Fourth and Fifth Graders Learn about Nutrition

Jalom Orsi (left) and Grace Pastore study a model of the human body at C.V. Starr Intermediate School in Brewster. ERIC GROSS What happens to the food we eat?

Thanks to health teacher Daria Pascale, fourth and fifth graders at the C.V. Starr Intermediate School in Brewster are discovering the attributes of good nutritional habits.

During lessons last week, classes of eight- and nine-year-olds visited individual stations within the classroom, where on display were models of body, short videos, and even a contraption that demonstrated how a body digests food.

Pascale called it critical that “boys and girls begin to learn at an early age what foods are good for them and how improper eating habits can not only increase their weight but can result in health problems later in life.”

Nine-year-olds Jalom Orsi and Grace Pastore were studying the model by removing organs, identifying their name and purpose, and replacing them. Jalom said she “tried to eat healthy food whenever I can.”

Tino Surace and Ryan Lenahan get some pointers on the digestion process from teacher Daria Pascale. ERIC GROSS Grace admitted being a “lover of fruit. I enjoy strawberries and bananas and eat them every day.”

During a digestion demonstration, Tino Surace, who was celebrating his 10th birthday last week, and his friend Ryan Lenahan, 9, were amazed by the lesson taught by Pascale.

Tino called it “cool. Now I know how my food is ingested.”

Ryan added: “I don’t want any chemicals in my body so I plan on eating only good stuff from now on.”