First Lady Michelle Obamatoured an Alexandria elementary school on Tuesday to meet with faculty and student and present the school with an award for a healthier school environment.
The event was designed to promote a more active student body to help cut down on childhood obesity, and the school is getting the award in part for - GET THIS - lengthening recess.
Here's the report from Hill Reporter Walter Alarkon, it's written in the choppy succinct style typical of pool reports, but you'll get the idea. And remember FLOTUS is one of the nicknames for Michelle Obama:
Update: The visit comes as Rasmussen polling finds the Michelle Obama's approval rating at 62%
The First Lady met with faculty members and students at Hollin Meadows Elementary School(grades K through 6) in Alexandria, Va. The school was receiving a USDA HealthierUS Silver School award (for its "healthier school nutrition" environment).
(Will ask press office for full list of participants.)
Highlights from discussion:
FLOTUS: "We know that the school lunch and nutrition is a major part of kids' lives because so many kids get their meals here. We can do better."
She said that foods with high calories probably play a role in the high rate of child obesity. She encouraged schools should look to find "healthy foods that kids enjoy and are cost effective."
"Even when there are few resources, there are ways to improve what we're doing in nutrition and fitness," FLOTUS said.
She praised the school for recently increasing its recess period from 20 minutes to 30 minutes.
She said that when the USDA HealthierUS program started that she would visit schools if more of them got on board, and that her visit Wednesday was following up on vow.
When Dr. Jeffrey Grant, principal of Walker Jones Education Campusin DC, talked about the various fitness activities at his school, FLOTUS asked, "Do you hula hoop?" (An obvious reference to her hula-hooping during the recent WH fitness event.)
Assistant Principal Jean Consollasaid that about 30 faculty members and students from Hollin Meadows had visited the White House vegetable garden July 16. They met then with WH asst chef Sam Kass.
After the roundtable, FLOTUS and Vilsack went to a lunch period in the cafeteria. Their job was to hand out either a banana or tangerine to each student at the end of the lunch line. Lunch consisted of a veggie burger with a whole wheat bun, the aforementioned fruits, a bowl of cantaloupes and grapes and milk. (School officials told the TV pooler that the only reason they didn't get a HealthierUS Gold award was because they didn't include a whole wheat item in their lunches one day.)
A trio of students in line to sit broke from the line to give FLOTUS a hug.
After lunch, FLOTUS and Vilsack went outside to the school's vegetable garden, where the students were harvesting lettuce for a Thanksgiving school event Thursday.
A group of third graders picked up lettuce (appeared to be red leaf, though school officials said they grew "all kinds") then peeled the roots off.
"Why don't you just cut it? Why don't you just rip it off?" FLOTUS asked.
They told FLOTUS they would use the leftover soil later.
"You guys are so smart!" Flotus replied. "You know your stuff."
FLOTUS and Vilsack then moved to a table where kids were examining vegetable seeds, then your pooler was escorted out.
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