The Houston Independent School District will be serving free meals to Houston-area kids at more than 200 campuses beginning this week through mid-July.
Category Archives: Food Services
Golfcrest Elementary students try new fruits, vegetables at school festival
Students handle a large papaya.
While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, HISD’s Food Services department is hoping to get students to eat a few more than just a single piece of fruit.
Students at Golfcrest Elementary finished off a 3-week long nutritional curriculum with a taste-testing session held last week. The International Fruit and Veggie Festival allowed students to learn about food items with which they might not be familiar.
HISD to Offer Free Summer Meals Program at more than 200 campuses
Families invited to kick-off parties on June 11 and 12
The Houston Independent School District’s free summer meal program kicks off on June 11 at more than 200 schools. Children ages 1 to 18 will be able to enjoy a healthy breakfast and lunch at no cost through mid-July. The start of the program will be celebrated with kick-off parties at Bonham and Kashmere Gardens elementary schools.
The ‘Summer Food, Summer Fun’ kick-off parties on June 11 and 12 will include giveaways, music, games and a special visit from Ace the nutrition mascot.
Children do not have to be enrolled in summer school nor show proof of income in order to receive a free meal at the participating HISD schools. Adults may also participate by purchasing breakfast for $2 and lunch for $3.25.
Food Services Celebrates Opening of 75th Dining Station
High school students across the district are customizing their own school lunch every day thanks to HISD Food Services. Since the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, 75 dining brand stations have been successfully added to more than 20 high schools.
On Friday, May 24, more than 60 guests gathered at Waltrip High School to celebrate the grand opening of the campus’s new dining brand station. The celebration included a ribbon cutting ceremony and menu samplings of the new brands. Special guests included HISD Board President Anna Eastman, HISD Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla, and Waltrip students who participated in a Food Services focus group.
Nominate HISD’s Next Employee of the Month!
The next meeting of HISD’s Employee of the Month selection committee is right around the corner,
so don’t wait if you know someone who deserves to be nominated. HISD recently streamlined the process to make it easier than ever for people to submit a nomination. Just click here, fill in the fields, and press “done.” Your nomination will automatically be submitted for consideration at the next meeting. Please note that only employees serving in a non-instructional capacity (i.e. plant operators, secretaries, clerks, custodians, crossing guards, etc.) are eligible for this award.
32 HISD Schools Now Serving Free Dinner to Students
With more students spending most of their day at school, HISD’s Food Services has partnered with the 21st Century Community Learning Center program to serve dinner at various campuses to ensure students have access to healthy meals each day.
HISD observes National Nutrition Month with new promotions, expanded programs
March is National Nutrition Month, and HISD’s Food Services Department has been celebrating with new promotions, expanded programming, and even an appearance on the national stage.
Here are just a few of the highlights so far:
Students have a chance to win an Apple iPad!
What can you get for telling Food Services what you think about your school’s daily breakfast and lunch dining experience? During the weeks of February 18 – March 8, secondary students at 74 selected schools will get a chance to win one of four Apple iPads Food Services is giving away. You can’t beat that! Students in grades 6-12 that go online to www.studentvp.com/HISD, complete the quick survey, fill out the confirmation page and turn it in to their school’s cafeteria manager will get their names entered in a drawing to win one (1) of four (4) Apple iPads! Continue reading
Food Services Facility tours give a taste of what’s cooking at HISD schools
Julie Spreckelmeyer, director of HISD Food Services marketing and communications, talks to HFPW members about the Tortilla dining brand and the components of a typical school lunch.
If you’ve ever wondered what students are being served in HISD’s cafeterias today, you’re not alone.
Tours of HISD’s 220,000-square-foot Food Services Support Facility are available throughout the year, and more than two dozen members of the Houston Food Policy Workgroup (HFPW) took advantage of one recently to see first-hand what it takes to provide fresh, nutritious meals to thousands of students at the district’s more than 280 campuses each day. (See related “Behind the Scenes” video here.)
As a part of the tour, visitors were treated to a typical lunch served at Tortilla, a Fresh-Mex concept dining option available at the high-school level. The meal consisted of ground turkey/beef tacos, charro beans, Spanish brown rice, roasted vegetables, and whole-grain cookies prepared in the district’s bakery. All of these items, along with fresh-made salsas, are available at most HISD high-school campuses. Every high school cafeteria is expected to have them before the end of the year.
“This is better than restaurant food and it tastes very fresh and homemade,” said Sonia Gilmore, a member of HFPW whose two children attend HISD schools. “My son always tells me how good the food is at his school, and now I’m happy I get to taste this, to see what he raves about.”
The visitors heard from HISD Food Services Senior Administrator Brian Giles on the benefits of the facility’s production and warehousing system and recent innovations to the district’s school menu. Giles also shared the steps being taken to increase local and sustainable purchasing and food-system practices.
If you are interested in scheduling a tour, please call HISD Food Services at 713-491-5834.
HISD Police Department Partners with ARAMARK Education to Promote “Kids with Character” Mentoring Program
The HISD Police Department introduced a new partnership today with ARAMARK Education to promote positive character building in HISD schools. The Kids with Character mentoring program will recognize elementary students who have displayed outstanding citizenship in their classes.
Twice a month, HISD officers will eat lunch with students who have shown strong character. During the lunch the officers will also serve as role models by showing students how to be good leaders. Continue reading