Child Nutrition October Newsletter

Posted Date: 10/02/24 (5:00 PM)

CHILD NUTRITION
OCTOBER 2024
NEWSLETTER

Happy Fall Everyone!

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone for their patience as we have been feeling the growing pains of the new menus, increased participation and changes in cooking requirements. We know how hard it is for our Junior High and High School students who have to wait in longer lines and for our elementary students to get in the habit of signing up for hot lunch. We have heard all of the suggestions and we are currently putting some new plans into action to better facilitate our children!

At the High School we are in the process of hiring two new employees to help with prep and service. Hopefully in the near future we can open up another service location for students to get a meal without having to go to the cafeteria. These meal choices will be denoted on the online menus and will be served in a “box lunch” style. Within the box will be a fruit, veggie and water, alongside one of our popular cold items - tri-tip sandwich, chicken wrap, bento box, etc. We will push out more information for you to share with your students as we get closer to bringing this program to reality.

The Junior Highs are also going to see some new faces and hopefully be back into our newly remodeled kitchen soon! When we do get to move back into the kitchen at OJH we will once again be opening up multiple points of service at both locations and bring back salad bars for our students. We want to thank everyone for their patience and the Junior High students for their continued input and understanding, what a wonderful group of kids.

A couple of our elementary sites will be seeing new faces as well, the increase in participation across the board has been outstanding and we found ourselves needing to hire more support. We can’t wait to get everyone trained up and keep pushing forward with great food.

I know that this week it doesn’t seem like it, but the cold weather will soon be upon us - please check our online menus frequently as we will be doing recipe tests at different sites throughout the coming months. Cold weather comfort foods such as Chili and Cornbread will be making a debut throughout the district so we can get opinions from our most important customers - our amazing students.

Thank you again for all of your support, this has truly been an amazing ride so far and we can’t wait to see where else it takes us this year!

Christy Wineman, Director of Child Nutrition

Did you know that California is the largest dairy-producing state in the U.S. contributing about
20% of the nation's milk supply? The state is home to over 1,200 dairy farms, the majority of
which are family-owned and operated. Why mention this? Because October is National Farm to
School Month!

To celebrate, we’ve invited the Dairy Council of California to bring their Mobile Dairy Classroom Assembly to three of our elementary schools this month. The Mobile Dairy Classroom brings a live cow to school, allowing students to see the animal up close and learn about it in a fun, hands-on way. Trained instructors will demonstrate how cows are milked, discuss the care and feeding of dairy cattle, and explain the journey of milk from the farm to the refrigerator.

By bringing the Mobile Dairy Classroom to our schools, we hope to further our goal of educating students about where their food comes from and show them how agriculture plays a vital role in supporting local communities. Be sure to check next month’s newsletter for pictures from this one of a kind educational event!

For more information about the Mobile Dairy Classroom and its educational programs, visit the
Dairy Council of California's website at:
https://www.dairycouncilofca.org/what-we-do/mobile-dairy-classroom

Dmitriy Tsoy, Registered Dietician / Nutrition Coordinator

Fresh Food for Students

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sandwiches were a BIG hit! Our kitchen staff had to explain to some of the students what this menu item was. Each of our kitchens prepared this menu item from scratch. From raw beef hamburger meat with fresh onions & garlic, add our secret sauce and BAM you have a Sloppy Joe!

Here are some of the beef burgers that Joe Nightingale students made for themselves from the "Build Your Own Burger Bar". The bars are stocked with everything you need to build a awesome burger any way the student wants it.

Over at Olga Reed & the Orcutt Academy k-8 Charter School campus students created their own perfect beef nachos! The bars were stocked with freshly made salsa, onions, jalapenos and more....!

What's happening?

Your student might of mentioned to you that this school year we are offering the choice of water at all meals along with the milk options. In order to follow Federal & State Guidelines we have implemented having water available to students who are receiving meals from our kitchens. Students can choose which one they prefer water, 1% low-fat white milk or fat-free chocolate milk.

LINKS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

https://www.mymealtime.com/

Since the Child Nutrition Department has gone "cashless" at the school sites, parents will need to either make an online deposit or bring cash/check to the Child Nutrition Office behind the Technology/Enrollment building. Get the app for easy accessibility.

https://www.myschoolmenus.com/instance/797/district/792

All breakfast, lunch and afterschool menus are posted. Menus items are subject to change, as necessary, so please check daily. Get the app for easy accessibility.

CONTACT INFORMATION

https://www.orcuttschools.net/child-nutrition/

Marianne Heuchert, Office Manager

805-938-8926 or mheuchert@orcutt-schools.net

Cynthia Melendez, Assistant Office Manager

805-938-8924 or cmelendez@orcutt-schools.net

Dmitriy Tsoy, Registered Dietician / Nutrition Coordinator
805-938-8983 or dtsoy@orcutt-schools.net

Christy Wineman, Director

805-938-8925 or cwineman@orcutt-schools.net

Non-Discrimination Statement:
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.