East Holmes Students Showcase Nutrition Art, Winners to Be Displayed Locally

East Holmes seventh grade students brought nutrition lessons into the community on Oct. 30 as they competed in the district MyPlate poster contest. The event drew entries from Wise, Chestnut Ridge and Mt. Hope schools, and judges selected winners at each building before naming three overall top finishers. The contest is organized by family and consumer science teacher Janna Mast and is part of the district effort to reinforce nutrition education among middle school students.

The MyPlate poster contest asked students to illustrate the five core food groups using whole grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy and protein, and entries were judged on originality, neatness and how informative they were. Those criteria guided school level judging and the selection of the overall top finishers. Winning posters will be displayed at Berlin Fabrics from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5, providing a public venue for families and community members to see student work and to engage with nutrition messaging developed by local youth.

For parents and educators the contest serves multiple purposes. It reinforces classroom lessons about balanced meals and healthy choices, it offers a hands on creative outlet for seventh grade students, and it connects schools with a local business that is hosting the exhibit. The public display aims to extend the educational reach of the classroom into the broader community by making student projects accessible to shoppers and families during a busy season.

The event also highlights how school curricular activities can promote civic engagement and public awareness of health topics. By showcasing student work in a community setting, the district creates an opportunity for informal dialogue about nutrition and for community members to acknowledge student effort and achievement. The poster contest is one of several classroom activities that combine standards based learning and experiential projects, and the Berlin Fabrics exhibit provides tangible recognition for the participating students.

District officials and school staff framed the contest as an annual event designed to support the district curriculum and to celebrate student creativity. Families interested in viewing the entries can visit Berlin Fabrics during regular store hours between Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. The display will allow residents to see how East Holmes students interpreted MyPlate guidance and to support local youth as they apply classroom learning to public outreach.