Helen Seastream Aims to "Produce the Nation's Best"

During her 25 years with the Aldine Independent School District, Helen Seastream has won the highest awards in the foodservice field for generating creative ideas to promote better nutrition. In her new position as training manager with the Aldine ISD's Child Nutrition Office, she continues to find new ways to encourage healthy choices.

Seastream's latest promotion for five Wellness Awareness Days builds on an event she launched several years ago called "I Support Nutrition Day." The program was a big success, but Seastream felt she needed to do more. "I realized there was an ongoing need to be aware of wellness issues, not just once a year," she said. "We wanted the message to reach our students, our faculty and our community."

This year Seastream expanded the program to five Wellness Awareness Days. To promote the event, Seastream developed T-shirts for staff to wear that carry out the theme of "Let's Get Connected to Produce the Nation's Best."

During the Dec. 1 campaign kickoff, one of the high schools celebrated with the school cheerleaders, drum corps and football team. Dressed in full gear, the players charged onto the field, bursting through a banner the cheerleaders had made for the occasion. The cheerleaders even created a special wellness cheer for the well-attended event.

A taste testing for fruits and vegetables was conducted Jan. 26 during the "5-A-Day Fruit and Vegetable Promotion." "We had huge assortments and displays of fruits and vegetables," Seastream said. After similar events in the past, Seastream has seen a noticeable increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria.

For the "Protect Your Heart Promotion" on Feb. 15, elementary students entered a coloring contest, and secondary students competed in an essay contest. A poster contest was planned for the March 9, "Texas School Lunch Week" and "National School Breakfast Week." Coordinated activities with fitness displays are planned for the April 13, "Get Fit with Exercise Promotion."

To add to the fun, incentive awards will be given to each school for the best wellness level.

This is the first year Seastream has organized programs at the district level, after recently joining the Child Nutrition Office as training manager. Previously, she was cafeteria manager at a middle school for 17 years and then oversaw the cafeteria at a ninth-grade center for seven years.

While managing school cafeterias, Seastream proposed numerous innovative ideas that received recognition.  She received the national Louise Sublette Award from the School Nutrition Association for a job-shadowing program with ninth-grade career classes. Students spent a day prepping, preparing and serving food to have a better understanding and appreciation of what it is like to work in a school cafeteria.

In addition, Seastream received five state Louise Sublette awards for increasing breakfast and lunch participation, marketing and customer service. In one of the programs to promote better nutrition, she oversaw an experiment in which students observed the physical condition and behavior of two groups of rats. One group ate nutritious food and the other consumed junk food.

"Years later I run into students who say, ‘I remember you, you're the rat lady. I'm still eating my vegetables,'" Seastream said, adding, "I just love what I do. If I had to it all over again, this is where I would be."

Seastream says she's enjoying her new position, which gives her an opportunity to propose new programs for all schools. "This is something that I enjoy doing, especially now that I can have an impact at the district level."

For more information on Aldine ISD, go to http://www.aldine.k12.tx.us/.