HOPEWELL: Contest allows students to ‘take their parents to lunch’ at school 

Hopewell Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in the nation who were named the winners of the 2015 National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day contest.
Each school will receive a $1,000 grant from KIWI magazine and the Whole Kids Foundation to improve their lunch programs.
Hundreds of schools across the country participated in Lunch Day, giving parents an opportunity to eat lunch with their child in the school cafeteria and learn more about what goes into putting together a healthy, balanced meal.
In the contest, representatives of schools explained why they took part in Lunch Day, highlighted the school’s sustainability efforts and explained what they would do with the grant money if they won.
At Hopewell Elementary, meeting students’ health-related needs is crucial for the school community, and Lunch Day allows the school to reinforce its commitment to offering nutritious meal options. Its new organic menu features local produce, when possible, with many of the herbs and vegetables grown in the school’s own organic gardens.
Hopewell offers three different after-school garden clubs and each year hosts a Farm to School event, where local farmers and chefs offer demonstrations and food tastings for students.
“At Hopewell Elementary, out staff is proud to partner with parents to nurture the whole child,” said Principal David Friedrich. “ The incredibly strong turnout on Take Your Parents to Lunch Day reflects our community’s commitment to providing healthy options for our students in the cafeteria. Receiving this grant validates our work and our commitment to providing healthy options to our students.”
The Lunch Day grant will allow Hopewell to sponsor additional events through the year and expand its partnerships with local farmers and chefs by offering complimentary tastings to students and staff. 