FRESH - Fauquier Reaches for Excellence in School Health

is honored to provide free books for students' homes and teachers' classrooms. We've been busy hosting Pop-Up Book Shops all across the county. Even our older students are getting in on the action! Check out this week's display at Southeastern!

📣𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐨𝐧! 📣

✨ Can you use these clues to figure out what it might be!?
✨ Drop your guess in the comments for a chance to win a prize!

Overheard in the cafeteria: "𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑯 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔!!" ~ Elementary Teacher

Even school staff love a FRESH Tasting event!
Such a fun way to expose students to healthy, nutritious ingredients. 😋

Has your child checked out the book of the month yet? Available at all Fauquier elementary & public libraries, 'Why Not You?' offers children inspiration to dream big, work hard, and build self confidence. Scan our QR code inside the front cover to access additional story-related resources!

Shout out to RES (Resource Environmental Services). Their Warrenton office collected over 120 books for donation to our program!

We can't wait to offer these books for FREE to children across Fauquier during our upcoming Spring & Summer events!

It's National School Breakfast Week and FRESH is excited to partner with School Nutrition to bring Spinach Frittata to cafeterias across Fauquier. We are hosting taste-tests all week long. Check out the recipe below and give it a try!

Yesterday, brought our 'Pop-Up Book Shop' to W.G. Coleman Elementary! As anyone who loves reading knows, the 'search' for the perfect book is half the fun! Students were thrilled to find a favorite among our wide selection.

Special thanks to McKay Used Books and so many other donors in the community for continuing to donate books that children are excited to read!

It's National Day, and FRESH invites you to join us in celebrating:

👉 Read as a family!! Visit your local library, check out a book selection (https://loom.ly/dYquI-k), and use the QR code inside the book to access fun, interactive lessons.

👉 Read outside!! Head over to Brumfield and visit March's new StoryWalk tale, 'He Came with the Couch!'

Drop a comment below and share how you're celebrating literacy today!

This week, FRESH hosted our first (of many!) 'pop-up' shops at Brumfield and Grace Miller - bringing teachers a wide selection of free books to '𝐑𝐞𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇' classroom libraries.

We are so thankful to educators across the county who are working hard to foster a love of reading within our students.

James G. Brumfield
Elementary
Grace Miller
Elementary

On this 80 degree February day, these pics are giving us all the summer feels.

Here at FRESH we're excited for another summer filled with family-friendly activities, community partnerships, and free books & produce. Stay tuned for more details!

Shout out to Marshall Community Center Manager, Michelle - FRESH's newest contest winner! Sign up for our monthly newsletter for your chance to win!

https://loom.ly/GU9LtKs

We are busy working with our community partners to plan another amazing event!! 🎉

✅Mark the date on your calendar. More details coming soon!

Pretzel Arms MS

Pretzel Arms is a fan favorite among our Calming & Refocusing strategies. From young children to adults, this motion, paired with slow, deep breathing helps relax the mind and body. Check out the video below and incorporate this simple, yet effective strategy into your day.

Pretzel Arms MS

FRESH's Parmesan Bacon Kale tasting was a HUGE success!!

Overheard in the cafeteria:
➡️ "This is the best ever!"
➡️ "This is Awesome!"
➡️ "Can I have more!?"

A huge shoutout to Claude Thompson's cafeteria staff who have already been including this nutrient-rich vegetable on the lunch menu! Exposure goes such a long way in helping children feel confident enough to try new foods. Way to go Fauquier School Nutrition!

is all about incorporating more movement in a child's day! One of the greatest validations of our work is to hear teachers share their success stories. Visit the section of our website for creative ways to get your students moving throughout the day!

https://www.fauquierfresh.org/moves

What happens to a story once it's retired from FRESH's outdoor StoryWalk at Brumfield? It becomes a portable StoryWalk and visits elementary schools across Fauquier! These storyboards, placed around a classroom or school, are a great way to incorporate movement into a young reader's day!

🌟New Story Walk Alert🌟

Don't let the winter doldrums get you down! Head on over to Brumfield and follow a group of woodland critters as they use a lonesome mitten to stay warm and cozy. And when you're ready for another adventure, the Greenway has children's-favorite, Pout Pout Fish on display! Grab those jackets and scarves and get to moving & reading!

Want your 'eat more veggies' resolution to prevail?
Don't be scared, try some Kale!🥬

Stay tuned as we visit Claude Thompson Elementary this week to taste-test our Parmesan Bacon Kale recipe!

For the second year in a row, FRESH has been awarded funding through the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) ‘Active Learning Grant’!

Last year, we partnered with teachers across the county to develop a package of Calming & Refocusing strategies. This year, we are bringing Brain Boost exercises to classrooms.

Just one of the many ways is committed to creating more opportunities for movement throughout our students' day!

Shout out to Mrs. Martella's Spanish Language class at Seton School of Manassas for translating FRESH materials. Their hard work helps make our programming more accessible to all Fauquier families!

Congratulations to Lyndsay for winning a copy of the book for February, The Little Wooden Robot & The Log Princess!

To be entered in next month's drawing, sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on all things FRESH as well as family-friendly events across the county.

Sign up at: https://loom.ly/GU9LtKs

Since 2018, FRESH has received 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬!!

We want to thank all of the families, businesses, and community groups that have donated to our programming! Reading is one of the most important gifts that we can give our children.

As noted by famous author Stephen King, "𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐." Thank you for helping us share this magic with children in our community!

So many of us have trouble finding time to exercise. We're busy running around and jumping from one task to the other trying to get it all done. Exercise becomes one more thing to the 'to-do' list. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 '𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞' 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 '𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭' 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲?

FRESH can help you change your perspective on movement! The resources listed below offer a variety of ways to experience the benefits of increased movement in accessible and engaging ways.

🧘‍♀️ Need a gentler approach to movement? Try our Calming & Refocusing strategies: https://loom.ly/jd5N7H0

🤹‍♂️ Want to include your kiddos? Check out these fun family-friendly ideas: https://loom.ly/Bf-7Smo

🏃‍♀️ Looking to really get your heart rate up? Our virtual Boot Camp & Hip Hop classes are a great choice! https://loom.ly/HKOKgg0 & https://loom.ly/89b1Bxg

✨💥 Big Announcement! 💥✨

We are working with School Nutrition to 'FRESH-en' up the kitchen at Southeastern Alternative School!

What does this mean!?
🥗 Improved nutrition for our students at SAS
🍓 Dedicated kitchen space so FRESH can create more opportunities for healthy eating across Fauquier County Public Schools

Check out the sneak peek below, including new outdoor fridge & freezer! More to come soon!

January's FRESH Harvest of the Month is everyone's favorite 'sweet' root vegetable! 🍠 Roast 'em, Mash 'em, or Bake 'em! This versatile veggie pairs nicely with so many different toppings. Our favorites include:

👉 fresh herbs & sour cream
👉 cinnamon & brown sugar, or
👉 pecans & bacon!

Try one of these pairings or set them all out and create your own Sweet Potato bar! 🤤😋

Last week, FRESH partnered with the New Educator Support Team to provide our newest teachers with free books to help build their classroom libraries! With hundreds of titles to choose from, teachers were able to select options to meet a wide range of reading abilities. We are honored to support these individuals and wish them the best of luck finishing out their first school year!

Congratulations to our December Newsletter contest winners - Kristy Gillespie from Brumfield and Christine Mueller! 🥳👏

Stay updated on all the FRESH fun by signing up to receive a copy in your inbox each month and be entered for a chance to win a FRESH Reads Elementary book! 📖

Visit: https://loom.ly/GU9LtKs

What is FRESH's Story Walk all about? Located at Brumfield Elementary, each month we update 15 storyboards with the pages of a children's book. Begin at the front of the school (near the cute 'little free library') and end near the bus loop! Once you finish reading, stay and play on the playground, swings, or bring a basketball to shoot hoops! A great way to spend quality family time outdoors.

📢📢 𝑨𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝐅𝐂𝐏𝐒 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇, & 𝐅𝐚𝐮𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒆𝒔!! 📢📢

Hoping to find more time to exercise in the new year? Don't forget about your access to FREE virtual fitness classes from Old Town Athletic Campus! With early morning, daytime, and evening live-streamed classes, you can achieve your new year's resolution from the comfort of your own home!

Email us at [email protected] to receive your access password!

Looking for a free family-friendly activity? Come take a Storywalk! Skip, hop or jump your way in between a series of storyboards, featuring the pages of a new book each month! A fun way to get outside while practicing reading skills over winter break.

Visit Storywalks at James G. Brumfield
Elementary and the Warrenton Branch Greenway!

Stuck indoors today? Everyone starting to go stir crazy? Grab some dice and give this 'indoor friendly' fitness activity a try! Think of your own movements to pair with each number on the die, or use our interactive slideshow: https://loom.ly/aMZRtHY

With excitement levels at an all time high, this is a great way to help kids have fun while burning off some energy!

Our work at FRESH wouldn't be possible without the many wonderful teachers, staff, administrators, county employees, and community partners that support us. We want to wish each of you a wonderful winter break. We can't wait to continue our work together in 2023!

How about a challenge this winter break!! Send us a photo of you and your family giving one of our recipes a try and be entered for a chance to win a prize!!

Check out our full offering of recipes at: https://www.fauquierfresh.org/recipes

Searching for last minute gift ideas? has you covered! Our website offers a thoughtfully curated list of Elementary & Middle school books for readers of all ages and abilities. Check out our full list of selections at: https://www.fauquierfresh.org/reads and then visit your favorite local bookstore this holiday season!

It's and we'd love for you to give one of our favorite Calming & Refocusing strategies a try. This one is great for creating a thoughtful moment, helping to fall asleep, or slowing down a busy mind. We hope you enjoy!

Winter Break is Coming! With students out of school for 18 days, FRESH and the Fauquier County Public Library are here to help you avoid cabin fever! Grab those coats, scarves, hats, and gloves and head on out to this month's story walks at James G. Brumfield
Elementary and the Warrenton Branch Greenway!

📣Contest Alert!📣
December is just days away and so is our monthly newsletter! Sign up to receive a copy and be entered for a chance to win the book of the month! A perfect story to give as a gift to someone you love this holiday season.

Sign up here: https://loom.ly/GU9LtKs

Interested in what our newsletter looks like? Check out a copy of November's here:
https://conta.cc/3DKXtny