The Winslow Township Board of Education meeting showed off the artistic talents of some of its students.
Before the meeting on Tuesday, March 28, six students from schools 5 and 6 prepared healthy meals for a panel of guest judges, “Chopped” style. Then, at the beginning of the meeting, a team of students from school 3 named the Healthy Heroes gave a presentation about health and fitness.
The six students to compete were fourth graders Aniyah Davis and Devan Thurman, fifth graders Dakota Durham and Jazlynn Hooks, and sixth graders Tiffany Chen and Arianna Rosario.
As they cooked, the kitchen came alive with smells of various spices and ingredients from the students’ diverse recipes. Chefs from Sodexo, which sponsored the event, helped the children chop ingredients and cook on the stove.
Though all six students were congratulated for their recipes and dishes, Dakota from school 6 was declared the winner of the challenge. Dakota prepared a dish she calls “Over Easy in the Sea,” which consists of crabmeat, spinach and various spices on an English muffin.
Dakota is inspired to cook by her father Ed, who worked as a chef for 17 years.
While she loves to cook, Dakota said her first passion is hip-hop dancing.
Tiffany was the first runner-up with her Japanese rice curry recipe. Tiffany’s father is also a chef, owning a restaurant in Cherry Hill.
Aniyah prepared a healthy quesadilla filled with ground beef and vegetables. She was inspired by her grandmother, who cooks her favorite meatloaf. She would like to be a chef when she grows up.
Devan whipped up some cheesy chicken taquitos. Though she taught herself how to cook, she sees it as more of a “side thing” when she grows up, preferring instead to be a therapist.
“I don’t care if I win or lose, it’s a great experience either way,” Devan said before the competition.
Jazlynn was inspired to cook by her grandmother, who gives her some cooking tips and tricks. She prepared a turkey popover, and said she wants to learn to cook more in the future.
Arianna prepared Italian sausage tortellini, and was also inspired to cook by her grandmother. Arianna has been cooking for two years.
The guest panel included Tim Witcher, a culinary arts teacher at Camden County Technical School, who won the popular Food Network competition show “Chopped” in 2016.
“I’m looking for healthy recipes full of flavor,” he said about his judging. He said this competition had a slightly smaller kitchen than the one used in “Chopped,” and had slightly fewer cameras.
Once the cooking was complete, school 3’s Healthy Heroes took the stage. The students are completing their fitness journey one mile at a time, and are awarded a new chain to signify each time they cross a milestone for miles walked or run.
They also helped raise $46,000 for the American Heart Association by participating in its Jump Rope for Heart event.
At the meeting, the Healthy Heroes demonstrated plenty of exercises and dance moves for the audience to keep them active, and read obscure fitness facts.
One fact that got a surprise reaction from the audience: someone would need to drink a quart of milk every day for three months to equal the amount of blood the heart pumps in one hour.
The Healthy Heroes were joined by the school’s principal, Tamika Gilbert-Floyd, who is participating in the kids’ fitness journey. She said it was a great way for kids to stay active and learn lifelong habits.
