Have a healthy snack at the Food and Nutrition Quiz
Gearing up for the Annual ADM Belize Mills Secondary Schools Quiz, the Belize District level of competition kicked off today at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall. Every year the Ministries of Health and Education along with the Pan American Health Organization team up for the competition among high schoolers countrywide to promote nutrition and healthy lifestyles. The quiz is also geared towards helping students to prepare for regional and local examinations in food and nutrition. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports on the first leg of the competition which is expected to culminate in September.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Seven High Schools of the Belize District participated in the District ADM Nutrition Quiz. Among them St. John’s High School, their first try at the quiz:
Siian Rancharan, Participant, St. Johns College
Siian Rancharan
“It’s been going great. a little bit of nerves but I guess that’s normal. I just hope that we can do well. The point is that it is our first year going into the competition. We don’t want to expect much, but whatever we do, we will be proud of it because it is our first year.”
Andrea Polanco
“I know students participate in competitions for different reasons. What’s your reason for participating in the nutrition quiz?”
Siian Rancharan
“Well I like competing a lot. I’ve always been in competitions. I think it is just having that accomplishment it gives a good sense of pride as well as that you’ve accomplished something. And also it looks really good for your resume for school and it makes your school proud as well.”
Robyn Daly
Nutritionist, Robyn Daly says that this year the quiz will challenge the students more and it covers a wide range of topics:
Robyn Daly, Nutritionist, Ministry of Health
“We have definitely made the questions a little bit more challenging and we can see it just in terms of how many they are getting correct and things like that. We see that the questions are a little challenging than before but some of them are studying; we have a tight race so far so we expect good results.”
Andrea Polanco
“So we know it is a nutrition quiz. What are some of the areas covered in terms of the competition?”
Robyn Daly
“We are looking at the assessment, body mass index, we’re looking at health conditions, we are looking Caribbean foods, we are looking at preparations, food service, some public health issues—the topics are very wide. We’ve also included some agriculture science and also basic science questions and some cooking terms.”
Solani Graniel
The girls of San Pedro High say health is a priority and they hope to continue the tradition of success that their school has created in this competition:
Solani Graniel, Participant, San Pedro High
“I’m in this competition today because I believe that health is the most important thing in life. Over the past years it has been going very good and I hope that we make it this time and we make San Pedro High proud again.”
Andrea Polanco
“So the questions; are they difficult? Are they easy? Are they some fot he things that you’ve studied before?”
Solani Graniel
“Most of them we have seen them before and we know them, but sometimes the questions may come in a confusing way.”
Marlon Ack
Preparing for the quiz, Maude Williams High says they had to put in some major work:
Marlon Ack, Participant, Maud Williams High
“Well my team members and I, we went through, researched in the field and we basically have to—the six food groups—we need to go deeper into it and we formed questions along the way to help better us in it; in the competition.”
Andrea Polanco
“So the questions that you’ve gotten so far, did you guys feel prepared and confident when you got those questions?”
Marlon Ack
“Well I was a little nervous first, but when the question passed, I start to build up my confidence.”
Daly says that the hard work will pay off:
Robyn Daly
“We have seen that certain schools continue to bring out good students so I guess they take extra time to do the training with their students because we have schools that participate every year. And those normally have students that are more well prepared than the schools who do not participate every year.”
Andrea Polanco
“So I know this will be a part of the national competition—the winner from the Belize District. In terms of the national competition, it si scheduled to be taking place when?”
Robyn Daly
“We are doing the nationals this year in September. So they have all summer to prepare for it. So we are hoping with that that we have a very good national competition. We will have two winners form Belize District. Since the Belize District has so many high schools, we have to have two winners who will participate in nationals. So a winner from today and a winner from next week Monday.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
The competition among the seven schools this morning was won by San Pedro High School. On Monday, the seven remaining high schools will compete.
