East metro school briefs

Students, staff pick new cafeteria salad In an election that took only a day to complete, Corn and Barley Ensalada won a spot on the St. Paul Public Schools lunch menu in a landslide.

The new offering will be added to the district's cafeteria salad bars beginning in the fall. In a contest school district officials dubbed "Wild About Grains," the salad won its menu position with approval of 87 percent of students and 58 percent of staff members. The dish is made of corn, barley, scallions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and cilantro in cumin dressing.

Research has shown that whole grains are low in fat and have no cholesterol. They contain complex carbohydrates, which supply energy for daily activities and are high in vitamins B and E, minerals, and antioxidants.

To view the ingredients of all the salads, including the other contenders, taboulleh and five-grain salad, visit St. Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services at www.sppscafe.org.

Advice on tackling difficult behaviors Arc is offering a workshop on special education for parents of school-age children.

"Challenging behaviors and behavior change" will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday. The presentation will focus on interventions parents and school staff can use to address challenging behaviors. Topics will include the process of conducting a functional behavior assessment, behavior change, the IEP and behavior-intervention plans.

The session will be held at Arc's office at 2446 W. University Av., Suite 110, St. Paul. The cost is $10 for Arc members and $25 for others. To register, call Arc at 952-920-0855.

JAMES WALSH