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Organization
The
Wilmington School Food Service Program consists of eight on-site kitchens – two
kindergartens, four elementary, one middle school and one high school. The Food
Service Administrator’s Office is located at Wilmington High School.
The Food
Service Program currently serves lunches at all school and provides before/after
school feeding for the CARES program at the two kindergartens and four
elementary schools. We strive to meet the needs of all students, both
nutritionally and socially, by serving meals in a welcoming, pleasant
atmosphere.
The School
Lunch Program
The
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program that
provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each
school day. Congress created the NSLP after an investigation into the health of
young men rejected in the World War II draft revealed a connection between
physical deficiencies and childhood malnutrition. Congress enacted the 1946
National School Lunch Act as a “measure of national security, to safeguard the
health and well-being of the Nation’s children.”
Our school
lunch program complies with the United States Department of Agriculture’s food
based menu-planning system and nutrient standards, providing meals that meet 1/3
of the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for calories, as well as required
levels of other key nutrients, including fat, saturated fat, protein, vitamin A
& C, iron, and calcium. Hot lunches are served daily in all the schools.
Students may choose from a variety of lunch options including alternate meals at
all grade levels. The high school has more choices including a salad bar and a
pizza line. The middle and the high schools also have a snack bar with a wide
variety of approved snack items.
Free and
Reduced Lunches
Free and
reduced lunches are available for eligible students; both generally require the
household to fill out a school meals application. If you think your household
may qualify, please contact the Food Service Office at 978.694.6064 for more
information and application forms.
Menus
Our menus
are developed monthly to reflect the students’ tastes and preferences. The
monthly menu is posted on the Wilmington Public School website, in the local
newspaper and a paper copy may be obtained at your child’s school, in the office
area.
Prices
2011-2012
Meal Prices*
Kindergartens…………………………$1.80
Elementary
Schools………………....$1.80
Middle
School………………………...$2.05
High
School…………………………...$2.05-2.55
Milk/Juice(Kindergartens & Elementary Schools…………………………..$0.50
Milk/Juice(High School & Middle School…………………………………...$0.60
(*Lunch
includes: main dish or alternative choice, vegetable, fruit/juice and milk)
Lunch
Payment System FAQs
Our
department has gradually implemented a computerized Point-of-Sale payment system
for all schools since 2004. To help parents better understand the payment
system, here are some questions that are asked frequently:
Q: Why do
we need a computerized system? How does it work?
A: The
computerized system helps to efficiently process students through the serving
line and provide confidentiality. Every student has their own personal lunchroom
account based on their ID number. Students can access their accounts on the PIN
pads at every register or by swiping their cards. It is strongly recommended
that all students remember their PIN numbers (grades 4-12), since it will make
the lunch lines move faster.
Q: What are
some features of the system?
A: Parents
have the option of requesting –
Daily
spending limits and other purchasing restrictions such as one lunch per day and
snack/dessert limitation.
Note to
alert cashiers about food allergies
Q: What if
my child is eligible for free or reduced lunch?
A: Parents
will be notified by mail if approved for free or reduced lunch. The child’s meal
eligibility status will also be entered into their account. The information is
securely contained within the system to maintain confidentiality at the time of
service, and the meal will be processed just as it is for all other students.
Q: Should I
put money in my child’s account, and how?
A: We
request that parents deposit money into the child’s account in advance to
facilitate lunchroom service. You do not need to be concerned with giving your
child the exact change every morning with prepaid accounts. However, students
may still pay cash at the time of purchase. You may also pay for lunch on line,
if you have established an on line account for your child. There is a fee of
$1.75 per transaction to do this. You may view the activity of your child’s
account without making payments as well. We recommended that parents mail checks
to their child’s school rather than sending cash. You can send in prepayments at
any time. Students can make prepayments in the cafeteria in the morning upon
arrival at school. If your child purchases lunch regularly, monthly payments are
encouraged to prevent negative balances from occurring. We do not allow charging
except for lunch. Any unused funds will remain in the account for future use.
When sending in payments, please include the student’s name so it is deposited
into the correct account. Checks are to be made payable to Wilmington
School Food Service.
Q: How do I
know if I have a negative balance? Or how can I inquire the account balance?
A: You may
call your child’s school to check your child’s account balance. You may view
your child’s account on line, free of charge. In addition, every two weeks
account balance memos will be printed and sent home with your child, if your
child’s account contains less than $10.00 if your child is grade 4 and 5.
Kindergarten through grade 3 will receive a memo if their child’s account has
less than $15.00. Middle school and High school students will be reminded at the
register.
Senior
Citizen Lunch Program
As a
partner in community wellness, the Food Service Department offers the Senior
Citizen home-delivered and congregate meals program, currently located at the
West Intermediate School. For more details, please contact the Food Service
Office at (978) 694-6064 or the Senior Center at (978) 657-7595.
Department
Operating Status
Wilmington
School Foodservice Department is a self-supporting department within the School
Department. All food and equipment purchases, most maintenance, all salaries
including the Director and Secretary are paid from the Foodservice revolving
account. Revenues obtained are used solely for the support and improvement of
the School Food Service Program.
Thank You for Visiting
Mary Palen
Administrator of Food Services
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