The data by site ranged from the good, the bad, and maybe even the ugly, but it was important to face the numbers to be able to develop a strategic improvement plan. After all, it is much more difficult to figure out where to go if you don’t know where you stand. The plan was surely not a one size fits all as each site had its own set of unique challenges. It was vital that the management at each site was aware of their numbers; how they were calculated, what impacted them, and what was the goal. Know Your Numbers…. Know Your Reality Strategically Staff How many students would be participating, where would we be serving meals, where would students consume their meal; we found ourselves with new answers to these questions and therefore, our staffing structure had to adjust. Serving times were extended to comply with social distancing and sanitation while participation counts fell. It took creativity to develop a schedule that met the needs of the operation without breaking the bank. We expanded our dual management model where a manager and assistant manager supervise two school sites. Typically, one of the two school sites has a very low participation (<500 MEQ) and is in close geographic proximity to the other site. We recognized that the need for cross training was more important now than ever as multitasking became a necessity!
Communicate, Communciate, Communicate
Since so much changed so rapidly it was important to have regular communication with all the stakeholders to successfully adapt to our new normal: Superintendent Staff, Principals, Parents, Community Members, Students, Teachers, and most critically the Foodservice Staff. It was vital to be as transparent as possible with our challenges, solutions, and next steps. Change is never easy, so the transparency and collaboration brought forth vital stakeholder buy in. Child Nutrition Staff are truly the most resilient and dedicated. Their find a way approach to ensure students get a meal is truly remarkable and heartwarming. While so much has changed their giant hearts have surely been the constant amidst these uncertain times.
Healthy Harvest June 2025 | 13
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