http://www.food-management.com/management/power-players-2017-scratch-prep-norm-here

Dear Students, Parents, and Caregivers, August 2017

As Food Service Director for the Aspen School District, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to another exciting school year.

LUNCH PRICING: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL $4.50 MIDDLE SCHOOL $5.00       HIGH SCHOOL $6.50

Each meal includes; a hot entrée, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and milk. As an added bonus for our students, we offer a diverse and ever changing salad bar supplied with fresh fruits and vegetables and salads that are determined by the growing seasons, market availability, and price. We try to bring in items that are new and exciting while bringing new flavors that the students might not otherwise get to try.

We have continued to make positive changes to the school meals and want to encourage you and your children to participate in the school lunch program.  One of the most important things you can do for your children’s education and well-being is assure they are well fed both at home and in school.  Allowing and encouraging your children to eat school lunch not only helps assure their health and academic ability, but it also supports the Food Service Department and, hence, the entire school district.  The more students who eat meals at school, the more financially viable the program becomes.

The Aspen School District Food Service Department has been working extremely hard to bring delicious/nutritious food to all of the students on campus. All schools are equipped with Salad Bars stocked with farm fresh produce. We have eliminated all processed food, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, chemicals, dyes, additives and the like. Conversely we have enhanced the food we’re serving our children by serving Colorado milk with the option to purchase organic milk.  We use whole wheat or whole grains in all of our baked products, local and/or organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible and local beef supplied by Mountain Primal Meat Co. of Emma, Colorado.

We truly make the health and wellbeing of all Aspen School District students our main priority. We cook fresh whole foods for all of the students-everyday, and the food that we don’t make, is made by local companies to our specification. To assure the quality of the food, we’ve instituted professional development for all of the staff and worked with our entire team to guarantee safe, delicious, healthy food every day for every student at every meal.

Along with your child’s well-being we are also striving to help take care of the planet. We continue to work with the schools to assure composting and recycling at every school. All kitchen food waste is added to our on campus earth tub that is then transferred to our school garden.  These valuable lessons, along with healthy/delicious/thoughtful eating as well as cooking and gardening are a mainstay of the Food Service Department.

We hope you will join us in helping your children make healthy food choices in school and at home.  Together we can help raise a new generation of healthier and better educated young people.  Once again, I am excited to be fueling your  children’s needs and look forward to introducing new foods and tastes to you children’s palates.

For more information regarding food services, please go to our web site at www.aspenk12.net and click the link to “Food Services” or the knife and fork icon on the top right tool bar.

Join us for lunch sometime or on our special events, we welcome parent volunteers  in our kitchens and garden anytime if you would like to learn more about our program.

Tenille Folk

Chef/Food Service Director

Aspen School District

EMAIL:tfolk@aspenk12.net or PHONE 970-925-3760 x 1137

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to ensure that all students in the Aspen School District have access to delicious, healthy, seasonal meals in order to grow their bodies, minds and future.  All meals are made from locally grown, sustainable ingredients to the greatest extent possible.  We also want all students to understand the relationships between and among food, health, nutrition, cultures, environment, and business; the relationship children have with food will evolve into a circle benefiting not just themselves, but society as a whole.

WELLNESS POLICY

The Aspen School District recognizes that even though its schools do not receive federal funding for child nutrition programs it is important for school districts to have a wellness policy in place.

The Board and Administration ensures healthy schools and student wellness by supporting good nutrition, regular physical activity, social/emotional well-being, and a clean, eco-friendly physical environment. Student performance potential is optimized when students and staff practice healthy behaviors that are supported in a comprehensive learning environment.

NOTE: Please refer to the following documents:

• Nutritious Food Choices Policy EFEA
• Healthy Beverages Standards for Schools Policy EFEA-E
• Aspen School District Procurement Specifications dated 4/25/08

LUNCH ACCOUNT

Powerlunch is one of the amenities you receive by having your child in the Aspen School District. Your child is given a student number when entering Aspen School District.  This number is how lunch is tracked. It is important for your child to keep his/her number safe so no one else can use it. No charging of meals will be accepted from a student who has a $0.00 balance on his/her account. Lunch accounts must be pre-paid; no negative balances will be accepted. If your child has qualified for free or reduced price lunches, this information is also in the system, and the meal will be processed just as it is for all other students (The free/reduced lunch program applies to the main lunch meal only, a la carte items are not applicable for free/reduced funding). As a parent, it is your responsibility to monitor your child’s balance and make sure that he/she has money to purchase a meal.  For balance information, please contact your school secretary. We have a financial lunch assistance program available for families; however, you must apply for a scholarship. In the case of free/reduced lunch funding, please be aware that all lunch meals are to be paid up until date of scholarship approval.

• All students have a personal debit account (not a credit account — please remember to deposit money for meals regularly).
• Students access their account using a personal ID #.
• Send in any dollar amount to be credited to your child’s personal meal account.
• Please make checks payable to: Aspen School District
• Write your child’s first, last name and ID# on the check to be certain the money is deposited into the correct student’s account.
• Purchasing meals in advance eliminates the need for your child to remember to bring money to school daily.
• When students bring a lunch from home, they may use their account to purchase milk, juice or a la carte items  providing their account has funds available.

Give your teacher the gift of lunch!.

Purchase your teacher or an appreciated staff menu lunch/s.  Please contact Tenille Folk for details.