The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) invites all parents to participate in the monthly meetings where important fundraising decisions are made. Attendance at these meetings can count as part of the 50 hours of volunteer hours required each year.
PAC will also provide parent education classes throughout the year. The classes include: food handling class, CPR, adult religious education classes, and more.
Student/Parent Handbook - This will have most of the information you need regarding the rule and policies of the school, click here
Weekly Newsletters - This has the information you need for the coming week of events, schedules, etc., click here
School Menus - The school breakfast and lunch menus are now available for you to see. Our program is a balanced healthy menu for your child, click here
Monthly Calendars - The school list of events is found on the monthly calendar, click here.
News and Reminders
For the current Newsletter click here! A message from our principal about our school and tuition please click here! SXMS is a K-8 school and it is currently accepting registration for the 2012-2013 school year. Scholarship money is available through FAIR and the Catholic Tuition Support Organization (CTSO). Financial aide is only granted after completing the FAIR application. Please contact the office at (520) 294-0628 for more information. Click here.
Nurse Myra’s Nutrition Corner
The Ins and Outs of Health Claims on Food Labels
By Maggie Dearborn, Personal Chef
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards for health-related claims on food labels to help us identify foods that are rich in nutrients and may help to reduce the risk for certain diseases. Health-related claims may highlight the link between calcium and osteoporosis, fiber and heart disease and fat and sodium on high blood pressure.
Food labels can be confusing. Their purpose is to inform us on the nutritional contents of what we are eating. However, more often than not, the manufacturers trick us into thinking we are choosing a healthy food item, which may not always be the case.
Really read the labels on the package. Look at what the writing on the package claims and especially whether a reasonable portion size will give me the benefit claimed. How much do I have to eat to reap the benefit the manufacturers place on the package? Yes, this does makes grocery shopping longer but feeling better knowing what my family is eating.
Confused by food labels? Manufacturers cannot actually “lie” about their food products but they may “stretch the truth”.
What’s the difference between "reduced fat" and "low fat"? Does "light" on a label really mean no fat? The FDA has strict guidelines on how these food label terms can be used.
Here are some of the most common claims and what they mean:
ØLow calorie: Less than 40 calories
ØLow cholesterol: Less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm or less of saturated fat per serving
ØReduced: 25 percent less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product
ØGood source of: Provides at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving
ØCalorie free: Less than five calories per serving
ØFat free/sugar free: Less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving
ØLow sodium: Less than 140 mg of sodium per serving
ØHigh in: Provides 20 percent or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving
ØHigh fiber: Five or more grams of fiber per serving
ØLean (meat, poultry, seafood): Ten grams of fat or less, 4 ½ grams of saturated fat and less than 95 mg cholesterol per 3 ounce serving
ØLight: 1/3 fewer calories or ½ the fat of the usual food
ØHealthy (individual food item): Low fat, low saturated fat, less than 480 mg sodium, less than 95 mg cholesterol and at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of vitamins A and C, iron, protein, calcium and fiber.