BCHS art teacher Tiffany Armoreda paints the new lunch room mural at BCMS.

Some students want Asian food, others sub sandwiches, and all of them want more pizza options. But the Baker County school district wants students to eat healthier foods, and it’s Cathy Golon’s job to see that both groups are happy.

Beginning August 20, when students return from summer break and experience the district’s revamped meals program, she’ll know if she succeeded.

Ms. Golon, the district’s nutrition services director, has been working with a Winter Springs, FL consultant, Sue Tatum of Vinca Marketing & Communications, to implement changes to the program, many of which are mandated by the federal agency responsible for funding about 70 percent of it.

They’ve revised school menus, but also how the food is presented to students, in hopes of making district-provided meals more appetizing and more nutritious. That way, Ms. Golon said, more students will participate in meal plans, which helps “keep them on campus and keep them safe.”

The effort started last spring when Ms. Tatum conducted focus groups and surveys with students at the middle and high schools to uncover their preferences. She was paid with a $4000 grant from the USDA (Department of Agriculture), the same agency that funds most the district’s food services budget.

“We wanted them to share what they wanted for the upcoming school year and we explained how the meal patterns would be changing and how best to combine those,” Ms. Golon explained this week.

For instance, she said, students on school meal plans will be required to have a specified amount of a “red-orange” vegetables, like carrots or sweet potatoes, but they prefer them as is, rather than made into something else, like sweet potato fries or carrot cake.

“We’re taking what they said to heart as we’re making the changes,” Ms. Golon said.

Superintendent Sherrie Raulerson found out July 20 that Baker County Middle School did not receive a B-grade as reported by the Florida Department of Education earlier this month; it got an "A" for the sixth consecutive year.

She said a review by the state of school grade data showed that 40 districts in Florida had schools that received the wrong grade.

"We're really excited about that," she said some 10 minutes after receiving a call from a state education official.

After competing in annual field day activities the morning of May 4, students at Keller Intermediate School did all they could to get soaked by Macclenny Fire Department volunteer Charlie Green, who was stationed atop a fire engine with a hose.

Decorative flowers in the field at Spring Fling.

Children at the Pre-K/Kindergarten Center in Macclenny participated in the annual Spring Fling on March 29 with parents and faculty. Here's some images from the event. Prints of these and other photos from Spring Fling can be ordered here.

Luke Starling (left) and Allie Jessman of Jackie Schatz' pre-k class.