Veggie Art Reminds Hermansen Students to Eat Healthy

Editor's note: The following is a release issued by the Valley View School District.

Hermansen Elementary School students are taking First Lady Michelle Obama’s Healthier U.S. School Challenge to heart thanks, in part, to artwork created by Mary Zahour and Jim Piechowiak.

Zahour, Hermansen’s food service manager, and Piechowiak, the school maintenance chief better known as “Mr. Jim,” have painted fruits and vegetables on the walls of the school’s cafeteria in an attempt to remind students about the importance of eating properly.

“I thought it would be fun to put them on the wall,” Zahour said. “We’ve been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our meals and it really seems to be working, especially among the younger kids.”

During the summer, Zahour and Mr. Jim found stencils of various fruits and vegetables, copied them on clear paper, projected each drawing on the wall and traced them. They finished painting the designs right after school started. 

“The kids love them. They love to touch them,” Zahour said. “And they’re taking a lot of fruits and vegetables. We definitely see a difference.”