According to a State of the Period study, nearly a quarter of students experience “period poverty,” a lack access to menstrual hygiene products, which can cause them to miss class time and struggle emotionally and socially in school. To combat this, HISD has teamed up with community partners Dow Chemical and Impact100 to give middle school students a crash-course in period literacy.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Nutrition Services
HISD asking parents to complete socioeconomic form for the 2023-2024 school year
Houston Independent School District will provide free breakfast and lunch to students in the Community Eligibility Provision Program (CEP) for the 2023-2024 school year, but all parents/caregivers will still need to fill out a new socioeconomic form (SIF).
It can be completed online via the HISD Parent Portal or submitted in a paper form to their campus. The HISD Parent Portal will be available to input data on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
Continue readingHISD announces meal programs for the 2023-2024 school year
HISD Nutrition Services will continue to provide breakfast and lunch service through the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the 2023-2024 school year.
Most HISD students will have the opportunity to receive school breakfast and lunch meals at no charge.
Continue readingHISD culinary teacher named among top celebrities in ‘Cool 100’ list
Kellie Alcorn-Karavias is a culinary arts teacher at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center with a passion for teaching good nutrition to her largely food-insecure students. A lifelong passion for food and love for children motivated her to get creative with her curriculum and give her students real-world experiences with growing and cooking food that they could take with them into adulthood. Alcorn-Karavias’ unique lessons landed her on CityBook Houston’s Cool 100 list, an honor the magazine bestows upon only the “coolest” and most creative movers and shakers in Houston, and she and her students couldn’t quite believe it.
Alcorn-Karavias says her students were excited to see her named alongside such notable Houstonians as Megan Thee Stallion, Simone Biles, and Christine Ha.
Continue readingHISD offering free meals for all students over the summer
HISD is offering free meals at nearly 200 schools Mondays through Thursdays, June 6 to June 30. The Summer Meals Program includes breakfast and lunch for children ages one to 18.
Waltrip HS cafeteria staff honored with School Lunch Hero Day celebration
The Waltrip High School Rams and their administrative staff pulled out all the stops on Friday, May 5, in celebration of the seven women who keep their student body fed and thriving: their School Lunch Heroes. School Lunch Hero Day, observed nationally on the first Friday in May, is a day to honor and give thanks to school nutrition professionals.
Continue readingNutrition Services makes good on plan to develop agriculture programs and teach healthy eating habits
In 2022, Nutrition Services was the recipient of a generous grant from Houston Methodist to further fund their efforts to expand agricultural programs at six HISD high schools and integrate nutrition and culinary education into their classwork.
Continue readingNutrition Services highlights the most important meal of the day with breakfast celebrations
Nothing excites students like music first thing in the morning, but before they can dance along, they need to fuel up! HISD students have access to school-provided breakfasts every day, but this week, their morning meal came with some exciting additions.
School Breakfast Week (SBW) is observed annually in the springtime to recognize the important impact that regular, balanced breakfasts have on students’ ability to learn and thrive. This year, SBW took place March 6-10, and HISD’s Nutrition Services Department brought the fun to elementary schools throughout the district to celebrate with students and staff.
Continue readingCelebrity chef Carla Hall visits Mandarin Immersion School to celebrate cafeteria staff
HISD’s Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS) was chosen as one of only four schools in the nation to be showcased in vendor Jennie-O’s School Cafeteria Takeover, an event that celebrates and honors school cafeteria staff.
Continue readingBeyond the Plate to Capitol Hill: HISD Nutrition hosts USDA Deputy Under Secretary
HISD’s award-winning Nutrition Services Department welcomed guests on Jan. 30, including USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean, for a roundtable discussion about Beyond the Plate, the district’s focus on building capacity within HISD communities to ensure they have access to healthy food options.
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