Nutrition Services is sponsoring a student jingle contest in honor of National School Lunch Week, which is being held Oct. 14-18. 

National School Lunch Week was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as an annual celebration of the National School Lunch Program. This year, the theme — What’s on Your Playlist? — highlights the variety of flavors and dishes offered in today’s school lunch.  

“National School Lunch Week provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the importance of a healthy school lunch, while also reinforcing the importance of eating good food and expanding students’ palates,” HISD Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins said. 

As part of the celebration, Nutrition Services is encouraging students to create a jingle or rap about the importance of healthy foods. Contest rules are outlined below. 

• Video entries are required. Audio-only entries are not allowed. 
• Student(s) may sing or rap — or play an instrument while singing or rapping. 
• Jingles and/or raps must be original and no longer than 45 seconds.  
• Lyrics must include the phrases “Good Food” and “HISD Nutrition Services.” 
• Entries must be tweeted @HISDNutri or emailed to hisdnutritionservices@houstonisd.org by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2019. 

A panel will review all submissions and select the top elementary school, middle school, and high school entries, to be announced on the @HISDNutri Twitter account on Nov. 11. The winners will be featured on the @HISDNutri Twitter account and will receive a special prize. 

“We’re celebrating this week and what it stands for — the importance of providing students with access to good food that is wholesome, simple, colorful, locally sourced, and can fuel not just their learning, but their future success,” Wiggins said.