Dear Fairport School Families, Staff, Students -

Welcome to the new school year!

Welcome to a new school year! Whether your child joins us for breakfast, lunch, or both, we're excited to serve them each day.

At Fairport Central School District, we believe school meals should be something students look forward to. Our team is committed to serving fresh, nutritious, and great-tasting meals in a welcoming environment where every student feels comfortable and cared for. Every meal we serve is another opportunity to help students learn, grow, and have the energy they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Our menus meet the nutrition standards established through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These standards ensure students have access to balanced meals while still offering the variety and flexibility they enjoy.

Offer vs. Serve

Fairport participates in Offer vs. Serve, a USDA meal service option that gives students the opportunity to choose the foods they want to eat while still receiving a nutritious, reimbursable meal.

Breakfast

At breakfast, students are offered a variety of food choices. To receive a complete school breakfast, students must select at least three food items, and one selection must be at least ½ cup of fruit.

Lunch

At lunch, students are offered all five meal components:

• Protein
• Grain
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Milk

Students may choose the items they would like to eat, but to receive a complete school lunch they must select at least three meal components, with one being a ½ cup of fruit and/or vegetables.

This approach gives students more choice, helps reduce food waste, and encourages them to build meals they'll enjoy while meeting USDA nutrition requirements.

À La Carte Options

In addition to complete meals, students may purchase a variety of à la carte items, including fresh fruit, vegetables, baked snacks, yogurt, beverages, and other student favorites.

Customer Service

The employees of the Fairport School Food Service Program are committed to providing students with nutritious, tasty meals in an atmosphere they will enjoy. We understand that a hungry child cannot learn. School meals serve as a building block to promote the growth and development of our students and can provide one of the tools they need to achieve a positive and optimal learning environment.

Meeting the nutritional needs and food preferences of Fairport students is the food service department’s primary goal. We invite parents and students to contact our staff with any comments or requests. If you have a favorite recipe you would like to submit, we are always on the lookout for new menu items and try to incorporate new and different foods that children may not have tasted before.

Consumer education is one of the goals of the food service department. You and your child(ren) will observe the following throughout the school year:

• Free samples and taste testing in student cafeterias
• New food items highlighted on the printed menu
• Theme days such as Autumn Feast, Chinese New Year, Superbowl

We also make every effort to accommodate students with food intolerances or allergies. District-wide, there are currently over 150 students with food allergies, some of which are life threatening. In the last five years, the entire food service staff and several district staff have undergone education on how to handle food allergies. Preparation protocols have been put in place to ensure that peanut butter does not contaminate other food items. Ingredient labels and standardized recipes are kept on file in the food service director’s office and are updated as new products and recipes are added to the menu. Ingredient labels are always checked for possible allergens, and allergen alerts are put on the daily production records that are used by the cooks in each building.

If your child has lactose intolerance, a food allergy, or other medical condition that affects their diet, please obtain a note from your physician and send it to the school nurse. The note should indicate the food(s) the child cannot eat, and recommend substitutions when applicable. A note will be put on the child’s account to alert cashiers to check the tray when the child comes through the line.

If you have questions about food allergies, or any other facet of the school lunch and breakfast programs, please call our office at 585-421-2323. We also invite parents to join their children for lunch at any time. Please contact the main office at your child’s school to make arrangements if you wish to visit.

Funding

The Fairport School Food Service Department is self-supporting. This means that we do not receive any of the money collected from your local school tax dollars. Our income is derived solely from cafeteria sales and federal and state per-meal reimbursement.

School meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy families too!  Second meals and a la carte are also available and priced accordingly and can be paid for with cash or money on the students meal account. You can login to MySchoolBucks from the Parent Portal to manage your student's lunch account. In order to minimize the handling of cash and maximize speed of service through the serving lines in the cafeteria; we will be implementing "One direction transactions" through all school serving lines. All money will go directly on student accounts, NO CHANGE will be given at the point of sale.

• For more information on MySchoolBucks, Click Here.

We're Here for You

We're always looking for ways to make the school dining experience even better. We value feedback from our students and families and encourage you to reach out with questions, suggestions, or concerns at any time.

We look forward to welcoming your children to the cafeteria this fall. For facts about school meals, visit School Nutrition Association’s Website.

Rachel LaChapelle 
Fairport School Food Service Director