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Principals - School Nutrition FAQ/Information
Lunchroom FAQ:
Offer Versus Serve Information:
Breakfast: Students must be offered four (4) different items. They MUST select three (3) of these items and one (1) MUST be a fruit or vegetable.- Fruit or Vegetable (required)
- Meat or Meat Alternate
- Grain
- Milk
Lunch: Students must be offered five (5) different food components. They MUST select at least three (3) different items and one (1) MUST be a fruit or vegetable.
- Fruit and/or Vegetable (required)
- Meat or Meat Alternate
- Grain
- Milk
For more information on Offer Versus Serve, please review the Offer Versus Serve Guidance documentation here.
Reimbursement Guidelines:
Offer Versus Serve (above) is a requirement of Pre-K breakfast and lunch. All Pre-K Scholars should be traveling to the cafeteria for meal service.
Meal Service Times:
Formal lunchtime should remain between the hours of 10:00a and 2:00p. Please contact Director of Operations Robinette Prince-Simpkins at (216) 848-5898 for approval prior to any changes or adjustments to hours.
Why does the food being served not match up with what's recorded on the menu?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, CMSD School Nutrition is facing unprecedented supply chain disruptions that have caused our operations to shift with little to no notice. We are working with our distributors and manufacturers to secure both the food and supply items needed to support our program, but the availability of these items changes daily. This includes both food supplies and serving supplies, such as trays.
While it is our intention to serve the posted menu and maintain operations as close as possible to normal, we will continue to have disruptions throughout the school year until these issues are resolved. When changes become necessary, we will attempt to substitute an item with another item that is as similar as possible, to the extent we are able to do so, based on the products we are able to receive. Regardless of the substitutes, we will continue to serve all students healthy, nourishing meals.
Grab n Go Carts (After the Bell Carts):
School Nutrition has received a grant for Grab n Go Carts for breakfast. These are used to increase breakfast participation from our scholars. Kitchen Assistant Managers have received a directive to place these carts near the main entrance or other high traffic areas to provide late students the opportunity to receive breakfast.
Sharing Tables:
Sharing tables are required in all K-8 Cafeteras. They are used for students to place any unwanted, unopened, prepackaged food and beverages for other students to take. This also includes items with a peel (ex: bananas, oranges).
Water Availability:
As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, School Nutrition is required to ensure that water is available to students at no charge in the same location that meals are being served. Our water dispensers that are placed in these areas are required and mandatory to ensure students have access to free water during serving times.
Scholars with Special Diets:
To help us properly serve students, parents/caregivers of those with Special Dietary Needs must complete the required form(s) for their child's special dietary needs. The forms are found on our website here. Please contact the District Dietitian with any additional questions or concerns surrounding special dietary needs.
Lunch Attendant Primary Responsibilities:
Lunch attendants are responsible for the following:
- Helping students open packages
- Monitor eating
- Encourage eating new food items
- Supervise disposing of refuse
- Monitor behavior during lunch
- Spot sweep and clean spills
- Wash tables
Snacks/Fundraising FAQ:
What are Smart Snacks?
Smart Snacks in schools refers to the national nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold outside of the federal reimbursable school meal programs during the school day. The Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards support better health for our kids and echo the good work already taking place in schools across the country.
- To download a guide to Smart Snacks in school, click here.
- To utilize the Smart Snacks Product Calculator, click here.
For more FAQ on Smart Snacks, click here.
Am I allowed to fundraise/sell food items to students at my school?
Yes! However, the food items MUST meet the Smart Snacks standards. To calculate Smart Snack eligibility, please use the Smart Snack Calculator tool found here. If you have any questions regarding fundraising snacks and selling food items, please contact your school's Area Supervisor.
Can food be provided for after-school activities?
Yes! School Nutrition can provide you with nutritional snacks that give students the boost they need for supervised, educational after-school activities. To request snacks for your activities, please complete this form and send it via email to our Accounting Coordinator, Perez Bryant at perez.bryant@clevelandmetroschools.org . If you have any additional questions, more information on the After School Snack Program can be found here.
Can food be provided for field trips?
Yes! With our Bag Lunch service, you can request nutritious bag lunches for all types of school day activities, from field day to a class trip to the museum. PLEASE NOTE: Due to supply chain issues throughout the country, requests must be requested at least two weeks in advance of the desired service date. Requesting bag lunches is quick and easy using our online form located here.
Contact FAQ:
Who is the Area Supervisor for my school?
You can identify the Area Supervisor for your school on the list located here.
Who should I contact if my kitchen and/or cafeteria equipment is broken?
Contact our Inventory & Equipment Coordinator, Laurie McCulloch at (216) 246-3372 or at Laurie.Mcculloch@clevelandmetroschools.org, with any concerns surrounding the kitchen and/or cafeteria equipment.
My questions were not answered on this page. Who can I contact for more specific questions?
There are two different ways to reach out to our School Nutrition Staff:
- Visit our Who Should I Call If? page which can be found here.
- Fill out our CMSD School Nutrition - Contact Us form online and the appropriate staff member will contact you. The form link can be found here.
