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Students Take Bite Out Of Alphabet

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

CITRUS PARK - Tracey Rust spent her lunch break from work standing over a stove stirring shamrock-green eggs while 14 diners squirmed, giggled and held their noses.

Volunteer Kelly Decker paused from reading 'Green Eggs and Ham' to the group of kindergartners.

'Something smells good,' Decker said.

'It smells bad!' said 6-year-old Joaniel Mancebo.

It wasn't a typical office lunch hour, but it is a weekly routine at Citrus Park Elementary in northwestern Hillsborough County. For years, the school has invited parents to volunteer in classroom kitchens for kindergarten and special-needs students to cook or bake snacks.

Rust arrives at the school every Wednesday to whip up goodies tied into a different letter of the alphabet.

Other moms pitch in as well, trying to come up with recipes the children can participate in, by adding ingredients or stirring.

They kicked it off with ambrosia salad for 'A' - not popular with the 5- and 6-year-olds - and by last week had made it to 'G,' green eggs and ham. The letter 'D' brought 'Dirt Cake' with crushed Oreos and gummy worms.

Teacher Gretchen Hutto works with the class during the week on the letters and ties in reading and other lessons. Hutto also will write sentences about what they learned and talk to the class about the punctuation used.

Courtney Cairns Pastor

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