Hey, Internet, so this week we’re celebrating School Nutrition Professional Week. You’re supposed show you cafeteria staff at school how much you appreciate them. Here are some tips we got from School Nutrition:
1. Be polite in line and give the professionals a special greeting. Please, thank you and a smile can go along way in making someone’s day.
2. Recognize your School Nutrition Professionals’ achievements during morning announcements or even during a special segment.
3. Ask the student government or another student group to help out in the cafeteria by cleaning tables, taking out trash, sweeping floors, etc.
4. Introduce your staff during the lunch period and prepare the students ahead of time to give them a standing ovation and a huge round of applause.
5. Arrange with your principal to have the teachers and their classes write notes of appreciation to your staff. Post them in the cafeteria for the customers to read.
Another cool idea would be interviewing the cafeteria staff about how they feel about school lunch. Here are some of our own ideas of things you could ask, also found in the WOYP? Curriculum guide:
1. How many meals are prepared each day?
2. What are the common items ordered?
3. How are the meals prepared?
4. How do you decide how much food and what foods to purchase?
5. Where does the food come from?
Feel free to make up your own questions as well!
You should also ask the staff if you could “tour” the lunchroom, while you’re at it. Keep notes on what you observe. For example, what kind of kitchen equipment does the lunchroom have? Do they use stoves or microwaves? Do they keep the nutritional facts? What ingredients are most commonly used?
Don’t forget to check out the WOYP? video clip, with our own school nutrition professional, Head Dietician Jackie Vargas!
