Glass tile, bar-style tables and an overwhelming sense of pride welcome you as you enter the cafeteria of George C. Marshall High School. Marshall is the model for Fairfax County public schools in terms of health-minded thinking and a movement for healthier lunch options.
The “Statesmen Station” as it is called, received good reviews.
“This is my first actual meal today at the ‘Statesmen Station,’ I’m very impressed,” Career Experience Specialist Shelli Carpenter Farquharson said. “It’s fresh, it’s healthy, there’s a variety of choices. It’s great to see that our students can take advantage of this.”
The newly constructed cafeteria materialized from the joint initiative of parents and students wanting an affordable and health focused menu for students. Three Marshall parents have worked for the past few years with food services to try to come up with research and a plan that would guarantee a safe transition in regards to construction and menu changes. Students became part of the process, as they let the students pick the name and allowed the statesmen singers, a school rap group, write a rap about it and perform it on news coverage.
Food services was initially hesitant to craft any major changes, due to their main priority of student safety. As they normally receive food that is frozen and to be heated up and served, there was a conscious effort to make and prepare fresh foods in a responsible and healthy manner.
This parent initiative was well timed, as, according to academy director Jeff McFarland, FCPS was holding a real food initiative, a contest between five different schools from the county that had culinary arts programs. These programs all created a salad bar with healthy unique choices. As this contest gained momentum, they took it to school board members, dignitaries and before Food Services.
“Annandale, Middle and High schools should be able to duplicate this. Not only healthy choices but also healthy lifestyle. It’s important we offer it when students are here for breakfast and lunch,” Carpenter Farquharson said.
As the school is currently under renovations, the timing aligned in a way in which the cafeteria could be completely gutted and reconstructed. Years of planning went into the project that includes a custom salad bar and water fountains that have a separate spout for water bottles. Bar height tables fill the middle of the cafeteria, leading up to the Statesmen Station.
The “Statesmen Station” is the alcove in which the salad bar is located. The wall features an upscale blue glass tile, which suggests a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle through its organic color and material. When students grab a bowl of salad, they are met by several different toppings to add, including vegetables and croutons, as well as chicken salad wraps, all of which are not processed, and fall in line with the demand for nutritional, healthy food.
It is imperative that the health initiative, which has been met by wide success, will spread across FCPS and encourage all students and school staff to lead healthier lifestyles.