Surgeon General Visits Green Charter

Our Green Charter scholars got a great surprise last Tuesday when the Acting Surgeon General of the United States, Boris D. Lushniak M.D., stopped by to give a presentation. Dr. Lushniak spoke to our eighth grade classes about the importance of active living, healthy diet, refraining from smoking and being leaders in their communities.

Dr. Lushniak’s talk was followed by a question and answer session with our eighth grade class. The students asked thoughtful questions about how Dr. Lushniak got to his position, obstacles he faced and what he was doing to stop the spread of disease. Dr. Lushniak was insightful, energetic and inspiring while answering the scholar’s questions.

After his visit with the eighth grade class, Dr. Lushniak took a tour through Green’s edible schoolyard and stopped in on a gardening class. He took time to speak with the scholars in the gardening class and answer questions. Moving from the gardening class, Dr. Lushniak also stopped in on one of our cooking classes to take in the unique program offered by FirstLine Schools.

We would like to send a big shout-out to our Green Charter scholars and staff for being gracious hosts for our guest. We would also like to send a big shout-out to Dr. Lashniak for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit with our scholars and provide words of encouragement to our staff for all their wonderful work.

Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) is a signature program of FirstLine Schools, to learn more about ESYNOLA and FirstLine Schools please visit www.firstlineschools.org, follow us on twitter and instagram: @firstlineNOLA and like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/firstlinenola  

Jesse Short is a Louisiana Delta Service Corps member serving at FirstLine Schools as the Technology and Social Media Coordinator.

Watermelon Day puts FirstLine Students in Good Company

Watermelon Day is coming to FirstLine on Friday, September 19! LHA, Green, Ashe, and Dibert at Wheatley will be celebrating the local, healthy fruits in celebrations that are collaborations between FIrstLine and ESYNOLA teachers. Festivities will include educational games such as watermelon trivia relay races, fun activities like seed-spitting contests, and, of course, watermelon recipes and tastings. 

Not only is Watermelon Day special because watermelons mean pure summer joy for our kids, but because the farmers who visit are so inspiring. 

Farmer Ben Burkett--a fourth-generation farmer from Mississippi--and members of the Indian Springs Farmers Association have been bringing watermelons to FirstLine since the conception of the Edible Schoolyard at Green; this will be Farmer Ben's 9th Watermelon Day. 

When Farmer Ben isn't in the field, he's an activist, working to increase the income and enhance community development in some of the poorest parts of the south. In October, Farmer Ben will be awarded a James Beard Leadership Award for his support of the family farm and advocacy for the rights to wholesome food and clean water, air, and land. 

Join ESYNOLA and FirstLine Schools in welcoming this award-winning farmer! 

Also, the watermelons are delicious. 

(Pictures below & here's the link to the article again:

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/07/17/petal-farmer-get-james-beard-leadership-award/12788893/)

Special Olympics Field Day at Arthur Ashe Charter School

This past Saturday, Coach Tamara Schuit and a group of coaches and volunteers held the second FirstLine Special Olympics event.  As Coach T describes it, “We watched with full hearts as students from Dibert, Ashe, Green, and LHA participated in basketball, volleyball, and track and field events with coaches, volunteers, parents and siblings cheering them on. SHOUT OUTS to our amazing coaches and volunteers Ms. E, Ms. Clayton, Ms. Meekins, Ms. Landry (and her son/daughter), and our ESY peeps Donna Cavato and Jess Bloomer who helped make the day a huge success!”  Thank you Coach T and team for making this happen.

Clark Prep Boy's Basketball wins District Championship!

Clark Prep Boy's Basketball team wins District 10-3A Championship, their first district championship since 1986. The team finished the season 17 and 12 and will be heading to the regional round next week to face-off against the winner of No. 16 Union Parish and No. 17 North Websters.

A big congrats to coach Marcell Fisher and all the guys on the team! We wish you the best of luck in your upcoming games.

To read more about the championship on Nola.com, please click here.

To help support the Clark Prep basketball team, along with other Clark Prep enrichment programs, come to the 2nd Annual Treme Day 5K Run/Walk and Health & Wellness Fest. All proceeds from race registration will go directly to Clark Prep's Athletic and Enrichment programs. The event is Saturday March 29th at 9AM.