Home › Parent Resources

School Lunch Program (2009-2010)

Ginny Cate, Kitchen Coordinator

LUNCH
– Our school lunches are made either in our own kitchen or provided by outside vendors: Good Food, Inc., Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Papa John Pizza. ALL LUNCHES FOR THE 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR ARE NOW PRICED at $4.00.

Lunch tickets are purchased on a monthly basis. Prior to the beginning of each new month, a lunch menu and ticket with instructions is sent home with each child. Parents/guardians mark directly on each child’s ticket those lunches that the child will purchase for the month. DO NOT MARK THE DAYS THAT YOUR CHILD WILL NOT PURCHASE LUNCH.
This marked ticket, along with the proper payment for the number of lunches chosen, is returned to your child’s teacher by the due date listed in the instructions. The lunch menu tickets are color coded according to grade levels: Yellow = K, 1, 2; Green = 3, 4, 5 and Blue = 6, 7, 8. If you have more than one child, staple all lunch cards together with a check for the total amount and send to the kitchen. Checks are made payable to “Saint Leo the Great School.” A copy of the menu calendar should be kept at home and also marked for which days your lunch is bought so you have a record at home.

LUNCH TICKET USE AND CONTROL
– Parents/guardians must complete all required information on their child’s lunch ticket before returning it (with payment) to the home homeroom teacher or middle school advisor. The individual lunch ticket is retained at school in the homeroom or home base and provided to the student on those days the child indicated to buy lunch. The student presents the ticket at the kitchen window where it is marked and returned to the teacher for the following lunch day. The intent of this system is to eliminate the problem of lost or forgotten tickets and to ensure the accuracy of the lunch count. Every child must have his/her own calendar. There is no ticket sharing – no exceptions.

DRINKS
– Milk is available daily for those who participate in the milk program. The milk program must be paid at the beginning of the school year. Students can choose between 1% White or 1% Chocolate milk. You must indicate one type for the entire year. Children who bring lunch from home and do not participate in the school milk program must bring their own lunch beverage. Carbonated beverages and/or glass bottles are prohibited.

ICE CREAM – Ice Cream treats will be sold on Pizza days only. Tickets are 25¢ each and will be sold as one ice cream card of 20 tickets at a cost of $5.00/card. Individual tickets will not be sold. One or two tickets are needed for ice cream purchases depending on the value of the item selected. Ice Cream cards are sold by the Kitchen Staff only. Ice cream cards will be available for purchase at the Kitchen window during Open House. After that, requests should be sent to us through the front office or school mail. No cards will be sold during lunch time or directly to students. Ice cream cards may be purchased by cash or check, payable to “Saint Leo the Great School.” No more than two cards per student will be sold at a time.

STUDENTS SHOULD NOT CUT OUT INDIVIDUAL TICKETS. The ice cream card will be the same size as the lunch card and labeled with the student’s name. When an ice cream treat is bought, a kitchen staff member will “stamp” the correct number of squares to mark those paid and used and keep the card. Cards are kept at school and you will be notified when it is running out.

Any questions, please contact the Kitchen Staff at 703-273-1211, x650 or kitchen@saintleothegreatschool.org. Thank you.

WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MISPLACED LUNCH OR ICE CREAM CARDS
Any questions, please contact the Kitchen Staff at 703-273-1211 x650.


KITCHEN OPERATIONS – Our kitchen operates under permit issued by Fairfax County. It is subject to a “no notice inspection” by the Virginia Department of Health inspectors. All food preparation and serving is supervised by a Certified Food Manager who has been issued certification by the Fairfax County Health Department. We are fortunate that all 3 staff persons have taken classes and passed exams in order to be Certified Food Managers.

CUSTOMIZED AND FORGOTTEN LUNCHES

It is the responsibility of students and parents/guardians to review the lunch menu. If your child does not like what is being offered on a particular day, then you need to send a lunch from home. Unfortunately, we do not have the staff or the time to customize a substitute lunch to satisfy a child’s particular taste. We will only offer what has been prepared to those desiring to purchase lunch.
If you are bringing a lunch from home, please make sure to pack a well-balance, nutritious lunch. Fast food lunches are not acceptable and “Lunchable”-type foods are highly discouraged. Please reference the handbook or the Diocesan Health & Wellness policy for more information.

Forgotten lunches are a significant problem. If the child has not pre-purchased the lunch offering of the day, it is the responsibility of parents/guardians and students to ensure that a lunch has been brought from home. If a student does not have a lunch, for whatever reason, a lunch will be provided. This usually consists of a ham and cheese sandwich, snack, fruit and drink. No child will go hungry. Children without a lunch will be issued a “No Lunch” ticket that will be recorded in the kitchen. A FREE LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED THE FIRST TIME AS A COURTESY. REPEATED NEED TO PROVIDE LUNCH FOR A STUDENT WILL REQUIRE A BILLING OF $4.00 PER LUNCH TO THE PARENTS/GUARDIANS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT PAYMENT FOR THESE LUNCHES WILL BE FORWARDED IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT. INVOICES WILL BE SENT HOME MONTHLY.

STUDENT ABSENCE – Unfortunately, we cannot issue refunds or rain checks for meals when students are absent. It is not possible for us to make last minute daily changes with the company, as they need adequate time for the purchase of food supplies to service our daily lunches. We must pre-order all lunches and we are billed for and receive that number. We are confident that the families understand and appreciate the amount of planning and detailed paperwork involved in this process.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: Regarding menu changes for missed school days due to inclement weather, under Section III, Administrative Procedures in the Parent/Student Handbook 2009-2010: In order to remain on our established menu schedule, the school is responsible for payment to our food suppliers for missed lunches. Therefore, refunds or credits are not provided.

KITCHEN VISITS AND COMMENTS – We welcome visitors to the kitchen. Visits during the school year are welcomed on a scheduled basis, outside of lunch periods. To schedule a visit or to offer comments, please contact Ginny Cate, Kitchen Coordinator, at 703-359-6650, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM, or anytime via email at kitchen@saintleothegreatschool.org. Parents are also invited to eat lunch with their child at any time. Please send a note home through your child’s teacher. You are allowed to bring an outside lunch in or if you would like to purchase a hot lunch to eat with your child, please pay in advance when the monthly calendar goes home and mark your child’s ticket accordingly.

Our Food Vendors:

Our Ice Cream Vendors: