Purple Monster. Green Slime. Apple pie. Blueberry-banana. Strawberry-banana. Berry-banana. Also, Green Monster and cranberry-orange. These are a few of the smoothies on offer to Iola middle- and high-schoolers this year, according to OPAA! food service director Brian Donovan, who described for the USD 257 Board of Education on Monday the ways a grant from the Midwest Dairy Council has afforded the district a new, top-shelf “smoothie program.”
The $6,000 blendered-beverage grant, explained Donovan, allowed for the purchase of two commercial blenders and four carafes. The middle school kitchen currently makes, on average, 16 breakfast-hour smoothies per day. At the high school, where about 32 smoothies churn to life daily, the drinks are available for breakfast as well as on a “grab and go” basis at midday. Each smoothie is required to contain at least one-half cup of fruit and either yogurt or milk.
“Apple pie has been a favorite at the high school,” said Donovan, “as has Green Slime.” Green Slime = vanilla yogurt, spinach and banana. “Cranberry-orange is huge, too.”
IN OTHER news:
— Jefferson principal Lori Maxwell showed a moving musical photo montage (at least one board member was spotted dusting a tear from his cheek during a Mariah Carey song). The tribute showed first and second graders engaged in an assortment of fun activities before the spring break. “Last time I was here, I gave you the hard data,” said Maxwell. “This time I wanted to show the softer side of education, the part that helps build community.”
— Middle school principal Jack Stanley floated the idea of rewarding classes who performed at a high level on the spring achievement tests with a day or half-day off from school. The board requested more details and will consider the proposal at its next meeting.
