By

Martha Nance,   Highland Elementary School

Play:

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Student Leadership, Success with Funds,  Teamwork

We celebrated World School Milk Day with a "Farm to Table" event. The day started with students coming in to a fully decorated school. The lunchroom was decorated like a barn, complete with animals, hay, and a John Deere tractor! The lunchroom was decorated with cow print table cloths and balloons. Inflatable dairy cows, inflatable milk bottles, and artificial cow tails were all displayed from the ceiling. 

We involved the community by inviting local farmers to bring animals from their respective farms and teach the students about life on the farm. The older students assisted the farmers at their stations as "farm hands." The older students assumed leadership roles during this event. The younger students traveled from station to station learning about different animals and farms. 

The community businesses were invited. Alfa Insurance Company was invited to bring the Ag in Action trailor. This trailer had interactive games and a combine simulator. The trailer also had a lifesize artificial dairy cow the students could practice milking. The trailor tours seven counties free of charge teaching schools about agriculture. 

At lunch, we provided students with the opportunity to have a milking contest, mooing contest, and cow trivia, and each student was rewarded with gifts of Fuel Up to Play 60 items. After lunch, the students had the opportunity to have "Got Milk?" photos made with their classmates. Upon returning to the classroom, they participated in activities teaching the students about the production and consumption of milk! We hoped to create a fun-filled educational day that the students will never forget!

How did students and adults work together as a team?

Students at this event were able to work with their advisor to learn tasks to help the local farmers at the event. The students were also involved in making decorations for the day's events. It was a lot of teamwork that made this day successful!

How did you accomplish your goals?

The students and advisor made plans to teach everyone more about the production and consumption of dairy. With teamwork, this day was made possible in planning, working, and cleaning up after the event. Each station promoted the consumption of dairy!

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

With all the interest generated during this event. We hope to promote a schoolwide community garden. This garden would teach the students about all the steps involved to produce fruits and vegetables, leading to healthier lives.