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This past weekend my husband made an amazing breakfast: rice flour waffles, blueberries, syrup, bacon, yogurt. As the sun lazed in the window, newspaper spread on the table, we enjoyed the early morning meal. Then I cleared my plate and stood with my back to the rest of the room. I glanced to the right and left, made sure nobody was watching. Then, I LICKED my plate! Syrup with blueberry stains and yogurt blobs. Delicious! 

As a child, I would catch my dad doing this, “Why be inefficient?” he leaned down and whispered at me, “we never want food to go to waste. Efficiency, I tell you, that is why I lick my plate!” The exclamatory statement was not in volume but a sly grin and raised eyebrows as the delicious remainder of his meal met his taste buds. 

Why don’t we lick our plates? I suspect the social conformities are rooted in the history of germs. The advent of silverware was no doubt because someone realized that touching food with our hands might be the cause of spreading disease. But licking our plates should be ok? 

My dispatch message this week is about being efficient. Of course, licking a plate is efficient (and delicious!) Here is a video about efficiency that EVERYONE should watch. Best 15 minutes I have used in the last year. Enjoy. 

KEAP Afterschool Session Began on Monday, Nov. 4! Please make sure you know what programs are being offered at YOUR school, encourage students and parents to participate in these FREE learning opportunities. New this session: middle school programs for Concord & Sutton Schools! All 8 sites are now K-8!

STEM Lab Open House:  November 14 from 4pm to 6pm

STEM lab Open house November 14 from 4pm to 6pm at the Fairbanks STEM Lab and McGuire Conference room for student presentations of their work. This fall the STEM Lab students have been learning about and propagating rare Vermont orchids. Come to hear about what they have done so far and what discoveries they have made. As part of the event we are highlighting three pilot year students who are working towards attending and presenting at the  Conference in February 2020. This is a huge accomplishment where these students have diligently worked between our lab and the New Hampshire Academy of Sciences lab in Lyme, NH to make this happen. This is a great opportunity to learn about all their hard work.