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School Nutrition Employees Celebrated for Commitment & Caring

They are the front-line employees who greet students each morning for breakfast and lunch. They notice when students are having a good day or a bad one. School nutrition employees are essential members of the community. On School Lunch Hero Day, these regional winners of School Nutrition Association’s Employee of the Year award are being recognized for their remarkable commitment to both their school meal program and the students they serve.

School Nutrition Managers Recognized for Dedication & Compassion

School nutrition managers are an integral part of a nutrition team. Hands-on in the school kitchen and cafeteria, these individuals excel in providing high-quality, nutritious meals to students throughout the school year. The School Nutrition Association’s Manager of the Year award recognizes the dedication, ingenuity and compassion shown by cafeteria managers in regions across the country.

School Nutrition Directors Honored For Extraordinary Contributions

School Lunch Hero Day is celebrated on the first Friday in May to recognize women and men who dedicate their professional lives to the health and well-being of children in school districts across the country. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is highlighting the achievements of those named Director of the Year from regions across the country, recognizing their extraordinary contributions to manage effective school meal programs providing healthy, appetizing meals to students.

Nationally Recognized School Lunch Heroes

The non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) is celebrating the efforts of school nutrition professionals all week leading up to School Lunch Hero Day on May 3. During an online award ceremony today, SNA President Chris Derico, SNS, recognized all regional award winners and unveiled the national Director, Manager and Employee of the Year for 2024. All of these individuals show exemplary dedication and outstanding commitment to the school nutrition profession and the students they serve:

Employee of the Year:

Mid-Atlantic: Shenna Morrison, Harford County Public Schools, MD (national winner)
Midwest: Melissa Willhite, Tracy Area Public Schools, MN
Mountain Plains: Sheena Boyd, Lee’s Summit R-7 Schools, MO
Northeast: Sonia DelGreco, Meriden Public Schools, CT
Southeast: Russell Barlow, Marshall County Schools, AL
Southwest: Hollie Valenzuela, Roswell Independent School District, NM
Western: Rosa Roque, Woodburn School District #103, OR

Manager of the Year:

Northeast: Vivian Crespo, Meriden Public Schools, CT (national winner)
Mid-Atlantic: Rommel Ongaco, Woodbridge School District, DE
Midwest: Sandra Hirdler, Osseo Area Schools ISD 279, MN
Mountain Plains: Kathleen Schneider, El Paso County School District 49, CO
Southeast: Maggie Oswalt, Scott County Schools, KY
Southwest: Luana Adams, Hobbs Municipal Schools, NM
Western: Valerie Moore, Tigard-Tualatin School District, OR

Director of the Year:

Western: Eric Span, Sweetwater Union High School District, CA (national winner)
Mid-Atlantic: Sandra Stokes, SNS, Petersburg City Public Schools, VA
Midwest: Stacey Bettis, Minerva, Brown & Tuscarawas Local School Districts, OH
Mountain Plains: Beth Wallace, SNS, Jefferson County Public Schools, CO
Northeast: Caitlin Lazarski, MS, RD, SNS, Pine Bush CSD, NY
Southeast: Dawn Lewis, M.Ed.L, Coffee County School System, GA
Southwest: Amy Woolsey, SNS, Ogden School District, UT

Read more about the efforts of the three national winners here and check back everyday this week for details on each of the regional winners in the Director, Manager and Employee categories.

Keeping MS Students Excited with New Menu Options

Scratch-made tomato bisque, charcuterie trays and peanut butter yogurt dip are just a few of the new offerings on the menu for students of DeSoto County Schools in Mississippi. This year, Child Nutrition Director Alex Hallmark hired a registered dietitian and worked with the district’s nutrition team to update breakfast and lunch options so the students would not get bored with school meals. Student feedback has been so positive, that many of the dishes are being served regularly, with new ideas in the works for the future.

Plant-based Options Help Cater to VA Students’ Needs

When planning menus, the nutrition team at Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia remains mindful that their student body comes from 119 different countries. To help serve many different dietary needs, district menus include daily plant-based meals with a variety of options for students.

“When students come through our lunch lines, we want them to taste something from their home. We incorporate herbs, spices and entrees with global inclusivity,” said Dr. Eric Coleman, MBA, M.Ed, CSC, Director, Office of School Nutrition Services for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Students in Maine Learn “A to Zs” of Nutrition

One can eat their way through the alphabet by simply enjoying a cup of alphabet soup but accomplishing this on a daily basis is a lot more fun, educational, healthier and pleasing to the taste buds.

Students in the Windham Raymond School District (RSU 14) in Maine are enjoying nutritious lunches made from locally grown fruits and vegetables representing each letter of the alphabet in conjunction with March’s National Nutrition Month. March kicked off with a scrumptious lunch featuring asparagus and apples and will conclude with a flavorful Zucchini recipe.

Iron Chef Breakfast Competition in NY School

Hosting Iron Chef-style competitions has become an anticipated special event for Mechanicville City School District students in New York. Deborah Mackey, Food Service Director in the district, helps to put on about four each year, typically giving student teams a specific ingredient to include for a lunch dish. Past competitions have featured locally grown beef and apples, but the focus has never previously been on breakfast.

Mackey introduced the idea recently and held a breakfast competition to lead up to National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), a great opportunity for students to try new menu items and focus on the importance of breakfast.

Breakfast is a Welcome Addition to School Routines

School breakfast offers quick and easy solutions for families to make sure students start their rushed mornings with a balanced meal. This year, an increasing number of students have access to free breakfast as more states are providing meals at no cost for all students. Schools in Pennsylvania and Connecticut are seeing great benefits from students and their teachers.

According to Kristina Roberge, Food Service Coordinator for Groton Public Schools (CT), parents say their children want to get to school with plenty of time to head to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Minnesota Thursday Program Kicks Off Black History Month

Food can be a window into different cultures and a learning tool to introduce students to meals not typically served within their homes. To that end, students in 16 schools across Roseville Area and St. Anthony Schools (MN) were treated to made-from-scratch menu items from St. Paul-based West Indies Soul Food chef Sharon Richards-Noel on Feb. 1^st in conjunction with Black History Month. The menu included sizzling jerk chicken drumsticks, seasoned curried rice, and delicious sides of Caribbean black beans and watermelon radishes.