McAuley and St. Peter’s Students and Families,
I have attached the lunch menu for November.
Just 3 years ago our lunch program consisted of 100% catering of outside restaurants for the food we served our students. This method was eating through our lunch account balance rapidly and the amount of food we were able to purchase for $3.50 was not enough to satisfy our students’ hunger.
During the 2nd semester of my first year in the system we started a culinary management program where that class prepared meals two times a week and we ordered out the other 3. Although this did help keep costs down somewhat, we still were in the red. My 2nd year and again this year, Mrs. Stancell has taken over the program and we cater 4 days and purchase meals 1 day a week. Mrs. Stancell is able to prepare enough food to satisfy our students’ hunger and many days we offer seconds to those wanting it.
We are pleased to say that we are finally in the black; however we are monitoring the cost of items due to inflation to make sure we maintain a positive balance in that account.
After receiving a large donation of hamburger meat, and with Mrs. Stancell’s ability to purchase food in bulk from local businesses, we are at a point in our balance that we want to provide students with one free meal a week through the month of November. We have chosen that every Tuesday through the month of November, student accounts will not be charged for lunch and they can eat for free.
Our hope is to continue this throughout the school year as much as possible, but realize with rising costs it may not be as frequent as we would like. We will let you know each month if we are able to do this.
Have a blessed week,
Dr.Yoakam
