Wearing plastic goggles, the fifth-graders at Windermere Boulevard Elementary patiently watched as their teacher spooned baking soda into a carved out apple. When she poured in the white vinegar, and the bubbly foam flowed out of the apple, their squeals of excitement filled the room. They had just made an “apple volcano” as a science experiment but it was also an activity that fit into Apple Crunch Day which was celebrated at all our buildings in late October.

In other classrooms at Windermere, some students had a STEM lesson using diced apples and toothpicks to see who could construct the tallest towers. First-graders learned a song about apples. Books were read about apples. In some classes, their science lessons came to life as they saw the physical change to an apple when it’s cooked. Yes, the building smelled great and several classes had applesauce as a treat.

Apple Crunch Day is an initiative supported by the state education department to celebrate local harvest in our state and teach students about the nutritional value of apples. Schools across the state were encouraged to schedule activities on Oct. 26 that included showing groups of students with apples and closeups of students taking the largest bite of an apple.

All four of our buildings participated in the challenge. Our Food Service Manager made sure that each building had enough crispy, red apples to eat, as well as a few extras for activities.

At the middle school, several students in the Art Club worked before school to paint a backdrop for photos. The six-foot tall backdrop had two apple trees, a bright blue sky, a white ladder propped against a tree. On Apple Crunch Day, the backdrop was in the cafeteria so students could take photos near it. We posted many photos we took that day to our social media accounts.

At the high school, apples were available during lunch periods. Each building had a banner with the school name and Apple Crunch Day.

At Smallwood Drive, fifth-graders had a little special celebration on the back courtyard with the principal and then on a countdown from 10, they crunched into their apples to try to beat the record of the largest bite. The school combined Apple Crunch Day with their Red Ribbon day celebration so every student got an apple.