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Kentucky Students Celebrate Their Special Day on the Birthday Bus

When the Grant County School District in Kentucky purchased an aging bus several years ago for their summer meal program, they wanted to find creative ways to utilize it during the school year. Most of the seats of the bus had been replaced with bench tables and a sink, warmers and a cooler were added, opening up opportunities to serve students meals in the parked bus.

Using festive decorations and streamers, the food service team repurposed the Lunch Bus Express into the Birthday Bus for monthly visits to schools during the school year. As students enter the bus, they are given a birthday activity book and provided a reimbursable school lunch, including pizza, fruit, vegetables, milk and a whole grain cookie or special applesauce birthday treat.

Student Volunteers Show Appreciation to Food Servers

Seventh and eighth-graders in Donegal Junior High School (PA) found a hands-on way to recognize the friendly faces in their school cafeteria last month. Members of the Builders Club, a student-led organization providing opportunities to perform service, build character and develop leadership skills, asked their advisor if they could volunteer with the Donegal School District nutrition team and assist them with lunch and breakfast service.

The Builders Club, a middle school division of the Key Club, used the national theme of “Be Kind to Food Servers Month” to show their appreciation for the nutrition team for the second year in a row.

Colorado Students Enjoy Scratch Baked Foods

Students in Cherry Creek School District 5 (Colorado) enjoy sandwiches on fresh bread, granola in their parfaits and dinner rolls with their salad made fresh from scratch by members of the nutrition team. For more than five decades, the district southeast of Denver has been making in-house baked goods to serve students. The bakers make everything from whole wheat bread and streusel breakfast bread to cinnamon rolls, cornbread and crumble topping for fresh apple crisp. Through the years, recipes have been adjusted and new items have been added to the menu.