The cost of the meal is $1.25 for adults, $1.00 for full pay students, $0.30 for reduced pay students and free for those students that qualify for free meals. A breakfast consists of an entrée (red), choice of 2 of the following: a 6 ounce cup of fruit juice, a 4 ounce cup of yogurt or an 8 ounce carton of milk for a total of 3 items. Centerville’s breakfast meets the RDA requirement of providing at least ¼ of a child’s daily nutritional requirement. Adults may substitute coffee for the milk. Hot entrees vary by day of the week. The breakfast menu is on Centerville’s web site as well as a paper copy given to each student and the menu magnet given to each family.

Centerville serves a modified “Grab and Go” breakfast. Students come straight to the cafeteria from their ride. Kindergarten and first grades and second grades eat in the cafeteria and all others take their meals to their rooms. Each teacher notifies the cafeteria if they will allow the students to bring syrup or jelly to the classroom. The cashiers follow these requests.

Click here to view the breakfast menu.

Classes are scheduled a specific lunch time due to limited seating and this schedule must be followed. A lunch consists of an entrée (red), two side items usually fruits or vegetables (green), and a choice of the 3 varieties of milk. As is requested by RDA, each lunch meal contains 1/3 of a child’s daily nutritional requirement. The cost is $3.00 for an adult, $1.75 for a full paying student, $ 0.40 for a reduced paying student and free for students that qualify for free meals. A form for Free or Reduced meals is included in each new student packet. Copies are available in the cafeteria or front office. This form is turned into the cafeteria and the applicant is notified of their status by mail. Students make payments on their accounts as soon as they get to school in the morning or when they come to lunch. The only teachers that collect student’s money for meals teach kindergarten. Notification of charges (purple sheets) is given to each teacher as their students come through the line on Fridays. These are to be placed in Friday folders. The menu is on Centerville’s web site, posted in the cafeteria. Parents and other family members are always welcome to sign in at the front office and join us for lunch. This practice is discouraged only for the first 2 weeks of school for kindergarten students as they become used to school routines. All adults are invited to choose their meals from the selections on the adult bar that includes a 12 items salad bar and sweetened tea as the beverage of choice.

School policy is that all students either buy a lunch in the cafeteria or bring a lunch from home. No “fast food” is allowed in the cafeteria. If a teacher or parent wants to celebrate with special food for all of the class, it is recommended that this event be scheduled after the lunch peroid. As Centerville’s percentage of students receiving free meals increases, the chances of nutrients lost from well meaning party food being provided by meals away from school decreases. Please add these celebratory foods such as pizza or ice-cream in addition to the cafeteria meal. If a teacher wants to have a special event during the meal time, there are several options. Classes have been known to have a special “reading club” that meets occasionally during their scheduled lunch period or a few students may be rewarded with lunch in the room with a special adult and/or an additional treat. Other classes have been known to have a picnic using the tables outside at the end of the cafeteria. Disposable plates and plastic ware can be provided for a cafeteria meal on request or a sack lunch with mostly items that will not spoil and can be consumed later in addition to the picnic food can be provided. If a student has a note from his/her doctor stating that a milk allergy or intolerance has been detected, a 6 oz. container of juice , water, or soy milk will be substituted. All food related allergies must have a note from the doctor stating the specific allergy and its severity. The original is kept on file in the clinic and a copy in the cafeteria. Food allergies, specific foods that are not desired for religious reasons as well as items such as “no extras” can be placed on a student’s account for the cashier to see at the point of sale. An extra serving of any item that is being served that day may be purchased for the cost of $1.75 per entrée, $0.40 for side item, or $0.35 for milk. Chocolate or Vanilla Soy Milk and 16 oz. bottled water cost $0.60 each.

The Lunch Routine is for the teacher to come with their class to the cafeteria. First, the student gets their choice of milk from the milk cases, and then picks up their plate, napkin, and utensils. Each class is assigned to either line A or B. The first items on the line are entrees and have red tape placed in front of each entrée selection. The student is to take only one of the 4 or more entrees offered. The next items are side items and are marked with green tape in front of the item. Two choices are made from a minimum of 5 options. At the end of the line are the condiments which are menu specific such as salad dressing, ketchup, taco sauce, etc. The students proceed to the cashiers. Grades 3-5 punch their own number into the key pad and wait for the cashier to confirm that they have a reimbursable meal and that there are funds in their account. Kindergarten, first, and second grades are rung up by homerooms. The teachers help the cashiers insure that the correct student is charged for a meal. As the year progresses, the cashiers will learn the names of most of the students that come through their line. Each class is assigned a table and most have assigned seats. Centerville is lucky enough to have 3 monitors that help things run smoothly. The monitors tell the students when to either throw their disposable trays away or return the blue trays to the dish room. (Although we prefer to use washable trays and silverware, some times staffing shortages require us to use the ease of disposable items.) The students then quietly line up and wait for their entire class to return to the classroom.

 

Click here to view the full lunch menu.

Nutrition education is offered by the cafeteria staff. Monthly nutrition themes are displayed in the line decorations and information boards. Signs on the lines inform the students of the value of different food items. We provide nutrition nuggets on the announcements. Kitchen tours with short nutritional messages can be scheduled. We do several promotions that encourage students to eat healthy meals including a special “Green Eggs and Ham” breakfast on Dr. Suess’s Birthday. In short, the cafeteria staff believes in a healthy lifestyle and is willing to help you promote it. Consider the cafeteria as a resource and use it.

Click here to visit the virtual cafe.

Click here to visit the county nutrition web page.