Midstate schools promoting new wellness policies.

Byline: Jake Jacobs

Sep. 6--The students in Faye Wigham's pre-K class at Parkwood Elementary School in Warner Robins were having a lot of fun doing the "Pyramid Pokey" on a recent morning, but there was a serious side to the exercise.

It was the wrap-up to a session on nutrition education where the pre-kindergartners learned the basic food groups and how much they should have from each group every day. Nutrition educator Sarah Brown used a pyramid divided by colors to represent food groups such as grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meats, and fats and oils, having the students place pictures of food in the appropriate sections. Outside the class, it's hard not to learn the lesson at the school, as the entry to the cafeteria had posters reminding the students about the food groups in the food pyramid approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. School principal Lisa Casilli said the theme has been "Pyramid Pals," and she and cafeteria manager Cathy Smith have been helping implement the school…