Tackling Nutrition with the Truesdell Trojans, Part II: Good fats

This winter, DC SCORES is partnering with Common Threads to bring a curriculum on healthy eating and living tos even schools for six weeks as Winter SCORES programming. You can see updates from the schools by searching #WinterSCORES on Twitter and Instagram. Specifically, we're following the progress of Truesdell Education Campus. Follow along below.

Written by Dahlia Chaudhury
Communications Intern

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At 4:15, just like the previous week, students began funneling into the classroom to begin their time with DC SCORES. Their The Kitchen Times for the day was headlined: "Is Fat a Part of a Healthy Diet?" It outlined the good and the bad about fats and gave the students some new vocabulary like unsaturated fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.

The writing coach, Cailin Eisele, began the lesson on Good Fats vs. Bad Fats. She explained how healthy fats are helpful to the body and nutritious, even though fats have a bad rep.

"What kinds of fats do you think are bad fats?" she asked the class.

Shouts of junk foods filled the room:

"Pizza!"

"Donuts!"

The class quickly realized all their favorite foods were classified as bad, or trans fats. After the lesson, the students did an activity on classifying good fats. They were given a riddle and had to decipher, from a word bank, which healthy fat the riddle was describing.

An example was "I am the cornerstone in guacamole." The answer? Avocado!

The last activity for the day involved looking at nutrition labels to find the amount of fat in students' favorite unhealthy foods. They were given a sheet that contained six common unhealthy foods, told to pick their favorite, and then find a friend to compare with.

Wilmer R. picked cheddar cheese; "It had nine grams of fat, which is a lot," he told me.

After everyone had shared their findings, the students packed up to head home.

Although there was no snack, the Trojans were excited for a special treat later in the week -- a visit Brainfood DC! Stay tuned!!

Bonding with the Bears, Part II: Meet the Coaches

Every week this fall we will be visiting the Barnard Bears during poetry sessions and soccer games to document the progress of the Bears. Follow along to see how students develop their writing and soccer skills, and how the team comes together. We will bring you individual poet-athletes' stories in addition to stories about the team as a whole. Follow along our journey with the Bears on Twitter @DCSCORESInterns & Instagram @DC_SCORES.

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Written by Elaine Lu
Communications Intern

Last week, we got to meet Ms. Jackson and Ms. Saffar, both teachers at Barnard Elementary. Today, we'll touch base with the other two coaches who work with the Bears.

Hannah Ehlers and Lindsey Sharp are both members of the small, tight-knit DC SCORES staff, which makes coaching even more meaningful to them. While Hannah and Lindsey spend their mornings in the office, they travel to Barnard in the afternoons.

During my time with both coaches, it's evident that this experience is meaningful to them not only because of the difference their making on kids' lives but also because of the impact the kids have on them.

"Coaching gives me an opportunity to share something that I'm personally passionate about with kids who may or may not have access to or knowledge of the sport," Lindsey said. "I also love seeing a player's growth of technique throughout the season and additional interest in not only a new hobby, but a physically active one."

Hannah comes to school on Mondays and Wednesdays for poetry programming, while Lindsey comes on Tuesdays and Fridays for soccer practice and Thursdays for their weekly game, which is almost every student's favorite day of the week.

I was fortunate enough to get to ride on the DC SCORES-provided bus to Barnard's first game, and the energy was through the roof. Keeping the kids in their seats was a struggle because everyone was jumping up and down with excitement. Coach Lindsey taught them a cheer in Spanish that they recited over and over again during the ride: "Vamos los Osos!," each child screamed at the top of his or her lungs.

I could see the light in their eyes. This cheer resonated especially with a few children, who had difficulty speaking or understanding English. For some, this was the first time I had seen them completely in their comfort zone.

Lindsey has a great deal of experience coaching soccer, and she's has found that her favorite thing is "seeing the kids make improvements throughout the season and their excitement when they finally master a specific soccer skill."

Hannah has done an incredible job helping the Bears grow. Each week, I see each poet-athlete become more comfortable writing. Some kids who wouldn't speak a word a couple weeks ago are now the most talkative ones in the classroom. Others, who would hide behind their friends, now are the most eager ones to share what they have created in programming.

"I love coaching poetry because it gives students a creative outlet that they don't always have otherwise," Hannah said. "It gives students the freedom to express themselves -- we talk about how they are feeling and what they love and then they get to write about it in unique ways. I love seeing the work that students create and the progress they make. Their curiosity and creativity never cease to amaze me. "

Coaches Lindsey, Hannah, and Ms. Saffar have all done amazing jobs thus far with the kids. The Barnard Bears couldn't be luckier!

Stay tuned for more to come from the Bears!