Category Archives: Nutrition Services

Food service attendant receives October Customer Service Impact Award

Each morning, food service attendant Pamela Cole makes her way down the special education hallway at Milby High School to serve a nutritious breakfast to her favorite students, each of whom she knows by name. 

One day, Nutrition Services Team Lead Mari Thibodeaux assigned someone else to that hallway. 

“The teacher called and said her students were waiting for Ms. Pam,” Thibodeaux said. “Can you believe they didn’t want anyone but her? It’s because she exudes excellence in all that she does.” 

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HISD celebrates National School Lunch Week with good food, music

Students who walked into the De Chaumes Elementary School cafeteria on Wednesday were greeted with decorations featuring musical instruments, disco balls, and vinyl records.  

Long cafeteria tables clad in green and yellow tablecloths with black and white music note centerpieces tied to colorful balloons — all in celebration of National School Lunch Week. 

“I’ve never been a part of this type of event before,” De Chaumes third-grader Diego Martin Salinas said. “It feels kind of cool.” 

Observed this year from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18 and featuring a “What’s on Your Playlist?” theme, National School Lunch Week aims to promote the benefits of serving nutritionally balanced meals to students. 

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Sing your heart out with National School Lunch Week student jingle contest

Nutrition Services is sponsoring a student jingle contest in honor of National School Lunch Week, which is being held Oct. 14-18. 

National School Lunch Week was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as an annual celebration of the National School Lunch Program. This year, the theme — What’s on Your Playlist? — highlights the variety of flavors and dishes offered in today’s school lunch.  

“National School Lunch Week provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the importance of a healthy school lunch, while also reinforcing the importance of eating good food and expanding students’ palates,” HISD Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins said. 

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Nutrition Services partners with HISD transition programs to help students with disabilities

Leticia Resendiz spends her weekdays at Seguin Elementary School, carefully preparing and serving wholesome meals to eager students.  

A dedicated employee, she carefully reviews the instructions of every recipe and always remembers to follow health and safety regulations. 

“I’m happy with this job,” Resendiz said. “I love giving the kids their breakfast and lunch. Everyone is so nice to me.” 

Resendiz is one of four food service attendants hired by Nutrition Services in partnership with two transition programs — HISD-HCC Lifeskills and HISD/HEART (Housing, Entrepreneurship, and Readiness Training).  

The programs are designed to help HISD special education students who have met all academic and course requirements for graduation but require transition services to complete their Individualized Education Program.  

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Three HISD schools recognized among America’s healthiest

Three HISD schools have been recognized as some of the country’s healthiest schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.  

Baylor College of Medicine Biotech Academy at Rusk, Piney Point Elementary School, and Rucker Elementary School all were honored with bronze-level designations for the schools’ impact on children’s health.  

The schools are among 355 schools from 23 states selected for the recognition.  

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HISD students to eat all meals at no charge this school year

As parents prepare for the upcoming school year, Nutrition Services has taken one key responsibility off their plates — providing students with breakfast, lunch, and dinner free of charge for the second year in a row. 

All HISD schools are once again qualified to operate under the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Community Eligibility Provision, which provides students with access to three healthy meals each day — at no cost to them and without having to fill out a free and reduced-price meal application. 

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HISD asking parents to complete socioeconomic form for the 2019-2020 school year

The Houston Independent School District will provide free breakfast and lunch to students for the 2019-2020 school year, but parents will need to fill out a new form to ensure Title I funding for HISD schools. 

All HISD schools are qualified to operate under the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Community Eligibility Provision, which allows HISD to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner at no charge to all students, eliminating the need for free and reduced-price meal applications. 

While parents will not need to complete and return a free and reduced-price meal application, they will need to complete a socioeconomic form (see below), known as the blue form. 

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HISD Business Operations launches new brand focused on students

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With more than 7,000 employees, Business Operations is the largest division in HISD. But what exactly do we do?

Before students can ever file into their classrooms, bus drivers and crossing guards must get them safely to school. Cafeteria workers must make them a nutritious breakfast. Custodians, police officers, and construction crews must make sure they have new, clean, safe spaces in which to learn.

The breadth of our work touches all facets of the district, and support is at the heart of everything we do. We help lay the foundation for student success — most of the time behind the scenes.

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HISD to offer no-cost summer meals at more than 250 schools

HISD Nutrition Services will be kicking off its Summer Meals Program June 5 at more than 250 area schools. Children ages 1 to 18 can enjoy a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge through July 3.  

Children do not need to be enrolled in summer school to participate in the program, and no paperwork, registration, or proof of income is required. Adults can also participate by purchasing breakfast for $2.75 and lunch for $4. 

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HISD campuses celebrate Nutrition Services staff with 7th Annual School Lunch Hero Day

Cheers echoed down the hall as Bruce Elementary School students and staff gathered Friday in Room 137 to surprise their beloved cafeteria staff with an ice cream bar and certificates of appreciation.  

The party was held in honor of School Lunch Hero Day, a nationwide celebration that honors school nutrition professionals for the valuable work they do each day. The annual celebration stems from author Jarrett Krosoczka’s Lunch Lady, a graphic novel series featuring a crime-fighting Lunch Lady whose mission is to serve up justice while serving up lunch.

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