Prep Freshman Academy as part of CPFA's program of intensive college preparation.

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid; Say Hello to MyPlate!

Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

You may not know, but MyPlate replaced MyPyramid this past June as the USDA’s new food icon. First Lady Michelle Obama, whose Let’s Move campaign is aimed at fighting obesity, helped unveil the new design. As you may notice from the picture, it’s an easy to understand tool that shows how to build a healthy meal based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. It utilizes the plate to show 5 components of a healthy meal - fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy, in sizes proportional to how much you should eat in each meal. We all know that what we eat matters and this is a great tool to help make healthy choices. Check out this short video for a brief overview of MyPlate or visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more information. Some key points to remember from MyPlate are to make at least half your grains whole grains, make half your plate fruits and vegetables, get calcium rich foods, go lean with protein, focus on fruits and vary your veggies. Other key points to remember are to find your balance between food and physical activity as well as keep your food safe!

Excited to learn about MyPlate!

The past couple weeks in the Edible Teaching Kitchen at Green Charter, our 3^rd and 4^th graders have been learning more about the new MyPlate icon. They’ve written poems, created MyPlate collages, and even made a MyPlate snack of crackers, peppers, pears, hummus and almond milk. Not only are these children learning about MyPlate and healthy habits in the Teaching Kitchen, but these lessons translate into our Cafeteria where a variety of options are offered in accordance with the new MyPlate recommendations. As I’ve noted before, all of the Firstline School Cafeteria’s offer a daily salad bar with fresh vegetables and fruits. More than half of the grains served during mealtimes are whole grains, which include brown rice and whole-wheat dinner rolls. We’ve cut out red meats, offering a variety of leaner protein options in place such as chicken, turkey, and a variety of bean dishes. We believe that through the integration of education, such as the MyPlate lessons, and real life application of these principles in the classroom and cafeteria, we can change our children’s habits. By creating demand from the ground up, our school-based food and snack programs now incorporate our food values of “wholesome, nutritious and delicious” as well as the USDA recommendations from MyPlate – fueling our children in the mind, body and spirit towards healthy lifestyles.

The MyPlate Snack

Placing foods in right food groups

MyPlate Bulletin Board in Green Charter Cafeteria

 In other news, our first set of Tulane University Dietetic Interns started yesterday. They’ll be with us for the rest of the week and are working on some really exciting projects. To enhance our cafeteria environment, they are working on menu cards for each table, allowing the children to have a sneak-peak for the next day’s menu. They are also assisting in some studies, collecting data in the cafeteria as well as creating newsletters about MyPlate. Make sure to check back next week to find out more!

Happy Watermelon Day!

Direct from farm to school.

It's that time again!  At Ashe Charter School, Dibert Community School and Green Charter School, Thursday September 15 was Watermelon Day!  Farmer Ben from Mississippi visited campuses with a truckload of sugarbaby watermelons, and kids at all campuses got a taste of the sweet, cool fruit that is synonymous with summers in the South.  Farmer Ben has been delighting Green and Ashe with his annual watermelon visit for four years, but this is the first watermelon day for Dibert and LHA.  Check out the photos of Dibert primary students enjoying their treat.  Langston Hughes Academy hosts their first watermelon day tomorrow, Friday September 16.

Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

Making Life By What We Give
-Winston Churchill
 

This past Saturday, Samuel J. Green Charter School hosted its first Open Garden Day of the year! It was a great success, with over 100 volunteers showing up to help our edible garden grow and make our neighborhood beautiful! The new members of the Louisiana Delta Service Corps started at ESY NOLA earlier this month and made their big debut at Open Garden Day, assisting volunteers with pruning trees, composting, seed collecting, and plenty of weeding. Some volunteers also did a great job in the kitchen, chopping tomatoes and cubing feta for the watermelon salad!

In true Firstline Schools tradition, I’d like to give a shout-out to Junior League New Orleans, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans and Tulane University’s Society of Young Black Public Health Professionals for their dedication to our program along with all of the families and friends that showed up to help out! We couldn’t have made this day happen without you guys! Also, I would like to give a special shout-out to Langenstein’s for partnering with ESY NOLA, sponsoring all of the ingredients for lunch and helping make this day even more special!

Today I would like to introduce you to the team that helps bring our mission to life and who will be frequently referenced in this blog. As I mentioned last week, all 5 schools serve meals made almost entirely from scratch as well as a daily salad bar. In order to make these healthy meals available and changes happen, it takes more effort, energy and a dedicated staff. As we can see with the participation at Open Garden Day, it takes a village to make our ideas come to life, from café staff members to ESY food educators, to parents and community volunteers giving their time in our café dining commons and garden.

Chris Van Vliet is Firstline Schools’ Chef/Director of Food Services, overseeing all 5 school cafeterias. He’s been at Firstline since November 2010 and has been working in school food service for about 10 years. Ernishia Calvin is our new Food Service Administrative Assistant. Chris and Ernishia are both based out of Joseph S. Clark Prep High School, the newest FirstLine school. We work with Sodexo as our food service management company, so we can utilize their buying power to provide fresh, healthy meals for our school children. Van Cao is our Sodexo General Manager who coordinates and provides good, safe food for our school cafeterias. Juan Rodriguez is our Sodexo Area Manager that works with Firstline Schools, as well as Louis Edmond who also is a Chef/Trainer at our schools. Our Kitchen Managers across the network include: Joyce Renfro at S.J . Green, Cheritta Watts at John Dibert Community School, Kathleen Bush at Langston Hughes Academy, Jaunita Blakely at Arthur Ashe, and Shemeko Johnson at Clark Prep. All of these people help make our mission to provide good, healthy school food possible.

As for ESY NOLA, our staff has grown to 20 members across all Firstline sites and new positions, such as mine as the In-house Dietetic Intern, have been added to bring more of a health and overall wellness focus to our work. Our staff is continuing to grow and bios will be up on ESYNOLA.org shortly.

Next week, find out what our third and fourth graders plates have in common with the First Lady’s plate!

Edible Schoolyard Teachers and Volunteers are WWL "Quiet Heroes"!

Edible Schoolyard volunteers and staff featured on WWL's "Quiet Heroes" segment.

Leading Educators Video features FirstLine LE Alumni

Check out this video from Leading Educators featuring many FirstLine educators! Leading Educators' mission is to support and develop teacher-leaders at open enrollment urban public schools to ensure high academic achievement and an aspirational culture for every student.  This two year program provides management training, visits to schools that are closing the achievement gap, and assessment tools to develop the skillfulness of department chairs, vice-principals, Deans of Students, team leaders, and other teachers in mid-level leadership positions.  Leading Educators was founded in New Orleans in 2008, and became an independent non-profit in 2011, thanks in part to funding from several national foundations, and is expanding to other US markets, starting with Kansas City in fall 2011.

Leading Educators Video from NOVAC on Vimeo.

PRESS RELEASE: Langenstein’s Announces Partnership with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

New Orleans, LA, September 1, 2011 -- Langenstein’s, a 90 year old specialty foods market located in Uptown and Metairie, announced today an exciting new partnership with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, to “change the way kids eat, learn and live” by sponsoring field trips and community garden visits. 

Edible Schoolyard NOLA was founded in 2006 as a way to promote a sense of pride and responsibility among local children for fresh, seasonal foods. The program reinforces social and environmental stewardship for more than 2,000 students at five public charter schools in the FirstLine Schools network.  ESY NOLA's specialized grade-level programming provides experiential learning through hands-on kitchen and garden classes and seasonal events that promote the food traditions of New Orleans.

 “We are extremely proud of our program and have always made enriching, hands-on experiences that are practical and educational for the kids a top priority,” says Edible Schoolyard NOLA Executive Director Donna Cavato. “We’re so happy to have a local, home-grown grocery sponsor to reinforce our values and to show our children the full cycle of how food gets from the garden to the store.”

In addition to hosting field trips in their Metairie location where students will learn from the butcher, produce and seafood managers, Langenstein’s will provide lunch for volunteers at all Open Garden Days through 2012.  Open Garden Days are open to the wider community to learn how to garden and compost, and has helped to care for the expansive garden at Samuel J. Green Charter School.  This year, the partnership will allow ESY NOLA to expand its Open Garden Days to Langston Hughes Academy Charter School for the first time.

“Langenstein’s is known for carrying local, fresh vegetables and fruits, in addition to the highest-quality meat and seafood in New Orleans,” says Trey Lanaux, fifth-generation of Langenstein’s. “We are also proud to support local nonprofits like Edible Schoolyard NOLA, and fully back their mission to teach kids how to live a healthier lifestyle.”

The Langenstein’s and Edible Schoolyard partnership will kickoff on Saturday, September 10, 2011 for Open Garden Day at Green Charter. Additionally, students from Green and Arthur Ashe Charter schools will be visiting the store later in the school year.

About Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

Created in 2006, the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESY NOLA) serves more than 2,000 public school students across the FirstLine Schools network, at four (4) Kindergarten-8^th grade schools and one (1) 9th-12^th grade high school.  Children learn how to grow and harvest their own food in ESY NOLA’s edible teaching gardens.  The flagship site, an expansive 1/3-acre organic garden at Samuel J. Green Charter School, includes composting and worm composting (vermiculture), outdoor classrooms, a green living roof, native plants, a wetlands area, a citrus grove, row crops, and a butterfly garden.  The Edible Teaching Kitchen at Green is a hands-on classroom that brings abstract concepts from the classroom to life.  Grade-level cooking and seasonal food tastings incorporate ingredients from our very own garden and local farms.  ESY NOLA is the first replication of the original program founded by chef and food education activist Alice Waters in Berkeley, California. ESY NOLA helps children find a place at the table, and in the world, by nourishing their minds and bodies, building community, and creating a beautiful environment that stimulates students’ curiosity and desire to learn about the natural world, as well as the food traditions of New Orleans. www.esynola.org

About Langenstein’s

When Michael Langenstein and his sons, George and Richard, opened Langenstein's supermarket in 1922, their goal was to carry the best meat and seafood in New Orleans. Based on the suggestions of customers, the business slowly grew into the gourmet arena. In the 1970's Langenstein's began offering prepared food using old-fashioned family recipes. Now, almost 90 years later, Langenstein's is a 5th generation owned and operated business, proudly holding true to its original ideas, while still adapting to the needs and suggestions of loyal customers. www.langensteins.com

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Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

Planting the Seeds for a Great School Year


Welcome to the first posting of a weekly blog about food happenings at Edible Schoolyard NOLA (ESY NOLA) and FirstLine Schools. My name is Justine Duchon and I am the In-House Dietetic Intern with ESY NOLA.

ESY NOLA is a signature program of FirstLine Schools dedicated to changing the way kids eat, learn and live. We integrate hands-on organic gardening and seasonal cooking into the school learning experience, culture and cafeteria meal programs. If you're interested in learning more, please visit our website.

ESY's work is reflected in the cafeteria where almost all of the meals are prepared from scratch.
Along with entrees representing our local food culture, each child receives 3 pieces of fresh fruit and 4 vegetables each day. All our school cafes also offer a daily salad bar option. We've also made the switch to whole grains. More than half of our grains offered are whole grains like brown rice whole wheat rolls. We're very proud of our food program, especially considering that over 90% of the children we serve are eligible to receive free lunches. Many live in neighborhoods that don't have grocery stores, making access to healthy, affordable foods a challenge. By offering these nutritious options at this school, we are also able to serve those children who are most in need.

New and exciting things are happening that I can't wait to share with you! First off, you may have noticed the title of this blog - "Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat." This motto represents FirstLine's commitment to nourishing the whole child. We know that success in the classroom starts with healthy, balanced meals in our school cafes. Our mission is to create healthy habits early in life to improve the health and well-being of our school children, and ultimately the community we serve. Food is a basic need, but we seek to teach, grow and eat good food that will nourish the body and mind and allow our students to grow up to lead healthy, successful lives.

You may already know that in the past month, all five of our schools have started classes. This includes our latest addition - Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School. All of these schools have some level of Edible Schoolyard programming which may include: daytime garden and cooking classes tied to core academics, edible gardens on campus, food and health-related special events, and/or after-school cooking and gardening clubs.

We are looking forward to the start of the first culinary after-school program at Clark Prep tomorrow! Also, make sure you mark your calendars for Open Garden Day at Green Charter on September 10th from 10am until 1pm! There's a lot more t share with you this year including our Iron Chef Competition, Family Food Nights, menu study and survey projects in our dining cafes, and so much more. Stay tuned each Tuesday!

Green featured in recent TFA Video

This recent Teach For America (TFA) video was partially filmed at Green. As you watch the video, keep an eye out for Ava Lee (School Director at Green) and some of our students!

Delta SKY Magazine: Chefs Who Give Back

If you are out "flying the friendly skies" in August, check out the Delta Sky Magazine, page 73-74, for a photo of world-renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse and four of our Edible Schoolyard NOLA students at a New Orleans farmers market. This classic picture leads a story by Andrew Zimmern on"3 Chefs Who Give Back," including recognition of the philanthropic work of Chef Emeril in New Orleans.

Read the full article (and see the great ESY NOLA picture) here!

The Rebirth of Clark Highlighted on WWOZ

WWOZ reporter Zachary Young attending the July 9 "Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Event." Mr. Young filed a five-minute Street Talk story about the event, as well as Clark becoming a FirstLine school. Listen to that story here!

Garden Photo Essay from PhotoPhilanthropy.org!

Nancy Farese is a photographer who uses her work to promote social justice.  She visited Green's Edible Garden and created a blog entry as well as a video highlighting her trip.  Check out her blog entries at PhotoPhilanthropy.org, and check out the video she made from her photos below!



Edible Schoolyard, New Orleans from NFarese on Vimeo.

Pictures from the Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Event

We had an amazing event on July 9 at Clark - thank you to all the members of the community that came out to be a part of the event. Pictures from the event can be found here!

Edible Schoolyard Featured by PhotoPhilanthropy

We were thrilled to see this beautiful blog posting by PhotoPhilanthropy's Nancy Farese, of the incredible work of our students, teachers and staff at ESY NOLA and FirstLine Schools! Nancy visited us in May, and the photo images she has captured continue to rejuvenate all of us here at FirstLine.

Be sure not to miss the photo captions - many were captured by our Edible Schoolyard teachers and staff. We find capturing our student voices to be one of the most rewarding things we do.

NEWS RELEASE: Attend the Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School’s “Rebirth of Clark” Kickoff Party

Volunteer Work Day Scheduled for July 9

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Tuesday, July 5, 2011 – As of July 1, 2011 FirstLine Schools assumed operation of Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School (formerly Joseph S. Clark Senior High School). FirstLine Schools is a New Orleans-based charter school organization that started the first charter school in the city 18 years ago.

Saturday, July 9 from 10:00am to 2:00pm marks the “Rebirth of Clark” Kickoff Party at Clark. Staff, Tremé community groups, alumni, Clark families and volunteers from across the city will work together on renovations to the exterior and interior of the Clark campus.

“We are excited to partner with students, families, alumni and neighbors in the Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Party,” stated Reginald Coleman, Principal of Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, 10 - 12th Grade.

Highlights of the day include a performance by Clark Alums, the Rebirth Brass Band, other musical entertainment and lunch. Projects will include: building flower beds, planting and landscaping, painting interior spaces and creating art projects that will improve the appearance of the campus.

“The Joseph S. Clark Community Council is excited about the "rebirth" of Clark High School. We're excited about the possibilities that the partnership with FirstLine has to offer to the students of this community and beyond,” remarked Dr. Monique Gibson Cola, Chairperson of the Joseph S. Clark Community Council and President of the Joseph S. Clark Alumni Association.

WHERE: Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, 1301 North Derbigny Street

WHEN: 10am, Saturday, July 9, 2011

To RSVP for yourself or a group of people, please contact David Durand at ddurand@firstlineschools.org. For parents and students interested in learning more about Clark, speaking with the Clark leadership team, or interested in enrolling, please contact Darcy McKinnon at 504-228-4247 or dmckinnon@firstlineschools.org. More information about Clark and the leadership team can be found at www.clarkprep.org.

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools in New Orleans. We do this by directly operating open admissions public schools and by developing training programs for teacher and school leaders across New Orleans.

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Author John Berendt visits Dibert 2nd Grade

Read the T-P article about the visit of Author John Berendt to Dibert's 2nd grade class!

"Sitting on a table in Anne Ohri’s second-grade class at John Dibert Community School last week, writer John Berendt read and smiled with an audience far removed from his usual fan base." 

Green Staff and 3rd Grade featured in LOOP Video

LOOP's video detailing the wonderful work they do features Ms. Cerda and her 3rd Grade class, as well as Mrs. Bunton.  Lookin good in the woods, LOOP students.

FirstLine Staff Alum incubates charter boarding high school in Detroit

Read the news article from the Detroit Metro-Times about Natasha Baker's new charter boarding school proposal for Detroit public school students.   Congratulations to Natasha!


http://metrotimes.com/news/one-educator-s-dream-1.1158502

End of Year Festivities Ring in Summer!

It's nearing the end of the school year, and FirstLine Schools have invited their families and community members to participate and enjoy the fruits of our students' labor.  This year, GreenFest, the Green Family Picnic,  AsheFest and Dibert Fest invited families to visit the school and enjoy the company of the school community.

Mama Baderinwa's dance class showed off their moves at Green Fest.

Green's photography class displayed their work.