Groups advocating for healthy school lunches in the city are urging parents and community members to sign a petition opposing the planned closure of more than two dozen full-service school kitchens, including the one at the Penn Alexander School (4209 Spruce St.).

The proposed closure of the full-service kitchens, which are part of the School District of Philadelphia’s plan to balance its budget, would mean that Penn Alexander students and some 16,000 students at 25 other schools would no longer receive meals cooked at school but would be served pre-packaged meals shipped in from a company located in Brooklyn.

More than two-thirds of the district’s schools, which lack full-service kitchens, already serve lunch this way and the district estimates that closing the 26 full-service kitchens would save an additional $2.3 million. Many of the schools that serve pre-packaged meals now never had full-service kitchens.

But advocates from Fair Food, The Food Trust and a growing number of parents oppose the decision, which has not yet been finalized, arguing that the pre-packaged meals teach children bad eating habits.

These groups are asking parents and community members to sign this electronic petition, which will be sent to Superintendent Arlene Ackerman.

Fair Food and The Food Trust are also trying to save the “Farm to School” program at Penn Alexander and two dozen other schools in the city. The program contracts with local farmers to supply schools with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Alyssa Moles, the Farm to School program coordinator for The Food Trust, said by e-mail that her organization is lobbying the District to retain the program. She wrote that she has been assured that, even if the full-service kitchens are closed, that “it will not affect the Farm to School program at those schools and they are also looking at ways of making sure that the schools that were not part of the program will continue to receive fresh fruit and vegetable offerings every day.”

Many schools nationwide have made the transition to pre-packaged meals prepared off-site. These meals are not always hot. For some insight into what pre-packaged lunches are like, check out this blog from “Mrs. Q,” a teacher in Illinois, who ate (and photographed) them every school day in 2010.

The District’s proposal has also garnered national attention. Writing in Mother Jones magazine, Tom Phillpott argues that the cuts are indicative of a new austere reality in the United States.

The school’s losing cafeterias (from the Inquirer):

Baldi Middle, Barratt/Childs Elementary,Beeber Middle, Conwell Middle, DeBurgos Elementary, H.R. Edmunds Elementary, Feltonville Arts and Sciences,  Finletter Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Harding Middle, Hunter Elementary, Jones Middle, Juniata Park Elementary, Marin-Munoz Elementary, Marshall Elementary, Meehan Middle, Overbrook Education Center, Penn Alexander Elementary, Penn Treaty Middle, Pepper Middle, Shaw Middle, Spruance Elementary, Tilden Middle, Grover Washington Middle, Wagner Middle, Wilson Middle.

Other ways to follow the story:

Good School Food for Philly Kids (Facebook group)

Philadelphia Inquirer story on the proposed closures

The 3-year-old boy who was critically injured 11 days ago after his caregiver said he fell down a flight of stairs in an apartment building on the 4700 block of Chestnut Street will reportedly be taken off of life support today. He is not expected to survive.

Jaquinn Brewton was taken to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on June 29 with severe head injuries. The child’s caregiver said he fell down a flight of steps, but neighbors said at the time that they suspected abuse. The caregiver, who has not been named, was a “family friend,” according to reports. The boy’s mother was living in a homeless shelter with her four other children at the time, 6ABC is reporting.

Police have not yet filed charges in the case, but are still investigating. Brewton’s family has made serious abuse allegations against the child’s caregiver.

Here is 6ABC’s report:

Today’s cat is Eggroll, a young and lovely dilute torbico (tortoiseshell + calico markings). She’s about one year old. She has rather pointy ears and nose, indicating that she may have a bit of Siamese in her.

Eggroll was rescued by a social worker on a rainy day. She was wearing a flea collar that was way too big — probably because she had lost so much weight fending for herself on the streets.

She is active and playful, but enjoys affection and cuddling, too. She shares a foster home with several other cats and a small dog, and she’s always trying to get them to play.

Eggroll would do well in a home by herself or with another playful cat or dog to keep her company. She’s ready to find her forever home today.

She is spayed, FIV/FeLV negative, up to date on vaccinations, and has received flea/parasite preventative/treatment as needed.

If you would like to adopt Eggroll, please fill out an adoption application here. The adoption fee is $85 to help subsidize the cost of veterinary care.

Have you run out of ideas yet on how to entertain your kids this summer? Here’s a suggestion for you, something your little ones should enjoy. Penn Museum (3260 South Street) is offering  Summer Wonder programs for children and families on Wednesday mornings (10:30-11:30 a.m.) through August 10.

The programs feature music, dancing and other fun activities by a variety of international performers and presenters. Some of the highlights are belly dancing for the whole family, listening to world music and the folk music of yesteryear, journeying to Uganda, and discovering science through experiments.

Here’s a full list of programs (check our “Happenings” section for more details on each program):

• July 13: Colonial Music of Pennsylvania
• July 20: Eda Ne Kakati (From the Past to the Present)
• July 27: Habiba Dance Ensemble
• August 3: Project Capoeira
• August 10: Piccirillio Sciencetellers presents Dragons and Dreams

Admission to the programs is free with museum admission donation ($10 for adults; $7 for senior citizens (65 and above); $6 children (6 to 17) and full-time students with ID; free to Members, PennCard holders, and children 5 and younger). Pre-registration for groups of 10 or more is required. Registration for individuals and families is suggested. To pre-register email: grouptickets [at] museum.upenn.edu or call: 215-746-6774.

Muggles of all sorts will gather this week at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library (125 S. 52nd St.) for a Harry Potter movie extravaganza.

You can see the first seven movies in the series beginning Tuesday, July 12 at 1 p.m. with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2 hours, 32 minutes). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 hours and 41 minutes) will follow at 4 p.m.

This is a great way to beat that afternoon heat this week and catch up before the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, hits theaters on July 15. Call the library’s children’s department at 215-685-7424 for more information.

Other films and times:

• Wednesday, July 13

1 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 hours, 22 minutes).
4 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2 hours, 37 minutes).

• Thursday, July 14

1 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2 hours, 19 minutes).

• Friday, July 15

1 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2 hours, 33 minutes)

• Saturday, July 16

1 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I (2 hours, 26 minutes)
 

West Philly’s own GiGi and Big R’s Caribbean Soul Food truck came up big in Philly’s first ever Vendy Awards yesterday, taking home top honors.

A panel of five judges, including Mayor Michael Nutter, voted to award Gigi and Big R’s the Vendy Cup as top truck. The competition featured a cook-off among the eight finalists.

Thomas Bacon, aka Gigi, told the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“It’s been a long hard day, but it’s been a beautiful day. The Vendy Cup is a trophy that I can drink cool beer out of – after standing over a deep fryer, frying chicken, cooking cabbage and greens, and serving the customers.”

You can get a taste of their stuff, which includes pretty damn good soul food platters, at their usual spot at 38th and Spruce. West Philly truck Cucina Zapata, a fixture on the Drexel campus, won the People’s Choice Award after voting by about 500 attendees.

Here’s a video from CBS Philly: