Students Ditch Candy and Chips for Healthy Snacks in Sodexo Future Chef Challenge

While healthy eating can be a challenge for kids and parents, elementary school students in Washougal & Camas School Districts will use their creativity and culinary skills to make healthy, after-school snacks in nutrition partner and Quality of Life Services provider Sodexo’s 2015 Future Chefs Challenge. The national initiative, which is in its fifth year, was created to get students thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to get active and creative in the kitchen. Washougal & Camas School Districts  students are joining over 2,500 other students representing over 1,000 Sodexo-served school sites in 29 states nationally in this fun and educational challenge.

Students from nine elementary schools submitted healthy, after-school snack recipes and the 15 best recipes were selected to participate in the district-wide finals event. Finalists will prepare and present their creations before being assessed on criteria including originality, taste, ease of presentation, kid friendliness and use of healthy ingredients. Washougal & Camas School Districts joins approximately 230 other school districts across the country holding Future Chefs events throughout February and March. The winning student from each participating district will be considered for regional finalist awards, and the selected regional finalists will vie to become one of five national finalists competing for the public’s vote on a special Future Chefs YouTube channel.

Sodexo, a partner in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative to end childhood obesity, is committed to taking measurable sustainable actions that ensure a brighter future in the areas of health and wellness, environmental stewardship and community development. The Future Chefs program is one of the many ways Sodexo shares its health and well-being expertise with the clients, customers and communities it serves.

The Challenge will take place on Friday March 6, 2015 from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, at Washougal High School, 1201 39th St. Washougal.

Rotary Scholar of the Month for January 2015: Joshua Stout

Joshua Stout was selected as the Camas Washougal Rotary Scholar of the Month for January 2015.  Joshua is a sophomore at Washougal High School and has a GPA of 3.950.  Marcee Salas, Joshua’s English Teacher, describes him as “hard working, polite, and an overall great student.”  Salas further adds that “he always turns in every assignment and is a major contributor to class discussions.”

Brian Eggleston, Joshua’s Spanish Teacher, adds that “Josh has a natural spirit of inquiry that I would love to see in more students; he enjoys learning new concepts and practicing them in speaking, reading, writing, and listening, and he asks thoughtful questions to deepen his skills and knowledge.”  Eggleston notes that “he also works well with any partner I select for him, and brings a consistently positive attitude and strong work ethic that I know others appreciate too.  He stands out as an avid learner with a bright future.”  Eggleston also adds that “I can also tell that his efforts and attitude in class are a mirror of his work outside of the classroom too, where he strives through self-discipline and helping others to become a better person each day.  From what I know of Joshua, I am confident that he richly deserves this award and is an ideal example for other youths to follow in many ways.”

Geometry Teacher Karen Wysaske says “Josh is one of the hardest working students I have ever had.  He perseveres no matter how challenging the problems are.”  In her work with Joshua she has found that “he comes in frequently to check his understanding, ask questions, and to complete work,” and that “he takes his time and meticulously shows his work to demonstrate his understanding in Geometry.”  Joshua is the son of Harley and Sierra Stout.  Congratulations Joshua!