Dear Fuente Families:
We are excited to announce the start of our own lunch program!
It will begin Monday, January 11th, a week after we return to school. We are working to provide meals that are healthful, made from scratch and get the kids to say ‘yum’! In addition, we want to provide options that meet the needs of our vegetarian and food allergy students (including peanut and nut free menu items). All this while offering a healthy meal with quality ingredients.
The values we have followed in choosing ingredients have been: a) locally sourced, b) organic when possible, prioritizing milk and produce, c) grass-fed or pasture raised meat, eggs and poultry, and d) non-GMO corn and soy products. To provide this quality of lunches for the children our lunch price will be $3.75 for full pay students. The price will continue to be $0.40 or free for families that qualify for free or reduced pricing.
If you think you might be eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches and previously didn’t get meals at school, you can still sign up! Please do! For example, students from a family of three that earns up to $37,167 is eligible for reduced-price school meals (costing only $0.40). Not only does this qualification give students access to meals, but it increases the school’s overall funding. It is essential that all families that may qualify apply; the office team can assist you in making that happen.
We hope to have as many children participating as possible. We want them to LOVE school lunch. We will work to establish a food culture that encourages inquisitive and enthusiastic eaters, as our job is not only to nourish the kids but to also expose them to new foods and tastes. Science has shown that it takes at least seven tries for people to become accustom to new flavors. If your child comes home complaining about a new food, please support us and encourage them by saying something like, “Maybe you just haven’t tried it enough. I bet you’ll like it better next time!”
The process for ordering lunch will shift from a daily order and monthly billing to monthly pre-pay orders. Our process will be modeled after other local schools with similar programs. By pre-ordering, we are able to keep our costs down and still offer meals on those rare days when a student forgets their lunch.
When we return from break, we will send home menus and order forms. They will also be posted on our website. The first week, meals will continue to be provided by the district and on Monday, January 11th we will begin serving our own cooked meals. We look forward to walking this new endeavor with you and we know that there will be some adjustments made along the way. Both the office and the kitchen staff welcome your input and ideas.
Wishing you all a wonderful winter break.
All the best,
Beth Wylie and Danielle Stubblefield
Charter Director and Kitchen Manager
