Parents Push for New Nutrition and Multi-Use Kitchen at New Pell School

Newport parents and residents turned out to the Florence Gray Community Center Wednesday night to discuss the future of the Claiborne D. Pell Elementary School's cafeteria, kitchens and nutrition. School committee and Nutrition Advisory Group member Rebecca Bolan led the conversation.

Similar to a previous Pell forum, the audience's suggestions and input were written down on large sheets that will be forwarded for consideration in the final design of the new facility.

According to Bolan, a new federal grant will require each child be provided with a healthy snack every day. Students also have to be provided with three ounces of protein at every meal and cool water at meals, not including water fountains.

“That will be a big challenge,” Bolan said about the new water mandate. The school will have to figure out how to provide water to the students without creating waste from plastic bottles. They discussed possibly using reusable cups and investing in a filtration system.

Another issue the audience pressed was the large paved area for service trucks in the plan that cuts into the students' play area when there is already a two-way street by the school. Several parents said they would like to reduce the paved area to make room for children's outdoor use.

“We need to look at what works in the schools now and adapt that,” said Newport School Committee member Sandra J. Flowers.

Some ideas  that will be passed along include:

• Reducing process foods;
• Creating extracurricular cooking classes that allow students to use the kitchen;
• Building a kitchen that could provide support to other schools;
• Creating a fully prepared kitchen to meet future needs, community access and involvement;
• Setting up an optimum number of lunches that works with class scheduling;
• Planning for increased numbers at breakfast;
• Incorporating Nutrition Advisory Group best practices;
• Deciding whether it will be an open or closed kitchen;
• Exploring the use of basement facilities.