A-P-W Middle School student Kenny Benedetto is pictured above with Nutrition Program Educators Jessica Hallinan (left) and Kerri Pratt from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County along with Family and Consumer Science Teacher Sybil Ruffels. Pratt and Hallinan presented Benedetto with a lunch bag and water bottle for clipping and bringing in 153 nutrition labels from home, the most in his entire class. The labels were used in a classroom exercise that helped students understand things like serving size, fat content and nutrient content so that they can make informed food choices.

A-P-W Family and Consumer Science students Katie Palmer (left) and Jenna Kennedy learn how easy it is to create a fun and healthy snack like fruit kabobs which they filled with pineapple, grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe.

Faced with the staggering rate of childhood obesity statistics, Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Middle School Teacher Sybil Ruffels incorporated a six-week fitness and nutrition module into her Family and Consumer Science (FCS) curriculum.

Known also as home economics and/or human sciences, seventh grade students in the FCS class learn valuable skills for life. “This is a classroom where academics meets real life,” Ruffels said in reference to the importance of helping students learn and incorporate healthy habits into their everyday lives. Nutrition Program Educators Kerri Pratt and Jessica Hallinan from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County visited the classroom each week for six weeks to discuss different health-related topics. From understanding the food pyramid to reading and understanding nutrition labels, the importance of physical activity, the dangers of dieting and how to develop safe and attainable eating goals such as substituting carrots for sweet treats the students learned key components to a long, active and healthy lifestyle. Also incorporated into each week’s lesson was an opportunity for the students to create and taste-test a fun, nutritious and easy-to-make treats like fruit kabobs with strawberry and vanilla yogurt dip and homemade energy snacks.

To learn more about the Family and Consumer Science Class at the A-P-W Middle School contact the main office at 625-5200.

The Fulton District Wide Storytelling Festival was held and storytellers from throughout the district showcased their talents in telling a wide variety of stories. Participants told a folktale, fairytale, myth, legend, tall tale or fable. The stories ranged from spooky legends to hilarious tales and many had a useful moral attached that provided a bit [...]

Parents: Get your social life back on track! Go out “guilt-free” and have fun knowing that your children are not just waiting for you by the TV — but are having fun too!

The following students are on the Dean’s List for their outstanding academic achievement for the Fall 2009 semester from the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
The criteria for the Dean’s Honors list is a minimum grade point average of 3.5.
Christopher Marnell Mohr — Pennellville
Joseph T. Troia — [...]

Happy New Year to all of our readers in the tri-county region!
While our Richland facility is closed until April, the society is still active with Friday afternoon hours at the Barclay Court House in Pulaski (2nd floor over DMV, 2pm until 5) or by appointment. We got off to a rocky start following our [...]