Relate at the Plate Power Box
Our Introduction Letter
Families:
The school year is coming to an end, but it doesn’t mean connecting as a family stops. Not all students are excited for summer. For some teens, the lack of structure during the summer and feeling socially isolated can create mental health challenges. It’s important teens are engaged in healthy physical and mental activities throughout the summer – and performing activities as a family increases benefits!
Plan a family summer schedule so your teen looks forward to activities. For example, Nerf Warz at Nienhuis Park Community Center, The Museum Broken Arrow, and Rose District Farmers Market. Don’t forget to include family game nights, weekly walks, and fun themed dinners.
During the month of May, we are encouraging you to regularly connect as a family at the table. With fewer families sharing meals together, teens aren’t receiving the benefits of this daily ritual. We included crust mix, sauce and pepperoni for the family to prepare a homemade pizza together – just add your favorite toppings! Prepare a side salad, vegetable and fruit for a complete meal. If you don’t plan to prepare your pizza immediately, be sure to freeze your pepperoni until ready.
As a family, review the “Relate at the Plate” infographic and introduce “Teen Table Talk” during dinner. “Teen Table Talk” is a set of fun family-friendly questions prompting responses from everyone at the table. While your family can certainly ask more than one question, the goal is for the one question to evolve into a greater conversation.
As a special gift to our freshman students, the 574 Foundation has provided each of our students with a Native American Medicine Bag. It is our hope our students strengthen their understanding of the sacred items of their unique tribe and include objects representing tribal identity and personal well-being.
In closing, we want to express our overwhelming gratitude to our partners at Broken Arrow Public Schools and The Muscogee Nation ACE program for their support of The Power Box program. We are grateful for all of our families who participated and to our students who provided invaluable feedback. Thank you and enjoy your much deserved summer break!
Bobby Cook, 574 Foundation President
Instruction:
1. Parent/Student Goal Card
As we end the school year, 574 Foundation is instilling the importance of connecting as a family at the dinner table. We are encouraging our students to review the Relate at the Plate infographic with their families, plan a weekly dinner menu to hold the family accountable to eating together, prepare a homemade pizza with hearty, nutritious sides and incorporate our “Teen Table Talk” questions during each meal to initiate conversation.
2. Relate at the Plate Infographic
The Relate at the Plate Infographic highlights the importance of connecting as a family at the table. With fewer families sharing a dinner time meal together, the number of adolescents reaping the physical, mental and emotional benefits has declined.
We are encouraging our families to carve out more time for regular meals together and actively connect as a family.
3. Homemade Pizza
Sure, you can order take out or put a frozen pizza in the oven, but making a homemade pizza brings the whole family together!
We provided pizza crust mix, pizza sauce, sliced pepperoni and a card with pizza topping suggestions. Pair your fresh baked pizza with a side salad, vegetable and fruit for a complete meal!
A few barriers to sharing a meal together cited by parents is too little time and food preparation. By recruiting the entire family to contribute to meal preparation, the benefits are far greater for everyone involved.
4. Teen Table Talk
Our “Teen Table Talk” cards provide over 50 fun, family-friendly questions to engage everyone at the table – young and old!
Of course, you could ask multiple questions from our “Teen Table Talk” cards during each meal, but one question should initiate a deeper conversation among everyone at the table. An example question, “If you are backpacking through a foreign country with only a backpack, what would you take on your travels?” The response may prompt additional questions regarding further explanation of their chosen contents, which country they would backpack through, or even who would backpack with them. Sometimes questions and/or responses prompt sharing personal experiences, which only contribute to a more richer conversation and connection.
5. Medicine Bag
As a special gift, the 574 Foundation provided each student with a medicine bag – a reminder not only for greater connection with their family, but their native tribe. With a number of tribes represented within the school district, we encourage our students to strengthen their understanding of the sacred items of their unique tribe and include objects representing tribal identify and/or personal well-being.