During the Limestone County Board of Education’s meeting at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Superintendent Randy Shearouse and board members honored two achievements that highlighted their efforts to provide the best in both education and nutrition for their students.

Limestone County Schools’ Child Nutrition Program recently received the Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids. The award was given to the program for their innovative approach to creating healthier, more appealing menu options for their students in the fall.

In one case, the Child Nutrition Program replaced regular hotdogs with Alabama made Conecuh Sausage Dogs to their middle and high school student lunch menus in the fall. They also incorporated kale macaroni and cheese salad as well as USDA commodity wedges to their old menu which consisted of tater tots, baked beans and an all-beef chili dog.

“I think it’s great that we can support local products that come from within our state, and we want to continue doing that,” Shearouse said. “Not only would we like to keep doing that, but we want to expand on that in the future. The importance of a nutritious meal in school can not be understated — a lot of times students may not always have access to a meal that is healthy and appetizing to them. Our CNP workers have a tough job balancing that thin line between the two, they have a lot of limitations on what they can serve, but they have still succeeded.”

The award was specifically given for a makeover to a popular school lunch meal that meets all meal pattern requirements, specific dietary specifications and has embraced student engagement, according to the USDA. As a result of the menu change, the meals now have a significantly decreased sodium content from the original menu while still keeping calorie content up to get the students through the day.

Limestone County Schools will receive national recognition for their CNP’s award in October at the national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, Nev.

Shearous and his fellow board members also recognized longtime county educator Monica Seibert Hobson during Tuesday night’s board meeting. She was recently chosen as the National Space Club’s Huntsville Educator of the Year after teaching gifted education with Limestone County Schools for 24 years.

Hobson is currently the gifted education specialist, teaching 7th through 12th grade gifted students from all six county high schools across the school district. She has also spent the last 21 years as a mento to Team 34 — the robotics team based at the Limestone County Career Technical Center, according to a release from Limestone County Schools.

“For one of our own to be recognized with this award is great for all of our teachers in Limestone County,” Shearouse said. “The old saying ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,’ is so true in the education system because everything we do is a unified effort. When someone like Mrs. Hobson gets put in the spotlight for her outstanding work, then I believe all of our teachers get highlighted a little bit more. It makes us all want to continue to put our best foot forward.”

Hobson’s work with the county’s gifted program not only motivates other teachers to go above and beyond, but Shearouse mentioned that it also inspires them to get creative and explore different options to make every student feel seen.

That sentiment was on full display inside the gym at Ardmore High School on Friday, Jan. 17, as nearly two dozen students in Kaitlin Sparkman’s special education class donned Tigers jerseys for Sparkman’s Unified basketball team.

“I want them to feel they can do anything they set their mind to,” Sparkman stated in a social media post from Limestone County Schools. “It’s important to do this for them so that they feel included in the community. Just because they have a disability does not mean they have limitations of what they can do.”

Sparkman’s team faced off against an inclusive basketball team from Hazel Green, with every player on the court consisting of a student with special needs or a disability.

“That’s really what we are all about,” Shearouse said. “I saw the excitement on all the kids’ faces when their names were called out and they were introduced as players. We want to provide opportunities like that for every child that steps through our doors.”