Food Services
-
About Food Services
In-Person
Breakfast:
Classroom staff will picks up and serve to students.
No electronic ordering will be used.
Classroom staff willl send an electronic mini roster back for breakfast.
Lunch:
Classroom staff will order lunch through an electronic system.
Food will be picked up and delivered to student by staff/teacher aide.
After serving, classroom staff sends back an electronic mini roster to Food Service for SED record keeping.
Mini roster SOP's are created and will be sent to Principals in late August.
Remote
The Food Service Director coordinates with home district to provide meals to students.
BOCES will provide a list of students, along with their Free, Reduced or Paid status, to each school district that sends students to the BOCES programs.
Monroe One will not be providing meals to the students during remote instruction.
Hybrid
When the student is physically in the building:
The in-person process will be followed.
On the days of remote instruction:
Remote process will be followed.
Parents/guardians will be able to pick up meals at the feeding distribution site for their home district.
This site list will be posted on the Monroe One website.
If a home district does not have a meal distribution site, the BOCES Food Service Director will with student's teacher/social worker to determine the best method to transport food home with student.
-
Food Service Health and Safety Guidelines
- All food will be covered or sealed while in transport to the students.
- All condiments and silverware will be sealed, single use and distributed by Food Service staff.
- Staff will continue to follow all food allergy plans received from the Health Office.
- All classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizer and/or a sink for the students to wash their hands before eating.
- While on-site, students will eat in their classrooms, with food being delivered by classroom staff.
- Monroe One BOCES has ensured compliance with Child Nutrition Program requirements.
- All food will be covered or sealed while in transport to the students.
-
Communicating with Families
- Monroe One sends out letters on Free/Reduced meals and general communication to every family, in addition to posting them on the website.
- Letters are sent out in English and other languages as requested.
- Pertinent information is also posted on our social media platforms and included in newsletters, along with links to additional information online.
- Monroe One will continue to follow SFA policies to communicate about school meal service, eligibility, options and changes in operations.
- Karen Clark, Food Service Director, will be the contact person for families.
- Monroe One sends out letters on Free/Reduced meals and general communication to every family, in addition to posting them on the website.
-
Payment methods
- Online payment through MySchoolBucks is preferred, with money on each individual's account
- If cash is given at the register, no change will be physically given back. Excess funds will be put on their account.
- Money is also accepted via US post mail or inter-office mail, which will subsequently be put on their account.
- Online payment through MySchoolBucks is preferred, with money on each individual's account
-
Additional Reopening Considerations
- Monroe One will follow guidelines for hand sanitizer near vending machines in open areas. Custodians will also wipe down the machines throughout the day.
- A la carte sales will have limited items, which will be handed to patron by cashier.
- Outside food from restaurants should not be delivered/brought into the building for students. Guidelines are being discussed for staff.
- Visitors will not be allowed during meals.
- Monroe One will follow guidelines for hand sanitizer near vending machines in open areas. Custodians will also wipe down the machines throughout the day.
-
Free and Reduced Meals
- Due to the impact COVID-19 closures had on our families, Monroe One is aware many more families may now qualify for free and reduced meals. We will run a direct certification list from SED monthly to identify students who are automatically eligible.
- All families have the opportunity to access and print meal benefit applications on our website. Applications are also available at the front office of each school.
- At this time, Monroe One is not accepting online signatures, as most of our students qualify through the CEP process or on the direct certification list from SED.
- Information for summer meal distribution sites are posted on our website, for students to pick up meals from their school districts.
- Karen Clark will also serve as the in-person to support families in applying.
- Due to the impact COVID-19 closures had on our families, Monroe One is aware many more families may now qualify for free and reduced meals. We will run a direct certification list from SED monthly to identify students who are automatically eligible.
-
Safety and Sanitation
- Standard operating procedures are given yearly to food service staff. They have been updated to include COVID guidelines for sanitation of school kitchens, cafeterias, food warehouses and central production kitchens.
- Additional equipment and procedures have been identified to keep food, students and staff safe:
- All hot items will be served in separate containers and covered with aluminum foil.
- Cold sandwiches and salads will be served in sealed wrap or containers.
- Cold fruits, vegetables and milk will all be in sealed containers for pickup from staff.
- Hand sanitizer will be nearby.
- Kitchens and serving areas will be continually sanitized.
- All hot items will be served in separate containers and covered with aluminum foil.
- Special feeding needs of students with different disabilities have been considered; students will be eating in their classrooms with meals delivered by classroom staff.
- All Food Service staff will be wearing a face mask and/or a face mask and a face shield while serving classroom staff food for the students.
- Hand sanitizer will be at each line for staff to sanitize their hands before picking up food.
- Monroe One will have adequate supplies of face masks, soap, hand sanitizer and tissues in food service areas as required.
- Per DOH guidelines, staff will routinely clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces including tables, chairs and carts used in transportation.Point-ofservice touch-pads will be removed from cashier stations.
- Classrooms will have a supply of gloves, staff will be wearing new gloves each time they are dealing with food (including pickup/delivery of meals to students).
- Monroe One will utilize both disposable and reusable cloth aprons. Reusable cloth aprons will be cleaned in-house.
- Only program staff, custodial staff and approved volunteers will be allowed to enter program areas.
- Standard operating procedures are given yearly to food service staff. They have been updated to include COVID guidelines for sanitation of school kitchens, cafeterias, food warehouses and central production kitchens.
-
Food Service Staff
- Staffing needs have been evaluated; at this time food service staffing is adequate as classroom staff will be picking up the food.
- Staff are trained on district policies and protocols on health and safety.
- An annual training meeting is held.
- Additionally, all food service staff have sanitation certification.
- An annual training meeting is held.
- Program staff have been cross-trained to perform essential activities in the event of key absences or emergency situations.
- Staffing needs have been evaluated; at this time food service staffing is adequate as classroom staff will be picking up the food.
-
Vendors and Suppliers
- The Food Service Director will contact vendors if orders are changed due to food availability.
- Backup menu items that meet the Child Nutrition Guidelines will be substituted and used as needed.
- All delivery staff will follow guidelines of wearing masks upon entry into the kitchen.
- Grab-and-go meal delivery will be part of our planned menu.
- The Food Service Director will contact vendors if orders are changed due to food availability.
-
USDA Waivers
- Monroe One is not currently requesting any waivers.
- The Food Service Director will apply for waivers as needed in the event BOCES goes to an all-remote learning program.
- Monroe One will continue to follow "offer versus serve" in all of its schools.
- Monroe One is not currently requesting any waivers.
-
Meal Service
- Food safety plans have been revised to include COVID-19 procedures:
- updating standard operating procedures to follow COVID-related guidelines
- meal service in classrooms
- social distancing protocols
- PPE during meal prep, delivery, receiving and storage
- updating standard operating procedures to follow COVID-related guidelines
- Meal patterns will continue to meet the USDA Child Nutrition guideline requirements.
- Daily production records will continue to be completed in all kitchens for breakfast and lunch.
- Meal counting procedures developed for meals served outside of the cafeteria:
- electronic mini roster system will be used for service in classrooms for meal service accountability
- electronic mini roster system will be used for service in classrooms for meal service accountability
- Changes to transactions in place based on COVID-19 guidelines:
- money placed on student's account via MySchoolBucks
- cash/check may be given to cashier; change will be placed on student's account and not physically handed back at time of transaction
- cash/check can be sent to the Food Service office via USPS or interoffice mail
- receipts given upon request and sent via the Food Service office
- money is secured in cash register or Food Service office safe prior to being sent to the business office for deposit
- money placed on student's account via MySchoolBucks
- Food safety plans have been revised to include COVID-19 procedures:
-
Meals Consumed On-site
- The majority of the meals will be served in the classroom.
- No shared tables or self-service salad bars will be available.
- All refrigerators on the lines will only contain sealed items such as milk, yogurt, fruits and vegetables.
- Refrigerator handles will be wiped down frequently.
- All condiments will be handed out via food service staff in individual serving sizes.
- Monroe One staff will be reminded that students should not share food.
- The Food Service Director is working with the Operations and Maintenance Supervisor to establish COVID-related sanitation procedures.
- This will include areas near the kitchen to be wiped down more frequently (i.e. door handles, walls near serving areas, vending machines).
- This will include areas near the kitchen to be wiped down more frequently (i.e. door handles, walls near serving areas, vending machines).
- Classroom staff will clean and disinfect tables, chairs and other frequently touched hard surfaces. The cafeteria will not be used to eat meals.
- Physical distancing guides in food service areas will be provided.
- COVID communication posters are hung in the hallways that border entrances to serving line and next to serving line doors.
- Additional signage will be posted to eat in the classroom, no meals will be consumed in the cafeteria.
- COVID communication posters are hung in the hallways that border entrances to serving line and next to serving line doors.
- Teachers will be following a lunch time schedule to pick up meals for students. Meals will be consumed in the classroom.
- Monroe One will follow procedures to provide pre-portioned condiments that staff places on trays and to place meals on a counter/tray line for quick pick up.
- Staff will use an online ordering system for lunch.
- School personnel will continue to meet the feeding safety needs of students with disabilities, as is already done during a normal school schedule.
- When students eat in classrooms:
- all classroom staff will be updated on student allergies.
- the Food Service team will send instructions to classrooms reminding them of safe sanitation procedures.
- signage is implemented and will be posted by door to serving line and cashier station to assist non-food service staff on meal service procedures.
- all classroom staff will be updated on student allergies.
- The majority of the meals will be served in the classroom.
-
Meals Consumed Off-site
- The Food Service Director will coordinate with a student's home district, providing Free/Reduced meal needs.
- Monroe One will develop service methods (ex. grab and go, curb-side pickup, delivery, etc) if students are unable to access meals at their home district.
- Monroe One will work with home districts for students who are unable to access school meal distribution sites and identify ways to address those gaps.
- Providing bulk meals or creating areas with cones and signs for parents to pickup food is not applicable to Monroe One as students will be getting meals from their home district while on remote instruction. Please contact your home district for remote meal service locations.
- The Food Service Director will coordinate with a student's home district, providing Free/Reduced meal needs.