Got milk bubbles?

There’s a new milk carton in town and it requires a special technique to get to the goods. The North Kitsap School District is moo-ving from the cardboard carton container of yesteryear to a high-fangled, plastic bubble-looking thing. While the package is definitely different, the insides remain the same: fresh, white dairy milk — or chocolate for those who require their mid-day drink to have some kick.

Much like a Capri Sun, the milk containers could potentially create spills and splatters or be a bit tough for little fingers to maneuver. To head potential problems off at the pass, Wolfle Elementary School called in a professional cow-juice puncher to show the students the ropes when the new milk bubbles surfaced on Wednesday.

Dee Fuller, who works for DuPont (the company behind the milk bubble), offered a demonstration for PTA volunteers, who taught the thirsty children.

“It’s all in the technique,” she said:

1. Place the milk bubble on the lunch tray.

2. Hold the straw with one hand, with the pointy-side down, thumb on top.

3. Use the spare hand to press the milk bubble, creating a pocket of air.

4. Firmly press — DO NOT STAB — the milk bubble in the air pocket. “Multiple stabs are not OK,” she stressed.

5. Once the straw is firmly placed, do not remove it. Also, do not — repeat DO NOT — blow bubbles into the milk.

Fuller is quite the experienced cow hand, as she travels from school to school to teach children how to access the moo juice in the new containers. The demonstrations are often more for the adults, who are less amenable to change.

“The children are fine,” she said as the voice of experience. “They poke the straw in and drink the milk.”

Children are often excited to find the bubble milk is much colder than in the carton milk.

While most children handle the change OK, there will be one or more of the rambunctious types who will get a bit excited and poke a hole all the way through both sides. But that doesn’t happen often.

Just as she predicted, the milk bubbles were quite the hit with the Nickelodeon crowd.

“Oh my gosh, he stabbed it! Poor little guy,” said third-grader Conner Anderson as he slipped into the cafeteria table beside third-grader Brett Heaps.

Mason Johnson, complete with the standard second-grader issued untied left shoe, had no problem getting into the bubble, but fell victim to an interesting leak.

Austin West, a second-grader who had a non-leaking milk bubble, took to the beverage like a pro.

“You have to go where the (air) bubble is so it doesn’t spurt,” he said, explaining it with expertise. “I had a little help because this is my first time doing this.”

The milk bubbles infiltrated the district a couple of schools at a time this week. By Friday, there was nary a carton left in the district’s cafeterias, according to Dan Blazer, director of the district’s Food/Nutrition Services.

The switch will reduce trash waste by 70 percent, and will save the district about $5,000 each year, he said.

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