Farm to School recognized

Published 5:15 am Tuesday, November 20, 2018

The Cullman City School System has made an effort to provide fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables to its students, and it recently received a state award for that initiative.

The system received the Alabama Best Practice Award for its Farm to School program, and each of the system’s Child Nutrition Program managers were recognized for the award during the Cullman City School Board’s meeting Monday.

Assistant CNP Director Terri Abbott said Cullman City Schools partnered with the Farm Fruit Collaborative through the North Alabama Food Bank, which connected the system with local farms that could provide fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school year.

“We basically took fresh fruits and vegetables and replaced our canned and frozen foods,” she said.

Abbott said the program also provides new fruits and vegetables that students may not otherwise get to try, including kale and satsuma oranges, and the reaction to the new flavors has been positive.

“The kids love it,” she said. “With that along with the initiative, we’ve created a meal that the kids want to eat now.”

In other business, the board:

Approved October 2018 payroll of $2,032,947.48, invoices paid of $1,317,997.11, financial statements and bank reconciliations.

Approved the following Head Start items: 

Expenditures Report

Health/Nutrition/Disabilities/Enrollment Report for October 2018

SF-425 Quarterly Report for Sept. 30

SF-425 Annual Report ending Sept. 30

SF-425 Final Report for 2018

SF-428 Annual Report – 2018

SF-429 Real Property Status Report ending Sept. 30.

Gave permission for Head Start to salvage one smartboard, Dell Optiplex 755 computer, one Apple iPad Mini 2, one Savin GXE33550N printer.

Gave permission for the maintenance department to surplus/salvage a 2010 Chevrolet 1500 maintenance truck.

Gave permission for West Elementary School to salvage on smartboard stand and two bleacher rollers.

Gave permission for Cullman High School Choir to travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to perform at Dollywood from March 22-24.

Approved new board policy 3.20 Uniform Guidance for Federal Programs.

Gave permission to change the December payroll date from Dec. 31 to Dec. 19.

Approved the 2018-19 Textbook Committee members for Cullman City Primary School, East Elementary School, West Elementary School, Cullman Middle School and Cullman High School.

Gave permission to contract with the following teachers to serve as mentors for teachers pursuing their National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification beginning Sept. 1: Allison Tuggle and Audrey Laird.

Gave permission to contract with Julie Flippo to provide special education psychometrist evaluations beginning Nov. 12 to Sept. 30, 2019.

The Cullman City School Board will next meet on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room.