August 18, 2016 

Dear Parents of St. Joseph's School Children from Fr. Tom Acker, SJ.

St. Joseph School founded in 1832 was a pioneer in education at that time. It is now the oldest private school west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi. The school maintains that pioneering spirit in our day when education seems so conflicted with government regulations, bewildering political views, and a focus on rules rather than results. St. Joseph School takes exception. Our newest endeavor Food and Eating Across the Curriculum is an example. 

There are few activities as regularly practiced from birth until death than eating and drinking. We all know that healthy habits of eating and drinking promote healthy children. For this reason we are making eating and drinking part of the curriculum in the cafeteria and part of the curriculum in our classes and in our exercise.

All children will eat food prepared in our kitchen and fashioned according to the nutritionists of Avalon
Food. Parents will no longer pack lunches for their children. Food and nutrition will become part of the
curriculum in the classroom as we discuss various kinds of food, nutritional values, and food diversities. The new playground put in at the cost of $80,000 will allow students to more vigorously and safely enjoy the outdoors. Already the students are benefitting by changing classrooms between classes, This knocks out the cobwebs that come from sitting in one place too long. We are looking to have healthy, lively, and vibrant students.

Here-to-fore, the cost for our lunches was $2.50 a lunch. This year we have reduced the cost of a lunch to $1.80 a lunch. You cannot even take your child to a Wendy's or McDonalds or pack a lunch as nutritious as what we will have for $1.80. Since there are 90 days in the school first semester, the cost will be $162. for all the meals for your child.

You will find in this small packet letters from two medical people of our parish. Marcella Martell, a teacher and nutritionist, is acting as our consultant and teacher of the faculty.

Let me express to you our goals:
 

1. Feed the children at every lunch period nutritious food.
2. Engage students to eat a broader range of foods to overcome fussiness in some children.
3. The children learn how to evaluate food, different foods that different people eat, and how to eat well in order to stay healthy.