• Dear OPUSD Preschool and Elementary School families,

    I am truly honored to welcome you to the start of another exciting school year at Oak Park Unified School District! As the Director of Student Nutrition and Wellness, I am dedicated to ensuring our students have access to high-quality, sustainable, and delicious scratch-cooked meals. We are excited to fuel their minds and bodies with nutritious meals that will support their learning and growth throughout the 2024-25 school year.

    At OPUSD, we understand the importance of a fresh and healthy meal in the overall well-being and academic success of our students. A nourishing meal not only provides essential nutrients but also enhances focus, energy levels, and overall cognitive function, enabling our students to reach their fullest potential in the classroom and beyond.

    Our team has been hard at work preparing for the return of our students, and we are eager to serve your children with care and dedication. We take great pride in continuing our mission of providing healthy and tasty breakfast and lunch options for all students. Your feedback is essential to us, and we always welcome your suggestions and comments as we strive to improve our meals and services. 

    I am delighted to share that, once again, this year, all OPUSD students can enjoy free meals as part of the California Universal Meals program. Each student is eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch daily. This program allows us to ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals without any financial barriers.

    Please take a moment to read through this information carefully as the it is very important and we believe will be helpful to you and your family. 

    NEW THIS YEAR

    • Breakfast and Lunch Items: In addition to our extensive menu options, we are excited to announce some new additions this year! We are thrilled to introduce a new item to our lunch menu that we believe the students will love: a BBQ Chicken/Veggie Chicken Sandwich! Additionally, we will be baking a variety of delicious flavors of fresh-baked biscuits for breakfast. We will continue offering our popular scratch-made “Chicken/Veggie Nuggets” and “Teriyaki Chicken/Tofu Bowl,” both made with Mary’s pasture-raised chicken and organic tofu.

    We're constantly looking for ways to improve our offerings and will be conducting taste tests with our students to gather their feedback on potential new items. We look forward to hearing our students’ feedback and making our meal program even better!

    • Piloting Reusable Serveware: We are excited to announce that we are piloting the use of reusable lunch trays, cups, and silverware at Brookside Elementary School this year. This initiative, made possible by the installation of a commercial dishwasher in our kitchen, aims to decrease the use of disposable items and further our efforts toward sustainability.  

    Instruction will be offered at the site to inform students on where to pick up and drop off the dishes. 

    While this program is currently only at Brookside, we look forward to assessing its success and potential expansion to other sites in the future.

    • Bulk Milk Dispensers: OPUSD is excited to announce the expansion of our successful bulk milk dispensers to all elementary schools this year! After great success at MCMS and OPHS, the dispensers will now provide Straus certified organic milk sourced from pasture-raised cows in northern California. Straus Family Creamery, a family-run regenerative farm, produces milk that is minimally processed, never ultra-pasteurized, and contains no preservatives, fillers, artificial ingredients, or coloring agents. Pasture-raised and regenerative farming practices offer better nutrition, ensuring a healthier product for our students. By using these dispensers, we will reduce milk and carton waste, support local sustainable farming practices, and offer a nutritionally superior product for our students' health. This initiative not only promotes environmental sustainability but also educates our students on the importance of waste reduction and quality nutrition.

    • Farm to School Activities: We are committed to promoting healthy eating habits and supporting local agriculture through our Farm to School program. Last year, we piloted regular taste testing of seasonal fruits and vegetables from local Ventura County farms at our elementary sites, and it was very well received. This year, we are excited to expand these activities further.

    Students will have the opportunity to sample and enjoy fresh, locally-sourced produce, highlighting the Harvest of the Month item. By incorporating farm-to-school practices, we aim to educate our students about the benefits of eating fresh, seasonal foods and support our local farmers.

    We will update the upcoming month's menu before the beginning of each month to help you plan ahead. Please note that because we source the majority of our ingredients from local suppliers, our menu items might occasionally change due to supply issues. We appreciate your understanding that these changes may sometimes occur without prior notice.

    For the monthly menu, please look under the Menus tab on the left. 

    Note: Our menus are carefully crafted to be free of peanuts, tree nuts, nut butters, and nut-containing ingredients.

    LUNCHES OFFERED ON MINIMUM DAYS

    Just like last year, we will be offering lunches on minimum days and early release days to all grade levels (Preschool - 12th) at all sites. 

    For information on Minimum Day meal pick-up procedures, please refer to the section “CAFETERIA PROCEDURES FOR NEW FAMILIES” at the end of this message. 

    SECOND LUNCHES and MEAL ACCOUNT FUNDS

    • Second meals are not part of the free meals for students and are an OPTIONAL purchase. The CA Universal Meals program provides funding for only one free breakfast and one free lunch per day for each student. 

    • Elementary students in grades K-5 will have the option to purchase a second meal using funds in their meal accounts. Money may be added to your student's account through Q-Parent Connect, where you can also check your child’s existing cafeteria fund balance. Please make sure that funds are available in your student's meal account to facilitate purchase. Our cafeteria staff are unable to assist students with second meal purchases if there are insufficient funds in a student’s meal account. 

    FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATIONS

    As part of the state's requirements, we will still be distributing and collecting free/reduced meal applications, even though all meals are free for our students. Completing these applications allows us to gather essential data to qualify for additional school funding, supporting academic programs for your child. Additionally, free/reduced eligibility can qualify households for discounted internet services, P-EBT benefits, discounted energy rates, and more. We encourage households to apply using the link provided HERE.

    FOOD ALLERGIES

    If your child has allergies or needs special meal accommodations, please fill out our Medical Statement to Request Special Meals form and email us at schoolmeals@opusd.org, indicating the desired dates and meals (Breakfast/Lunch). If we already have a form on file for your child, you do not need to fill it out again unless there are changes to their specific dietary restrictions or schedule.

    We sincerely hope our students will enjoy the nutritionally rich and freshly prepared meals we offer. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at kadams@opusd.org.

    Wishing you all a fantastic start to the new school year filled with growth, learning, and wonderful memories.

     

    Warm regards,

     

    Katherine Adams

    Director of Student Nutrition and Wellness

    Oak Park Unified School District



    CAFETERIA PROCEDURES FOR NEW FAMILIES

    If you are new to the district or would like a reminder of our procedures, please read the following information. 


    To obtain a meal, students may show up at the cafeteria and request a meal to be provided. The menu is provided as a guide to help you make the decision with your child if they want to bring a meal from home or if they would like to eat a meal prepared by our staff. 


    Due to a combination of federal and state funding sources that depend on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, all student meals must be tracked, and an accurate count of meals served needs to be reported to the state.  


    MEAL TRACKING PROCESS 


    Regular Schedule Days:

    • For Oak Park Neighborhood Preschool, a count of students who would like a meal will be taken, and that list will be provided to our cafeteria staff.

    • For TK, a form will be sent home on Friday where parents can indicate the lunches their child would like for the following week. Before dismissal, a campus supervisor will collect the ID cards of those students wanting a lunch and bring them to the cafeteria. They will exchange the cards for lunches and then bring the lunches back to the classroom. 

    • For K-5, IDs will be passed out to students in the classroom before each meal period. Students will drop their ID in the designated basket as they go through the line. Staff will scan IDs and return them to teachers after the meal period.


    Minimum Days:

    • For TK, before dismissal, a campus supervisor will collect the ID cards of those students wanting a lunch and bring them to the cafeteria. They will exchange the cards for lunches and then bring the lunches back to the classroom. Students will take their lunches and, with a parent/guardian, consume the lunch in the designated area on-site. Club students will be accompanied by Club staff from the classroom with their lunch. 

    • For K-5, teachers will take a hand count in the morning of students interested in lunch. At dismissal, students will pick up their ID card before leaving the classroom and bring it to the cafeteria in exchange for lunch. They can then consume the lunch in the designated area on-site. Campus supervisors will sort and return the ID cards to the teachers. 

    • Extended Care: Students going to Extended Care will have lunch delivered (TK) or pick it up (K-5) before going to Extended Care. When students arrive at Extended Care, they will have their lunch with them and will consume it there. 


    Please note: All students who request a meal will be provided one, even if they don’t have their student ID. However, we greatly appreciate students being sure they bring their IDs to the cafeteria every day. It ensures an accurate count and helps the lines move faster, allowing students more time to eat and socialize.