What's Cooking, And Who's Cooking, At Todd Elementary School

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

The real daily specials in Todd’s K-2 and 3-5 cafeterias aren’t just the items on the menu. They’re the people who cook, serve, swipe, and greet students every day.

For Ms. Crystal and Ms. Karen in the upper grades’ cafeteria, lunch service keeps them both behind and in front of the scenes. Their mornings begin with prepping and cooking, setting up food stations, and getting ready to help students navigate their choices before checking them out at the register.

For Ms. Crystal, who is also a Todd bus monitor, the day literally begins and ends with students.

“I’ve been at Todd for over 25 years,” she said. “It’s always about the students. That’s why we’re all here.”

This year, Todd Elementary and Briarcliff Middle School have joined the New York State Universal Free School Meals program, which provides lunch at no cost to every student. At Todd, more students are taking advantage of school lunch this year, with participation rising from 37 percent of students last year to 54 percent this year.

To qualify as a meal, students select at least three of five meal components: fruits, vegetables, grains, meat/meat alternates, and milk, with at least one of those components being a fruit or vegetable.

Students have plenty of choices for meeting those requirements. Options range from parfaits and pizza to bagels and sandwiches, hummus and salad bowls, and an array of fruits and vegetables, including a big bowl of apples next to the register.

For Todd students Jeida and Emma, pizza and watermelon happen to be one of their favorite combinations. Another option high on their list? The bagel meal.

But if you ask Ms. Crystal and Ms. Karen, they’ll tell you that the salads and parfaits are the most ordered items, especially with the fifth graders. When asked if the salads come with anything, Ms. Crystal replied, “It comes with our special love.”

In the K-2 cafeteria, Ms. M and Ms. LaShanda keep the lines moving with the help of teachers and aides. Some students need help picking out their items, while others push their full trays down to the register with ease and confidence. With a month of school under their belts, Ms. M and Ms. LaShanda are already getting familiar with students, putting faces to names and swiping them through before they even get their cards out.

The students might be younger in this cafeteria, but they appear to be no less adventurous when it comes to choosing meal items.

Eli chooses a jelly sandwich paired with chickpeas, apple slices, and a juice box. He’s not only happy with his choices, he knows exactly what he picked. When asked what was in one of the containers on his tray, he looked down and smiled.

“Chickpeas,” he said.

Patty Dilluvio oversees food services across the district as general manager for Whitsons Culinary Group. This week, in celebration of National School Lunch Week, Ms. Dilluvio organized special activities, including a beet tasting featuring October’s root vegetable of the month.

One menu that rarely needs selling? Breakfast for lunch.

“Students love the breakfast meals, especially at Todd,” she said. “It’s one of the biggest days.”

But for Ms. Dilluvio, the people serving the meals are just as important as what’s on the menu.

“All of my staff are wonderful,” she said, pointing to Ms. M as one example. “Ms. M makes everyone feel good.”

When it comes to choosing their meal components, Ms. LaShanda said students sometimes surprise her.

“I was surprised by how many students love it when we have black beans on the menu. They also really like pepper slices and celery sticks for their vegetable. The parfaits are eye-catching, so they tend to be drawn to them,” she said. “But they don’t just look good. They taste good too.”

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.