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Haverhill students outline cafeteria changes and showcase robotics mentorship
Summary
Students from Haverhill Elementary presented schoolwide improvements they helped shape — including menu changes adopted districtwide — and described a robotics program mentored by Homestead High School students.
Haverhill Elementary students and staff told the MSD Southwest Allen County Schools board on Feb. 14 that student-led feedback has prompted immediate changes to the school lunch menu and highlighted a yearlong robotics mentoring partnership with Homestead High School.
Fifth-grader Everly, representing student leaders at Haverhill Elementary, told the board the school updated its Hawk Charter this year to focus on growth goals and student wellbeing. “We believe that hawks are curious, helpful, inclusive, respectful, safe, and proud of our community,” Everly said.
The nut graf: Student leaders said they gathered feedback from peers about the cafeteria and worked with the building’s cafeteria manager and the district director of food services to request menu changes that the district then adopted for February. That process illustrates how student voice and school staff coordinated to affect options available across most district buildings.
Students described several concrete menu changes after meeting with cafeteria staff. Fifth-grader Everly said the cafeteria manager, identified in the meeting as Mrs. Hillshon, added salsa as a chip condiment, restored cheese sticks and sour cream for tacos and quesadillas, and adjusted how grilled cheese is prepared to make it softer. The students reported that Director of Food Service Miss Lewis later implemented menu updates for February that the presenters said will affect eight of the district’s nine schools.
Students also discussed water accessibility: the presenters said Miss Lewis purchased an ice maker so fresh cold water is available during lunch.
Students from Haverhill’s Robohawks robotics team described the team’s practices and a new mentorship relationship with Homestead High School’s robotics program. Robohawks members said they meet twice weekly using the VEX system and that high school mentors supported them at practices, helping with strategy, engineering notebooks and troubleshooting. Elena Marino, identified as captain of Homestead’s team, said the mentors appreciated working with younger students and praised their enthusiasm and rapid learning.
The board applauded the students’ presentation; one board member asked whether students had polled their peers about the menu changes and was told the student leaders had surveyed the building. Student presenter Cheyenne Carrington summarized: “Each day, our Haverhill students, staff, and families are working hard to build a community of high performing learners.”
The student presentations concluded the district’s celebrations and communications segment; the board then recessed parents to continue the business portion of the meeting.
Ending: Board members and staff thanked the Homestead mentors and Haverhill students for the collaboration and encouraged continued family engagement as the district refines instructional and extracurricular programming.
