The Chatterbox | August 17 - Time Out Chicago Kids

First up, hold on to your chicken nuggets. Remember what the lunch ladies ladled onto your tray in the school cafeteria? Those days may be coming to an end, and not only in upper-class private schools. One school in Colorado, where 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, is breaking the the pre-packaged and processed mold, as profiled in the New York Times.

Back at home, the wheels on the bus continue to go round and round. Villa Park–based Westway Coach continues to look for parking for its service to Downers Grove and Woodridge school districts (58, 68 and 99), reports the Woodridge Patch. Lisle village trustees turned down its latest proposal for an Indiana Avenue terminal due to concerns about “pollution, its potential danger to children, current traffic issues and the testing of bus horns over the course of an hour and a half each morning” on August 15. Classes in the districts resume next Wednesday, August 24.

ACT scores in Illinois were the highest in a decade this year. However, the 20.9 average score still fell below the national average the Chicago Tribune reports. Illinois State Board of Education spokeswoman Mary Fergus points out that compared to higher-scoring states such as Massachusetts, Illinois has a far larger number of students taking the ACT. Among the top 10 states with high percentages of test-takers, which include states in the Midwest, South, and West, Illinois ranked at the top.

Our very own Web Behrens deftly tackles the recent Bert and Ernie marriage debate, which was ignited by bloggers and (shocking!) inflamed by the mainstream media.

Schools devastated by tornadoes on May 22 in Joplin, Missouri are getting back on their feet thanks to Naperville-based Kitchens To Go in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers. Food-prep areas for three of four schools that were destroyed will be up and running in time for the district’s first day of school today. According to the Naperville Sun, “The units are assembled as 12-foot modules that are bolted together to create an uninterrupted kitchen area that [KTG partner Fred] Stowell said usually measures 48-by-86 feet. The facilities will remain in place at the Joplin-area schools for years to come.”

A 10-year-old model looking very grown-up in the current issue of French Vogue prompts the well-worn debate about whether the fashion world has gone too far, or if naysayers are just too uptight. ABC offers this report. We wonder what 5-year-old Suri Cruise, who's already in heels, has to say on the subject?

Slate.com reminds us that revered children's book The Secret Garden is, indeed, off the hook.

Finally, following in the footsteps of Kentucky Fried Chicken's Double Down sandwich, Kraft has launched the Triple Double Oreo— that's three chocolate wafers, one double layer of vanilla cream and one double layer of chocolate cream. The cookie is based on an Oreo that was originally sold in Argentina. The Chicago Tribune quotes Kraft's associate director of consumer engagement saying "Our fans' passion and enthusiasm challenged us to raise our game. We're taking that literally." We, on the other hand, will be taking an extra-large glass of milk. Literally.

The Chatterbox | August 17