CHANGES — Nicole Marshall, food service director for the Indian Creek Local School District, has planned activities for the upcoming year, including a new food service line at Hills Elementary, the implementation of a Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program grant and Friendsgiving events at all of the school buildings. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — It’s all about food, funding and Friendsgiving at Indian Creek Local Schools, where the food service department is ramping up activities throughout the year.

Nicole Marshall, school district food service director with Nutrition Inc., said a series of events are on the calendar beginning this month and extending throughout the 2025-2026 school year. The first is the implementation of a $45,000 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grant which is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Marshall said the program would introduce elementary students to a wide selection of nutritious foods and expand their palates.

She obtained the grant in October and said students in grades PreK-4 at Hills and Cross Creek Elementary schools will taste and learn about the new foods during the coming months. They were beginning with pears and avocados and will try items twice a week in their classrooms while also completing related lessons with their teachers. Students and staff could take part and the program could impact nearly 1,000 people in all.

“The Fourth-Grade Student Council gets hours to participate and will pick up the foods from the cafeteria and distribute them to the classes at Hills,” she said, citing an example. “The teacher educates the students on what they are trying, what it is and why they are good for you. They also receive coloring materials and videos. There will be exotic things that we as adults haven’t had in our lives, so it’s a great opportunity and it’s fun for the kids to expand their palates.”

She added that pupils receive prepackaged items such as Daikon radish coins and cucumber slices and some are holiday-themed, such as candy cane beets, while a share table will be available for other students to try. The FFVP grant operates on an annual basis and more than 280 Ohio schools received the funding. Marshall hopes to apply again next year and expand the opportunity to fifth and sixth grades at the middle school.

“We participate in a lot of school programs such as the Child and Adult Food Care Program for afterschool meal and snack programs and the CACFP preschool snack program, and this was the last program we weren’t participating in. I thought it would be fun to include a learning component.”

According to ODEW officials, the nationwide program provides free fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day and is an effective and creative way to introduce a healthy snacks option to participating children. To qualify, applicants must be an elementary school, represent the highest percentage of students certified for free or reduced-price meal benefits, participate in the National School Lunch Program and complete an annual application for FFVP. In addition, the applicant must have operated the NLSP for at least one full school year.

Next is the installation of a new service line to replace the existing equipment at Hills. Marshall said the new line was installed on Nov. 5 by National Equipment Co. of Wheeling and includes more wells to feed the school’s estimated 440 students and staff.

“Our new serving line has four cold wells and four hot wells and the (cafeteria staff) are able to do a lot more and give out more varieties of food,” Marshall added. “The existing line was original to Hills and this one is more accommodating to the staff.”

She noted that the new line was the same size as the former apparatus but had more purpose. It will also come in handy as the school prepares for upcoming Friendsgiving festivities.

Hills, Cross Creek and Indian Creek Middle and High schools celebrated with a turkey feast with all the fixings prior to the holiday break.