Pasadena Unified Declares March “Arts Education Month” and “Nutrition Month”

At the February 2021 PUSD Regular Board Meeting, PUSD Declared March as Arts Education Month and Nutrition Month.

By Laura Hackett 

Arts Education Month

Karen Anderson, Arts & Enrichment Coordinator/GATE Specialist, presented information on PUSD’s Arts Education Month.  Arts learning – which includes dance, music, theatre, and visual and media arts – is an essential part of a comprehensive education for all students, pre-K-12, to prepare them for college, career and life; and the artist promotes critical thinking by providing multiple lenses through which to view the world, events, and experiences. Arts learning promotes problem-solving skills, supports overall academic achievement, and nurtures social and emotional skills that help all students in Pasadena Unified School District succeed in school and in life.

The Pasadena Unified School District recognizes that particular groups of students experience significant barriers to access, participation, and success in arts learning. These barriers may include scheduling for language learners, special education participation, socioeconomic status including homelessness and foster youth, as well as inconsistent stakeholder participation; and the Governing Board adopts this declaration which includes the student voice in italics. A During the meeting you could see what Art education means through the lens of students. Students from various school were selected to read statements in an Art video presentation that was played at the Board Meeting.

National Nutrition Month 

Every year, since 2005, PUSD has declared March as Nutrition Month. Health Program Director, Ana Maria “Ria” Apodaca presented valuable information about how PUSD promotes nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for all PUSD’s students.  The information was presented alongside PUSD’ s Katia Ahmed, Farm to School Coordinator.  March as Nutrition Month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. Topics in the past have addressed food insecurity, food justice, and farm to table projects that have included growing food in the PUSD school gardens. Apodaca stated that “there is no one size fits all approach to a healthy lifestyle.”  During the pandemic especially, PUSD has focused specifically on free meals and access to healthy produce.

Arts Education Month and National Nutrition Month resolutions were passed, approved, and adopted unanimously on February 25, 2021, at the regular meeting of the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education.